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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Halloween is just an extra chore

92 replies

2blue1green · 27/10/2023 20:34

My friend said to me this afternoon "your poor children" when I said I wasn't decorating my house in fake spiders and pumpkins and have shop bought a costume for them instead of created one myself

How can anyone be arsed with this level of detail for Halloween?!

OP posts:
theduchessofspork · 27/10/2023 21:28

If you did everything you’d drive yourself mad.

ignore your friend who is suffering from some form of insecurity

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/10/2023 21:29

Yanbu! I felt like this 10+ years ago when my children were into Halloween. God knows what it would be like now.

Vitriolinsanity · 27/10/2023 21:31

It's one of things I miss most from my time in the US. The decorations were immense.

As with all things, don't participate you prefer, but let the folk that do enjoy themselves. It's harmless!

ShutTheDoorBabe · 27/10/2023 21:32

My dc decorated the front of the house themselves - they even used their own pocket money to buy the tape stuff. I don't particularly like it but it's not doing me any harm and it makes them happy. I bought a tub of sweets that I ate so need to replace and that's all the effort I've gone to. One year we did face painting and dyed dc1s face blue accidentally but again, it wasn't exactly hard work. Chores are like laundry and washing up. Shit that you can't avoid and have to do.

Spirro · 27/10/2023 21:33

I use the same decorations every year. I have a few plastic skeletons and a spooky lantern which go out on the porch with some fairy lights. It takes about 15 minutes to get them out of the garage, I’m hardly putting myself out. It makes the kids so happy, and the trick or treaters love it, I see them posing for photos with my skeletons.

cluefu · 27/10/2023 21:34

I find it fascinating as me and my siblings just didn't ever get interested in Halloween, even with parties or trick/treating etc. Bonfire Night was a whole other story, absolutely loved it and then it felt like Christmas.

Still don't care for Halloween now as an adult, although absolutely understand it's a big deal for lots of people.

I will always remember the Ghostwatch show one Halloween in the BBC, that was scary but definitely made it feel like an event.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 27/10/2023 21:35

YANBU, I can’t stand it. Glad my 2 are teens and I can go back to ignoring it. There have been houses here had decorations up for 6 weeks already. I don’t have Christmas decorations up for that long

Dogrough · 27/10/2023 21:36

I have spent all day decorating for my families Halloween party and I haven’t finished yet. It’s a pain and takes forever (especially since I hand make a lot of stuff so it takes weeks) but my family all come and travel over for it so it’s a good excuse to get together.

the children are as excited for it as they are for Christmas… I like that because there aren’t presents, they are just excited to see each other and play party games etc

SaturdayGiraffe · 27/10/2023 21:37

Paper straws in drinks, but single use microplastic ‘web’ on hedges. It’s a plastic tat fest.

fearfulexchange · 27/10/2023 21:40

Comedycook · 27/10/2023 20:39

Virtually all festivities are a chore imo.

Agreed

yoshiblue · 27/10/2023 21:45

I've given up on it. Last year I asked my 9yo if he wanted to get a pumpkin and he said 'yeah. if you carve it!' 😂 No chance!

For the past couple of years I've suggested either dress up and trick or treat, or I'll tip some chocolate in a bowl and we can just stay in! He's gone for the latter, so suits me fine!

Lovely for those who enjoy it, but it's not for us.

PuppyMonkey · 27/10/2023 21:55

I took DD to a local pumpkin farm thingy a few years back and I can honestly say it was one of the dullest things I’ve ever had to do as a parent.Grin

(she’s 16 now so does stuff with her mates instead phew).

I don’t get the love for Halloween, it’s all a bit underwhelming imho.

hadrianswallsycamore · 27/10/2023 21:59

I have decorations that we get out every year so no worry about landfill here. This year my dd13 is having a party. I feel like she won't want this for long so will indulge this year. In fact I spent last night 'knitting' a cobweb all over the ceiling with glow in the dark string. We have black lights so it looks great!

mondaytosunday · 27/10/2023 22:05

I loved the excitement of it when I was a kid and used to put more effort in to it when my kids were small in terms of decorations, their costumes and going out.
We've always carved pumpkins but this year it will just be those (I have a selection of six in different sizes but we will only carve two/three) and a few ghosts that I'll hang from the little tree out front. No effort there. It's very busy here on Halloween as we have three primary schools within walking distance so loads of kids. At least 100 come to the door.

Busephalus · 27/10/2023 22:07

Using that logic, having kids - period - is a chore

Coffeelotsofcoffee · 27/10/2023 22:08

I cannot be arsed and I hate Halloween with a passion. Just tacky American crap

Screamingabdabz · 27/10/2023 22:13

PuppyMonkey · 27/10/2023 21:55

I took DD to a local pumpkin farm thingy a few years back and I can honestly say it was one of the dullest things I’ve ever had to do as a parent.Grin

(she’s 16 now so does stuff with her mates instead phew).

I don’t get the love for Halloween, it’s all a bit underwhelming imho.

You don’t get how it might feel for a child, to get dressed up in fancy dress, and walk around (safely accompanied) on a dark night to see like minded family houses brightly decorated in the community and they greet you with sweets? You don’t get why that might be thrilling and exciting for children? I don’t get what you don’t get. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
2blue1green · 27/10/2023 22:13

Oh don't get me wrong - we buy two quid pumpkin's to carve extremely badly but I don't decorate the house and go overboard.

OP posts:
Original poster
2blue1green · 27/10/2023 22:15

I never had a fuss growing up so feel like this is all very recent but maybe it's just because I didn't grow up in a Halloween loving house

OP posts:
YikYok · 27/10/2023 22:19

Awwww I love it! For me it’s a distraction from the inset of winter me it’s fun for the kids. Mine Look forward to it as much a christmas because we go nuts with crafts and what’s not to like about making a spooky castle out of a load of old cardboard boxes? (which ends up in the garden getting destroyed in wind and rain!)

you might say I have too much time on my hands…

MetaverseMavis · 27/10/2023 22:20

It is just another commercialised date to sell tat.

PuppyMonkey · 27/10/2023 22:39

Screamingabdabz · 27/10/2023 22:13

You don’t get how it might feel for a child, to get dressed up in fancy dress, and walk around (safely accompanied) on a dark night to see like minded family houses brightly decorated in the community and they greet you with sweets? You don’t get why that might be thrilling and exciting for children? I don’t get what you don’t get. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Show quote history

Okay.

GasDrivenNun · 27/10/2023 22:58

Never done anything for Halloween in this house, even when DC were children. Not a British tradition unlike Bonfire night and we don't do that either.
I do buy some sweets for any trick or treaters.

endlessfall · 27/10/2023 23:13

GasDrivenNun · 27/10/2023 22:58

Never done anything for Halloween in this house, even when DC were children. Not a British tradition unlike Bonfire night and we don't do that either.
I do buy some sweets for any trick or treaters.

It is a British tradition.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 27/10/2023 23:16

Busephalus · 27/10/2023 22:07

Using that logic, having kids - period - is a chore

Accurate.