To not take the kids trick or treating or answer the door?

[Mumstudentbum]

All this clown business has got me thinking maybe we should stay indoors? DD1 (9) and DD2 (6) love going out on our street as our neighbours really get involved on halloween but theres been a few incidents with 'killer' clowns in the area, i don't want to scare the kids! We usually decorate the house too and hand out sweets to anyone who calls by, but lately theres been a few burglars and scammers knocking on doors too. All this with the bloody clowns will give me a breakdown lol.

I suggested staying in with locked doors to watch a movie with treats but DP thinks I'm being mean as other kids will knock at the door expecting treats but we won't answer. I don't want to answer the door! Ive also asked the teenager to stay in instead of walking round with his mates and luckily he agreed. AIBU?

I think maybe you're being a bit OTT and anxious. I can almost understand you not wanting to go out trick or treating (although I think the clown thing has been hammed up by the media) but to lock the door from trick or treaters seems a bit much.

YANBU. I don't care how many kids knock at the door, I won't be answering. The hall door will be shut and the bell will be disconnected - I'm a miserable cow and hate Halloween!

I'll say YWNBU to lock the world out for the night to spend time with your family.

Put a sign on the door saying no trick or treaters, or something like ALL SWEETS GONE!

YANBU I loathe Halloween. No trick or treating for my 3 DCs. I have taken them round my sister's street in previous years but everyone knows everyone in a small, twisty cul-de-sac. This year is a school night and too many weirdos in clown get ups for my liking too. And this is coming from the fact there was one at my DCs primary school and our church this week. Bloody idiotic bastards.

If you normally love Halloween and get involved in all that it entails, then yes YABVU to allow the media hype to influence you.

If you love going out on your street with all your neighbours getting involved, a few hyped up clown stories in the press shouldn't stop you.

I wasn't brought up to mark Halloween. So we don't answer the door or go trick or treating ourselves.

YANBU, although I wouldn't let worry about clowns stop you.

My DC are too young to go out. We normally buy a selection box for the little ones who knock early. This year though I just cannot be arsed.

I'm shutting the gate, turning off all the lights at the front and not answering the door.

Last year we had teenagers knocking quite late. They weren't dressed up and they didn't even say "trick or treat". They just stood there looking gormless. Make a bloody effort, honestly!

Well, not this year, no. Dh and I are going to watch Suits in peace.

I know it's unlikely but I'm also feeling nervous this year - how about a halloween party with friends instead

I'm with you actually Op!

We won't be out either, little one is already worried about the clowns and if we see one out on Halloween it really won't help!

I'm not taking my dd out i don't fancy having a rough night because of some idiot dressed as a clown. If everyone has the same idea then no one will be knocking on the door!

I'm with you too OP. Movie with lights off for us. Youngest is scared by Halloween anyway.

We are currently in the USA where children visit a pumpkin patch, dress up and seem to have a fun time. Since Holloween meant nothing (other than All Hallows' night) when I was a child, my children never took part in anything and never asked to. It gets out of hand and silly quite frankly. It is an American craze and we used to celebrate Guy Fawkes night. (Still do visit a big firework display every year). This is our home-grown festival! It avtually means something. Why do we need pumpkins that we never knew existed until a few years ago?

Every year my DD asks to go trick or treating and every year I say no. I don't feel it's particularly safe or 'the done thing' in my area and I'm another one who hates Halloween. I love Bonfire Night and we always celebrate that and I'll stretch to carving a pumpkin with her but we won't be trick or treating, clowns or no clowns so no OP, YANBU.

I think we will be staying in then. People dressed as clowns are all near the local high school and the kids round here don't need any excuse to scare the hell out of smaller kids. The reason I'm not opening the door probibly has more to do with the scammers etc than the clowns to be fair.

First year in house so dreading it this year as treat and treaters cant get into the flats weve lived in. As someone who visits elderly in their homes its a time of the year i hate. Bring on christmas as that nice and jolly. Yanbu op.

Well look through the peephole and if a clown, let the dog answer the door :D They won't be clowning much after that, will they?

Yanbu

Every year we turn off lights and hide upstairs, hate halloween.

YANBU, I don't celebrate Halloween either. Growing up in the southern hemisphere does that too you which meant it was utterly pointless as it wasn't dark until real late

My kids aren't older enough to go trick or treating but I will be putting sign up and won't be answering the door.

I was not brought up to celebrate Halloween at all.
I do themed baking with my Dd and we do a pumpkin cos there's no harm there but I don't allow trick or treating and I never answer the door. That end of the house is always in darkness and door buzzer on mute.

I remember last Halloween I was out walking the dog at night and there was an adult or teenager dressed up with a really freaky mask on standing across the road by himself. He turned round and stared at me (clearly trying to freak me out). I was so proud of myself that I continued to let my dog sniff about them calmly walked home while he followed at a distance. Inside I was screaming 'omg I'm going to die!!'
Didn't answer your question did I?

I wasn't brought up to mark Halloween

Neither was I and I lived in the UK until I was twenty. It was also unknown over here until appros 15 yrs ago. However they tend to take it too far, stealing delivered milk (when it was still home delivered), breaking down small trees, attempting to rip off your letterbox and throwing eggs at your house if you weren't home or refused to answer the door on the night.

Now we have the immature dickheads doing the crazy clown act. One got hit by a car up the road a week ago but ran off into surrounding bush. We had police, sniffer dogs, overhead police helicopter and an ambulance out looking for the idiot but they didn't find him/her. Pity the poor woman driver who hit the clown in the dark, before calling the police. I wonder what the clown would have actually done if she had stopped before hitting him/her.

Halloween is just another marketing ploy and I refuse to indulge kids/teenagers threatening to do damage unless you reward them with sweets.

approx not appros

No halloween for me when I was growing up and I don't do trick or treating with us either but local church, which we attend, is doing a family event that nigt this year so I will be going.
As for the clown thing.... I think where i live they are likely to be chased by an old lady with a handbag.