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Original poster

Trick or Treat...do you let your kids go??

55 replies

ludaloo · 29/10/2006 07:02

I was speaking to a mum the other day who said she would not be letting her ds go this halloween as she thought it was not giving out a very good message to children..ie give us some sweets or we will play a trick on you...
My mum never let me do it either..she said it was begging
I will let mine go..of course I will be going with them...
Any opinions?

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anniebear · 29/10/2006 13:47

I don't like Halloween and my DD's don't do trick or Trea

their school usualy does an alternative 'light' party

I don't like people knocking on the door at night if I am on my own. Plus I have a little girls with SN and I don't know how she would react seeing scary things at the door!!

I don't agree with children knocking on strangers doors, you wouldn't let them the other 364 days of the year, but also appreciate that some parent s go with their children now days

Just my opinion

jellybeans · 30/10/2006 18:26

I wasn't allowed to go as a child, and used to watch the neighbours kids in envy with their sweets! but my kids went last year with DH, the neighbours kids and their dad, just round the local families. They got loads of sweets and enjoyed it but they won't be doing it often as I don't really like it that much. I gave out sweets last year but don't answer if DH is out as it could be anyone at the door.

clumsymum · 30/10/2006 18:30

I have to say that I hate the whole concept of Trick or Treat anyway, which is just another odious habit we have adopted from the colonies.

I think for younger kids it encourages the idea of knocking on strangers doors (not to mention begging), and young teenagers use it as an excuse to cause trouble.

I feel I have to buy fun-size sweets to give out, because I know from past years that if I don't (don't even answer the door), I'll have a mess to clear up the following morning. So in effect I'm being blackmailed in my own home.
DS of course thinks I'm a meany mummy because I won't let him go trick or treating with his friends. I do let him dress up and open the door to those who call on us.

My neighbours car was quite badly damaged a couple of years ago, as teenage kids chucked eggs and flour over it, which dried like chuffing concrete overnight. That was despite the fact that the neighbour had answered the door and doled out sweets to every kid in the area.

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Greensleeves · 30/10/2006 18:32

PMSL at "another odious habit we have adopted from the colonies".

clumsymum · 30/10/2006 18:32

meant to put a in there actually

foxinsocks · 30/10/2006 18:36

the poor old colonies - they always have a lot to answer for it seems

yes mine go - it is all a bit mad but I don't really mind. We only go where there is a lit pumpkin. I know most of the people on all the neighbouring streets (well by sight anyway if not by name) and they like to have a natter and see the kids.

It's a silly tradition imho but mine really look forward to the sweets!

nutcracker · 30/10/2006 18:37

My eldest 2 have just gone (with neighbour, not on their own). They are only going to people who have already said it's ok though.

foxinsocks · 30/10/2006 18:38

we go with a big group of kids - about 8 or 9 ranging from age 2 up to about 7

in fact, you're reminded me I need to get sweets for when the little darlings (ggrr) knock on my door!

Greensleeves · 30/10/2006 18:39

This thread is great

tallulah, I agree with everything you said in your post, but the way you put it made me laugh out loud, it is so grumpy

lockets · 30/10/2006 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Piffle · 30/10/2006 18:52

With SPD this year the thought of getting up to the door 569 million x tomorrow is getting to me.
I might hunker down in bed with lights off...
My kids aren't interested dd is blissfully ignorant and ds is 12 and quite frankly it's beneath him (his opinion)

skanger · 30/10/2006 19:55

i think it lets kids have a bit of fun-its only one night and its a lovely experience for the community around them to indulge them with a few aul sweets

FioFio · 30/10/2006 19:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Piffle · 30/10/2006 19:57

I'm snapping out of it and making toffee apples for the little critters who come calling...

skanger · 30/10/2006 19:58

notagrannyyet · 30/10/2006 21:16

Have in the past done fancy dress parties/apple bobbing etc but have never allowed DC to go trick or treating.
I can't stand this 'tradition' which I first came across as an adult.
DSs are not going to an organised party this year so I'll buy toffee apples and sweets for home.
I have in the past opened the door and given sweets to younger children but now there are too many mid-teens just using halloween as an excuse to cause trouble. As others have said it's not just confined to one evening either.

willowcatkin · 30/10/2006 22:07

Mine will be going but we live in a small cul de sac and all know each others kids - are actually going with neighbours kids and will only knock at doors with lights on or pumpkins.

