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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that trick or treating should be made illegal?

183 replies

Boogalooblue · 29/10/2007 19:37

I am fed up with children coming round banging on front door, shouting 'trick or treat' and expecting vast quantities of sweets in return.

I really do not understand why parents think this is acceptable.

I would not send my dcs out begging either accompanied or on their own and cannot comprehend why other parents do.

Yes I have given up answering door after dark on Halloween.

If you feel you must take your little devils darlings out, could you please just go to houses where you are obviously welcome ie a pumpkin in window/on front doorstep.

Not where the curtains are all drawn and light out.

Thank you

OP posts:
bigwombat · 31/10/2007 22:06

Only had 2 groups of trick or treaters tonight - hadn't got back from the shops with sweets in time for the first lot, but dp managed to avoid being egged. The second lot were polite and one little boy even asked me if the chocolates contained nuts!! I checked the ingredients for him and said yes, so he had to give it back! Now I'm left with a tub of chocolates and dp is on a diet...

kimisparkles · 31/10/2007 22:13

Well all trick or treaters were welcome at the kimi house, we had pumpkins,and cobwebs and all sorts, a selection of sweets, fruit, and glow sticks and a good time was had by all.

amidaiwish · 01/11/2007 08:47

i thought it was great trick or treaters started coming about 5pm we had loads! apart from one group of teenagers all were under 12, with parents lurking by the wall. Some massive groups though! all were very polite, one little girl even offered DD1 some of her sweets when we answered the door. it was great. At 8pm i had had enough and had put the girls to bed, so took the lit pumpkins inside, turned off the hall light and there were no more callers.

What's not to like?

WorkingClassScum · 01/11/2007 10:34

My mum was staying with us and she still lives on the bad council estate where I grew up and she said the kids round here intimidated her cos they were so lovely and polite

ds loved getting his own sweets and also got really into giving them out, even though I had to top it up as he'd only put one chew in each container!

I did feel a bit sorry for the girl who was about 8 who was being taken around with what I assumed was her brother who was about 13 as he rigidly enforced her politeness!

Twas fun! Brought the pumpkins in at 8pm and were not bothered again.

ProfYaffle · 01/11/2007 10:36

Every farking year I buy chocolate, every farking year not one single solitary trick or treater!

Just going to have to eat the sodding things myself

MrsArchieTheInventor · 01/11/2007 10:39

You can guarantee the year that you don't buy chocolate there will be a hoard of kids demanding treats in return for not smearing butter on your door handle though.

onebatmother · 01/11/2007 10:55

Dragon where did you get your noise-activated spider - I must have one! And fast!

I think it really depends. \

We had such a loverly time with ds off with friends going to prearranged houses and me at home with younger dd giving out sweets to (incredibly polite) primary schoolers who had all made a big effort.

No scary teenagers after I took pumpkin in.

Lots of parents from school surreptitiously craning their necks around their little ones trying to see what sort of house I live in! (v funny)

But do sympathise with people who feel intimidated by scary thugs.

Joekate · 01/11/2007 11:25

I live on the top floor, so if any of the little buggers make it up all the flights of stairs, they deserve some sweets or oxygen. I'm not a fan of my ds going out trick or treating as I think it's begging but he went to his friend's party this year and had a riot - only went to neighbours they knew would want to see them and they had to do a turn before sweets were doled out. I remember in the dim and distant past doing this and loving it - had to put myself in his shoes and forget to be the adult for a while (does that last bit make sense?) He doesn't normally get sweets so was pretty much doing a wall of death round the living room for a while, but he was happy. Not so happy this morning with the late night and sugar withdrawl!

starfish2 · 01/11/2007 11:55

Big herd yesterday around my area. They only knocked on the houses that were decorated, or with a lit pumpkin or with a lantern, or with the front light on, and only from people they knew. No teens, only kiddies (and some of the mums were dressed up too!). All very polite, said thank you and went away nicely. All done by 8pm, then silence.
Dd was the smallest of the kids around, and was very pleased with every single sweet she got... and she was back home at 7pm.
In all those years that I have been living there, well before dd, I always loved it. Little ones nicely dressed up... I remember a little girl, just about capable of some speech, saying 'I'm a witch!', and some kids that had their dog decorated with lit-up red horns.
It may be a stupid tradition (its roots are in a harvest festival, wikipedia has a nice article on it), but at least where I live it is harmless and all of us have good fun...

McDreamy · 01/11/2007 12:00

It went reasonably well for us.

Took DD (aged 4) and her friend out for half an hour calling at houses that had put up some sort of halloween decroation (and some people had gone to great effort).[hsmile] Avoided any houses without their outside lights on.

Came home and answered the door to a couple of children who came to our house, [hsmile] and then, as we have such an early start here, we turned all the outside lights off and put the children to bed.

