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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think driving to roads where there's good trick or treating is a bit wrong

447 replies

sahknowme · 30/10/2017 23:38

We live in an area that puts a lot of effort into trick or treating (assumingly for the "local" kids). There's recently been a thread on a forum asking for streets/routes that are good to drive to for their kids to trick or treat, and our street has been mentioned.

AIBU to think this is a bit wrong/grabby, and we are doing it for our local area - not for randoms to drive from all over town?!

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 30/10/2017 23:46

I can see both sides

We lived in an area great for trick or treating whole place lit up and a lot of excited children dressed up

Now we live near lots of elderly and the fun area (different one) is where I take my kids (but it's mostly their friends/school

However this is never advertised!! That I find wrong

TheQueenOfWands · 30/10/2017 23:46

Yes, it is.

You do it in your neighbourhood. Dems de rules.

But people are very grabby.

Migraleve · 30/10/2017 23:49

Well there is not much point in taking young children round an area where not many people accept treaters. I don’t see a problem with driving to a more welcoming area, presumably those houses want treaters so why would it matter where they came from? It’s just a bit of fun for the kids:

ToastyFingers · 30/10/2017 23:52

:( we live on top of a shop in the middle of town, I would bet that not a single person would answer here. I'm going to take DD to a different street, but I won't pick it specifically, we'll just go for a wander and see who has decorations up.

OldWitch00 · 30/10/2017 23:54

you work with your neighborhood to make it a fun event for YOUR local children. 100% agree thems the rulz
same with dropping off children on certain streets for "fundraising"

fussygalore118 · 30/10/2017 23:55

We take our kids up to the estate all their friends live in as its great for trick or treating ..our street is not..its lots of older couples / to dark/distance between houses etc... so we take our kids up...i do take a huge bucket of sweets and dish them out to kids going past.

Honestly i couldn't give two shits if anyone thought it was grabby or cheeky taking the kids there.

Migraleve · 30/10/2017 23:57

you work with your neighborhood to make it a fun event for YOUR local children
Great theory. But if no one else if going to work with me then of course I would drive my children elsewhere. I totally see why people do. I am really fortunate that the majority of our locals join in, but I wouldn’t hesitate to try another area if they didn’t

pioe · 31/10/2017 00:00

The poor kids that have nowhere to go because you won’t share. Bit mean, they’re just children wanting to have fun.

FreakinScaryCaaw · 31/10/2017 00:00

I couldn't care less. Just love seeing their happy little faces.

MmmmmmBop · 31/10/2017 00:06

Yeah, kids whose parents can't afford to pick and choose where they live should definitely spend Halloween either sitting in, or knocking on doors and being disappointed.

YABU, and mean, and miserable.

We live on a street where just about everyone decorates, just about everyone hands out treats. The place is swarmed with kids come Halloween. It's great. Why should I care if the six year old vampire (or the twelve year old for that matter) knocking on my door for sweets lives next door or across town? A child having fun is a child having fun.

SonyaY · 31/10/2017 00:06

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Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake · 31/10/2017 00:13

Wow harsh Sonya! You'd actually turn little kids away cos they come from the other side of the tracks??

MrsOverTheRoad · 31/10/2017 00:14

I used to live on THE street for trick or treating and we saw visitors come from other areas. We didn't mind...it all added to the fun.

Now we've moved and I'm thinking of getting DH and his mate to drive the kids to a better spot!

Where we are now there are a lot of elderly people in big, posh houses....they won't want to know!

Our house isn't big and posh...it's the scruffiest one here! Grin

PinkFinch · 31/10/2017 00:16

SOnyaY - bit Shock at necklace cards & non local kids.

Blimey. Its only a few sweets after all.

I could get it if the problem was big scary teenagers (like mine Grin) but surely you didn't turn away little 6 y/o who had done their best to dress up?

We moved from a big trick or treating lots of families road to a small quiet lane with mainly pensioners. DCs were a bit fed up at lack of Halloween action but we made friends with some people who lived in more child friendly areas and use to go there. Always dressed up, always took a big bag of sweets to our host's house.

What's the harm in that - lots of fun was had by all concerned.

WaxOnFeckOff · 31/10/2017 00:16

This is why we've started going out for dinner on halloween. Just far too many folk coming over into the estate from neighbouring estate. Neighbouring estate not as wealthy, but not to the point where folk cant afford a few sweets etc. Just easier not to bother and send kids over the road. Not the kids fault, but we are not dealing with the 100's of kids anymore when our DC are now teenagers.

Trailedanderror · 31/10/2017 00:17

That's horrid SonyaY

Want2bSupermum · 31/10/2017 00:17

People come to our street. I have no problem with this. It's an event for the DC not the adults and everyone is welcome.

Where we live most are in apartments. You can't really go trick or treating when you are in a building like that. Let's not create divides. Part of breaking down barriers is accepting others trick or treating in the neighborhood where they don't live in.

WaxOnFeckOff · 31/10/2017 00:21

Also the thing that annoys me is that since they have no investment in the area and are sent over with no parents, they drop their litter and half eaten cakes etc everywhere. Again, this is the fault of the parents not the kids.

SonyaY · 31/10/2017 00:21

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stopgap · 31/10/2017 00:23

It's the done thing in our town. We are within walking distance of THE area, but lots drive to the location, and it's an accepted tradition that most kids will trick or treat in the most walkable area. Nobody minds at all, and everyone gets into the spirit.

KnightsOfCydonia · 31/10/2017 00:25

I can see both sides of this, while I understand that kids may come from different areas due to the type of street/neighbours they may have, I also love on a street where everyone goes all out to decorate their house etc, I buy in enough sweets to make up enough bags for 3x the amount of kids in my estate yet I run out pretty early on every year and have to turn kids away from around 7pm which isn’t nice either but I can’t afford to buy in any more than I do!

MrLovebucket · 31/10/2017 00:25

Demand to see a copy of their Council tax bill to prove they live in the area.

Or just give them a sweet and send them on their way.

Halloween is a load of bollocks anyway.

SonyaY · 31/10/2017 00:27

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Merida83 · 31/10/2017 00:30

sonyaY i actually think thats a great system!

Theimpossiblegirl · 31/10/2017 00:36

People are really mean! I'm quite shocked at some of the attitudes on this thread. You're talking about kids and sweets. I live in a 'destination' area for Trick or Treating'. If you don't want to do it, don't put out a pumpkin, but don't pick and choose the kids you want to give to.

The necklaces (I really hope that's not true) are a bloody awful thing to do.