Lots of people go to town and really decorate their houses.

I have told the dd (5) tho that it will probably be her last time as she will be in Beavers next year (if she likes it ) and they have a party at the local campsite

I don't really approve either - it has come over from USA and I agree it is begging, but then so is 'sponsorship' and that is deemed acceptable.

Once we get home we only open the door until 7pm and that is it. We have never had any problems, altho one (very grumpy) neighbour has had flour on his drive - wonder what he said as the kids around here are generally very good! They never want money and are happy with small chocs / sweets.

RancidRhubarb · 30/10/2006 22:09

NO.

I'd be mithered for weeks to come to let them eat the disgustingly huge amount of sweets of they had.

I don't want to have to go out in the dark, cold and pissing rain to supervise.

I don't want to encourage them to knock on people's doors because for some people it can be very annoying to get 6 sets of trick or treaters in one night.

saltire · 30/10/2006 22:21

I'm not a fan of Halloween. I don't like having to take the Dss out guising (as we Scots call it), i hate the fact that from 5pm tomorrow until gone 9 i will have kids knocking at my door constantly, no sooner will one lot have gone than another lot appear. They don't do anything, they say "trick or treat" so i say well tell me a joke and you'll get a treat, they look at me as though i'm glaikit and say "trick or treat" again I don't like the fact that every ssingle child in the 800 or so houses around me feels the need to go to all 800 houses. Last year i had kids from the other end of the estate, who i didn't even know, knocking at my door. They don't give in either if you don't answer the door, they just stand there and batter it.
I have a little 18 month old mindee tomorrow until 6.30, so i'm putting a note on the door and not answering it - he will get scared and it's not fair to him if i spend the whole time at the front door!
Ok, rant over

RancidRhubarb · 30/10/2006 22:23

saltire I do know what you mean! I like doing the pumpkin thing and seeing the kids in costume. But ds is at that age when he is scared of monsters and I don't want a bunch of mini-frankensteins scaring the shit out of him!

But if you put a note on the door will they take any notice? Or will they just target you with eggs?

notasheep · 30/10/2006 22:24

I have my water pistol ready,dd cant believe i have agreed to take her(just out in our street)

saltire · 30/10/2006 22:26

Rhubarb, I don't know if they will take any notice or not, DH is worried because we have got a different car, it's only a year old, and he doesn't want anything to happen to it. I haven't heard of any eggs/flour etc being thrown round here.
I will say on the note not to knock before 6.30, last year i had a note out saying that i had nothing left, and teenagers knocked anyway, and when i said i'd nothing left they said
"oh well, just give us money then"!

RancidRhubarb · 30/10/2006 22:34

How about "FRIGHTENED TOT INSIDE, PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK BEFORE 6.30" That might appeal to their consciences a bit better.

EmmyLou · 30/10/2006 22:38

We go - only to local houses/friends with pumpkins in the window. Some people leave bowls of sweets on the doorstep if they're out Trick or Treating and the children seem to be pretty honest about not taking too many.

As a tradition, it does have English roots - there was a custom of going 'Souling' (Soul Cakes are a traditional recipe for this event) at the end of October/early November in Shropshire and Cheshire. Children would go from house to house singing and collecting bits of food or money. We have the Soul Cake Song on one of dd3's children's CDs.

EmmyLou · 30/10/2006 22:41

Photograph every teenager before giving them any sweets/turning then away. Then, if damage is done, you can place posters outside local schools and shops to embarrass them and draw out the latent wrath of the parents (hopefully).

Sorry, thought i was on MN top tips page.

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