To use blue Halloween buckets when kids don't have autism?

[ThisIsSamhain]

Asked my mum to get trick or treat buckets.

She text to say she got the last 3 in the shop.

They're blue. I thought they were cute and just a £1 shop design.

SIL pointed out they are for autism awareness? I had no idea and neither did mum. She said there was no explanation on shelves.

I can't go all the way back to town and spend £10 on bus tickets and £3 on buckets when we already have some, just blue.

Can I just use them?

I think most people won’t know or care.

I certainly don’t. They’re Halloween collection buckets not charity buckets.

No one is going to have any idea about what the colour of the bucket supposedly means.

We have all colours, just because.

Anyway, even if 'autism awareness' via buckets was a thing , you wouldn't have to be autistic to own one.

Of course you can. Its fine

This is not something I could care about! And certainly wouldnt notice

Just use them no one will think anything

I’m not sure that’s actually a formal thing, but just something that’s gone around the internet.

Either way, when trick or treaters come to my door, I wouldn’t even notice what colour bucket they had. And if I did notice, I wouldn’t treat them any differently - chuck a sweet in and say good bye.

I would return them if you can especially if they were last in the shop, purely because there are special needs families out there who DO know what they represent and will not only WANT them but also NEED them. I say that as a mum to two auty kids.

OK. Thanks.

I just didn't want to offend

I can't return them without a 45 min bus ride with 3 kids and a tenner on bus tickets (plus they were the last ones so can't exchange them for orange ones) so I'll be using them I guess.

I’ve never heard of this. There was a little girl at our Halloween community event with a blue bucket I assumed it was because it matched her Elsa costume; she’s one of the neighbour’s children and I don’t think she has Autism. Buying new ones would be wasteful and besides it will be dark out so I doubt anyone will notice the colour. I’d keep them.

Just out of interest, why ask if you had no intention of returning them anyway...? Odd.

I think it's supposed to let you know that a child might be non verbal or have great difficulty in communication but if people sent aware of them not sure how it's helpful.?

It's fine. Most people will not be aware of the significance of the colour and will not pay attention to the colour of the bucket. I've seen kids carrying every colour, There's not a chance in hell I'd go to the bother and expense of returning them!

My concern would be that people would know they are being used for autisim awareness and you would be seen by people who know your kids arent autistic.

DS has autisim. Bit doesnt trick or treat so we dont have one. But I do think alot of people know what these are for.

Just going by some of the threads, here, I wouldnt want to be labelled that mum that pretends the kids are autistic when they arent. Unfortunately some people are dicks and jump to conclusions.

Please don't return them. Use whatever buckets you like, I won't be giving blue buckets more attention than orange. I just want to give sweets and shut the door so I don't get cold! Haha.

they are supposed to be for older children, ones that might be deemed to be too old for trick or treat. i assume not just for Autism but Ld's as well (or any other non visible disability,)

I have ASD child and had no idea about this. He won't go out or answer door on Halloween anyway. He will eat the sweets we buy though.

I would use them.

I had no idea that they were meant for children with autism, and I expect most people won't.

It will be dark anyway so no-one will notice.

Would your dc enjoy decorating them with wrapping paper/pictures of pumpkins or something? Just a thought.

Ballache

Because I sew and I can make them some fabric ones if its a massive issue (don't really want to as I have a million things to do before Thursday) . I would have just left the blue tubs at home.

But as its not an issue I'll just use them.

We have lots of children come round trick and treating on Halloween. It’s dark, we light our house in spooky colours and it’s a constant blur of little hands holding out buckets and bags, there’s no way I’d notice the colour of any individual child’s bucket.

Cover them in orange crepe paper or black craft paper or whatever you have handy, if you're worried. But I wouldn't worry about it.

We get loads of kids at our door and I've never seen (or noticed) a blue bucket and wouldn't have known the significance if I had.

It's always a lesson in another sort of spectrum for me; the spectrum of politeness! Some children shove and grab or pick over the offering and disappear without even a thank you while others have perfect manners. I love the tinies who toddle up early with dressed-up parents, and the ironic teens who apologetically hoover up whatever's left later on!

If you're really bothered, put stickers over the relevant parts 👍

I don't think it is widely known at all. I've never heard of them and never seen them, despite knowing people whose children have autism and working with some children with autism.

It'll be dark so most people won't even notice the colour.

Whilst the whole blue bucket thing sounds like a good idea in practise it's no use unless it is widely advertised - not just to people buying buckets but even more so to the many people at home handing out sweets. And a way of making the colour known even when it's dark.