Since when did kids get so... grabby?! (A Halloween one)

[MessyHouse91]

Perfectly happy to be slated here - I don’t spend much time with kids (expecting DC1) so this might just be a kid thing!

This is my first year living in a house on an estate (moved from my city centre flat) so my first year buying sweets for the trick or treaters. I love Halloween so I bought massive bags of sweets.

The first kids I held the bowl out so they could choose their own sweets from the selection, but each of the kids grabbed massive handfuls for 5 or 6 bags of sweets each.

For the next kids, I held the bowl out again and said ‘one each please’. The kids didn’t listen and took big handfuls again, and then Mum looked a little embarassed and told the kids to put them back. I didn’t know if it was the done thing to give them a limit and didn’t fancy standing on the doorstep while the kids rifled through their bags trying to figure out which ones it was, so I told her not so worry about it.

The third lot, I put the sweets into their bags for them. One little boy asked if he could have another for his sister, so I chucked in an extra, and then he got half way down the drive and asked for another for his sister. I said ‘I gave you one for your sister’ and he said ‘that was for my big sister, this one is for my little sister’. I gave him a third, and he shouted to his friends ‘SCORE! GOT ANOTHER ONE’.

I loved trick or treating as a kid (my mum only ever let me go to neighbours we knew) so I don’t want to be miserable about it. I was just so looking forward to decorating and seeing all the kids in their costumes! I know it’s just kids and just sweets but the whole thing seems a bit sad, especially as I’m now out of sweets before it even gets going.

Do I go to the shop and buy more and enjoy the whole thing and chalk it up to experience, or do I stop answering the door and be grumpy for the rest of the night?

Nine trick or treaters so far, all took one and all said thanks.

Always hand the chocolate to them rather than let them help themselves. Some kids just get way too over-excited and greedy.

It was all looking good here until 6.15 when they got older and ruder - so I've shut up shop and I'm eating the ones left over. Wham bars and Black Jacks. Ha!

i blame the parents i dont like the begging thing anyway but at least teach them some manners

my friend just had a littleboy at her day that sadi i dont like thgose sweets-she said thats all ive got and he walked off

door*

Make them do their ‘turn’ while they wait!
By the time they’ve all got through it, DH will be back with the goods.

I'm on lot number 10 of all ages and not a single one has taken more than 1 - I have experienced what you said before though OP. Normally teenage girls for me!

Everyone here has had to be encouraged to take more than one little sweet.

Dear Trick or Treaters...My front lights are off..there’s no pumpkin on the doorstep...please don’t ring my doorbell my dogs are going nuts..🎃😟. How many more clues do you need...I’m not participating in Halloween. #grumpyboots

Also : 'don't talk to strangers kids it's dangerous'

'Go to strangers houses on Halloween kids'

Whole other thread

I'm already sick of it.

I've taken the battery out of the doorbell, but the little fuckers just knock instead. I'm studiously ignoring them, but the dog is exhausted from barking at the intruders.

Kids only used to knock at the houses that had some sort of hallowe'en decoration visible, they seem to be knocking at every house now.

Maybe I should dress up as the childcatcher next year ...

We have enough for 100, all callers so far have been polite and said thank you.

We have just one visit tfrom the neighbour kids together too and only to houses who have pre-agreed to be visited. The older kids supervise the younger ones. Each child takes 1 small bag of sweets. We usually have some left over. Very civilised.

I guess it varies from place to place.

Aw, I promise they aren’t all awful. Ds2 (was 13) took ds3 (9) out last year and stood at the end of each drive while ds3 knocked. Quite a few householders asked if ds2 would like a sweet but he said no thank you each time which is quite something considering his love of sweets! But he’d promised me he would have some sweets from us at home (didn’t like the idea of a 6 foot tall teen begging for sweets!) ...proud of him as he can be quite a selfish and immature kid at times, as many teens can.

I guess the little ones get over excited but I definitely agree the best thing is to hand out a single sweet to each and send them on their way.

Think there's a whip out in my area, they've obviously all had it drummed into them that they are only allowed ONE thing from the bowl. I'm pretty unnerved by how many of them are going for the satsumas. Spooky indeed. We don't live anywhere naice, it's pretty ordinary.

You have been unlucky in the kids you have had. Hopefully they are not all like that.
I have had 9 lots of kids some with parents some without at the door so far and only 1 grabbed a handful and his siblings and mum all said "dont be so greedy put them back".
The rest have all taken 1 each and i had to tell them to take another as dont want to be left with any😀

Tell the teens yo

Had three lots of Halloween kids so far, maybe 12 kids altogether. Just helping themselves with one bag each, I asked them to get more than one as I have plenty. Some of them did, some of them didn't, all said "Thank you" very politely and a few even told us jokes. Now waiting for DH to take DC out, they're not going to ring at any doors that have no Halloween decorations out.

I don’t answer the door because I have mobility issues and DH is out with our DD’s. We always leave a big tub of sweets with a sign saying please don’t knock but help yourself to one. It’s actually quite funny because I can hear them at the tub telling each other to only take one .

Where I live Halloween is a big thing and everyone with children go around, usually in groups with one or more parent. There are also a lot of elderly who do the same as us and leave a tub out. It’s actually lovely in our village.

potterygirl thnats what ive done turned off lights no pumpkin out why arent they told the basic rules

Stupid phone.
Tell teens to sod off and come back. If they want sweets.

My 6 year old is generally well behaved and polite most of the time but he grabbed a few packets of sweets from a bowl while trick or treating a little while ago. He was just excited to be offered his choice from a huge bowl and hadn’t
considered that some needed to be kept for other trick or treaters. I just reminded him not to be too greedy! He’s just small and learning. At the next house he restrained himself a bit.

@messyhouse91 it is trick or treat. Chuck a bucket of cold water out of the upstairs window over them

Last year we had very grabby trick or treaters and only opened the door twice and they emptied me out! Just grabbing handfuls and ignoring me saying "just one" and even pulling the bowl away!!

I nearly didn't bother this year as it put me off so much.

This year - same house - so different! Had lots of knocks and so many lovely kids all v polite and only taking one without me having to say anything and all saying thank you. Managed to get over an hour out of a very small bowl of sweets. Not buying any more. the pumpkin has come in now.

I’ve just had a load of silly string sprayed at me. Not happy!

I also had kids complain about my sweets! I had skittles, tangfastics etc so not crap? Cheeky sods. Only 5 out of 26 said thank you.

The kids round here are really good. All dress up, are generally polite and the vast majority only take one. I have had a hundred kids round and have run out of treats. I am now eating my tea and listening to a steady stream loudly read my ‘Sorry all gone’ sign!