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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not have bought any sweets for trick or treaters?

236 replies

CurlyhairedAssassin · 31/10/2021 12:02

Even though my kids are older and not bothered by all that anymore, pre-COVID I did used to buy lots of sweets and put a pumpkin out for any other children.

Now I just imagine the bowl sweets as COVID soup waiting to happen. Not to mention numerous hands ringing the doorbell. So my plan was to leave the front of the house in darkness and sit in our main living room ignoring anyone who might ring the bell. 😬

But I’m not sure if I’m being a Halloween Grinch (whatever the equivalent would be for Halloween, I guess the Grinch would be a Halloween lover not a hater).

YANBU - too risky and there won’t be many kids coming knocking anyway

YABU - the kids have missed out last year, let them have their fun this year, the risk is low etc

OP posts:
GoodnightGrandma · 31/10/2021 12:46

Lights off, curtains closed.
You’ve fine you bit in the past, you don’t have to do it forever.

GoodnightGrandma · 31/10/2021 12:46

@GoodnightGrandma

Lights off, curtains closed. You’ve fine you bit in the past, you don’t have to do it forever.
*done
lawandgin · 31/10/2021 12:53

YANBU
One of our neighbours has taken it upon himself to organise a group trick or treat for all the kids and expects everyone else to participate. I've never celebrated Halloween and don't intend to with my own children, so I won't be opening the door and I don't care what is said about me 😁

Tupperwarelid · 31/10/2021 12:53

I’ve got two older teenagers who aren’t bothered about it anymore. I’ve not decorated or bought any sweets this year. I feel I’ve done my fair share over the years. It’s time for the families with younger children to take over.

whynotwhatknot · 31/10/2021 12:57

No i dont do it -done it the firs tcouple of years moving in had loads of sweets still ran out

dont bother anymore and if anyone shouted through my letterbox id send dh out to have words

SauvignonBlanche · 31/10/2021 13:01

I agree that YABU to blame Covid for not taking part, it’s not compulsory.

Fabuleuse · 31/10/2021 13:02

I've never decorated for Halloween and so nobody has ever knocked for trick or treating. Don't do it with my own kids either for a few reasons. It's not compulsory.

Vivana · 31/10/2021 13:04

I have to put a sign up and no decorations and the house in darkness and they still knock. Ridiculous

Billybagpuss · 31/10/2021 13:05

@Taswama

Well if you haven't decorated and don't put a pumpkin out then you shouldn't get any trick or treaters anyway.
Oh that that were true
CremeEggThief · 31/10/2021 13:08

Not a fan of Halloween and really pleased it's a very wet day here (and hoping it stays that way) so hopefully that will put more people off from going out, BUT I still have a tin full of sweets and chocolates for anyone who comes...

Floralnomad · 31/10/2021 13:09

We don’t decorate and don’t get anybody knock . I do think it’s a bit off to not join in if you took your own children trick or treating when they were small . We never did it with ours so I don’t feel obliged to join in now .

Oblomov21 · 31/10/2021 13:10

I'm not doing it anymore. I've done it for years, put up decs and given away tonnes of sweets, but ds's grown up now and I just don't want to.

Anordinarymum · 31/10/2021 13:13

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Flowers *@Anordinarymum*

I hope you and your grandson have fun seeing all the different costumes. When I was more into it I used to dress up too and play spooky music whenever I answered the door. When my kids were younger teens but too old for trick or treating they liked to dress up and answer the door and scare the little ones (not too much). Used to make the kids and parents laugh.

I just can’t get into it this year for some reason.

We are doing the spooky music this year thanks to ALEXA ! She is good for some things :)
TheMooch · 31/10/2021 13:14

We aren't bothering this year (but we did last year so no logic it being covid related).

My children aren't bothered.
DP is hopefully on route home this evening after being away so it's roast dinner and watching Dr Who.

AutumnAlmanack · 31/10/2021 13:15

I used to put all the out of date sweets and chocolate on the windowsill outside with a 'help yourself' sign - don't bother any more as the milkman and paperboy took them all!

ithoughtisawapuddycat · 31/10/2021 13:17

We get knocking even if we don't decorate. I'll be turning the main lights off when it gets dark and will not be answering the door.

Chelyanne · 31/10/2021 13:18

I've got sweets for if we get any visitors. I hope we don't get many as I've been up and down like a yoyo in previous years because we'd get so many, drives the dog potty.

Haven't taken our own kids trick or treating for the last 7 years though, I do them a treat bucket each instead. So much better.

PlinkPlankPlunk · 31/10/2021 13:19

@SlugRose

I like that covid took the pressure off answering the door last year so I'm carrying on with my socially distanced can't be arsed to open the door approach.
I feel the same really.

I also think that the people who bring their kids round to ask for sweets are not at home to answer their own doors, so they presumably don’t expect everybody else to be in…

amysaurus87 · 31/10/2021 13:20

Where we are if you don't put a pumpkin out then people won't knock.

I've never brought sweets for trick or treaters, even as a 'just in case'.

I have a 3 year old and have never taken him trick or treating so I don't feel guilty about not joining in!

CharlotteRose90 · 31/10/2021 13:22

I really hope kids don’t knock at my door tonight . I’m putting a pumpkin in the Window as I like them. Will be keeping the lights off anyway.

Notaroadrunner · 31/10/2021 13:23

I was hoping Ds wouldn't want to go trick or treating but he said this morning that he does. We haven't had many callers in recent years but Dh bought a load of stuff this morning and I guarantee we'll be still looking at it tomorrow. I'd have been quite happy to buy Ds a few sweets and not have him go out, turn off the front lights and ignore the doorbell - I'm sure you can guess I hate Halloween Grin

DrCoconut · 31/10/2021 13:25

People knock regardless of if you decorate or not. We don't answer the door but I don't like it. Always glad when it's over.

PurpleTint · 31/10/2021 13:25

You are not obliged to engage with the celebrations/partying of others. They can choose to do halloween and you can choose not to.
There are some very entitled posts on my local FB from parents who felt their DC missed out last year when halloween was 'cancelled' and now they should be able to knock on anyone's door and everyone should be joining in because IDK the poor DC had a year without halloween... Really they should organise their own halloween and only go to doors that are clearly and obviously joining in with decorations etc.

Popfan · 31/10/2021 13:26

I've bought sweets and dug out the pumpkin lantern.... tbh I'm doing it so I can eat all the leftover sweets and hoping we don't get many visitors Grin

HintofVintagePink · 31/10/2021 13:31

Yanbu. Can’t wait for it to be over. We don’t decorate but always getting people knocking on the door expecting free sweets, usually when the DC are getting ready for bed. We have never taken DC asking for sweets from strangers houses so have no obligation to hand out sweets ourselves.