30 mins later we had a thumping, not knocking on our door, so we ignored it. Lots of shouting a and screaming outside, 5 minutes later thimping again....Dh opened the door and explained to a group of 15 and 16 years olds why we didn't appreciate their behaviour!!! [hsad]

FlightAttendant · 01/11/2007 12:17

I had some teens round at about 9pm when I was putting the babies to bed. They knocked loudly and there were lots of muffled shrieks and such from outside.
I climbed onto the cupboard under the window and opened it and said, 'Do we know you?' which was met with some confusion, then I just said 'I'm sorry but I'm putting the children to be so I can't come down.'
They buggered off after that but I'd been reading my son a story and couldn't carry on, as I was too nervous about what they might do to the house.
I guess they just wanted cash anyway, all my lights were out and how the hell do they know who I am? If they did they wouldn't be asking for money...because I haven't got any.

I don't mind little kids but anyone older makes me quite angry. Unless we know them of course.

lisalisa · 01/11/2007 12:29

Message withdrawn

OrmIrian · 01/11/2007 12:29

No problems here. Came back from my parents house about 6.30, dropped DS#1 at a party and then brought the other 2 home. Lit pumpkins and out one outside. Filled bowls with chocolates and waited. Most adults in the street were out watching the kids. I'd already been told by several people (without kids) that they were expecting mine to knock on their door. So my youngest 2 visited about 6 houses in the street where they were welcome. We had 3 knocks on the door - all of them kids I knew or LOs with grown-ups.

onebatmother · 01/11/2007 12:35

lisalisa lol soo funny! Would have loved to be fly on wall, bet little girl was thrilled! Next year you will have hundreds...

RedFraggle · 01/11/2007 15:09

I hate it! Around here no-one seems to have heard of the pumpkin rule, even house in total darkness doesn't work, they just hammer on the door incessantly. Stupid "custom" to be following in my opinion and neither of my kids will be doing trick or treating in the future! Apple bobbing at home etc - fine. Disturbing total strangers in their own homes - nope.

pollywollydoodle · 01/11/2007 21:00

am i the only mumsnetter not to have heard of the pumpkin rule before the eve of 31st

onebatmother · 01/11/2007 21:54

er.. yes, i think so polly. But nevermind, next year? Did you have fun, anyway?

wordsofwisdom · 01/11/2012 08:05

I think Trick or treat should be banned.
It's not a british custom it's American.
Do we have Thanksgiving or Labor Day, no, so why this?

People should not have to tolerate constant disturbances all evening.
If you love T or T that much, go live in the states.

It's actually called "Hawking" and is technically illegal.

fuzzpig · 01/11/2012 08:17

There's no trick or treating round here really - most of our neighbours are young couples with no DCs, it's very quiet and not much of a community really. I feel a bit sad that my DCs won't get to do it. Last night we just had a movie night in the dark which was great but I feel so jealous of people who have the lovely halloween like you see on the movies [hgrin]

Our one young neighbour (9) had said he would be trick or treating and DD was really looking forward to it. By her bedtime she was really upset that she hadn't been able to give out sweets, so DH took her round in her costume to drop off a bag of sweets (turns out the boy wasn't in!). She liked that so we've decided next year we are going to make spooky biscuits or cakes and take them to her local friends' houses instead of ToT. [hsmile]

mawbroon · 01/11/2012 08:18

ZOMBIE THREAD!

Very appropriate Grin

HecatePhosphoros · 01/11/2012 08:22

It's actually not an american custom. well, it is, but it's not something they invented, they took it across with them from its roots in the celtic festival of Samhain, in All Souls Day, in scotland and ireland (guising)

In fact, it's probably because of irish migrants to the US taking Guising with them that they have trick or treating.

wonkylegs · 01/11/2012 08:26

It was fab here last night and small children and teenagers alike were excitable but unfailingly polite.
Most of the tiny ones were in bought costumes but the teenagers had all gone to amazing lengths with home made costumes. Some of which were brilliant and very clever!
Doors were only knocked on if they were obviously participating (fair amount of spooky decorations and loads of pumpkins) and it's a really nice community round here with most people being sociable all year round.
Despite awful weather it was a lovely event , banning something that was so nice would be an awful (Daily mail) style idea. If you have anti-social behaviour report it but don't blame everybody for the minority of bad behaviour.

carabos · 01/11/2012 08:34

What I don't understand is where the "trick" element has gone. It seems that they bang on the door, you open it to find a couple of tiny ghosts /witches/ devils and a parent lurking behind the hedge.

Ghosts/witches/devils shriek "trick or treat" and burst out laughing. If you say "trick", they look at each other confused, whisper amongst themselves then ask the parent what to do. The parent then takes them away.

Really it's all about the sweets isn't it?

WelshMaenad · 01/11/2012 08:36

We had a lovely night. We went to my mums - she bloody lives Halloween - and she decorated the porch up. We took the kids round her cul de sac, only to houses with decorations or yo people we knew that my dad had spoken to because they wanted to see my little ones in costume.

We had lots of visitors, all small, all very polite, all very appreciative of their treat bags.

Terrific fun. I'd be so sad if we couldn't do it. I think it's actually my favourite holiday.

notactuallyme · 01/11/2012 08:43

I have always really enjoyed it but last night decided I can't face doing it as a group anymore. The older ones (my ds has sn) aged 10 charged ahead and just banged on doors, the younger ones couldn't keep up and one just sobbed the whole way round. I was the only mum trying to do crowd control and it was so stressful. Next year, I will just go with mine.

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