Trick or treating ... thoughts

[weloveicecream]

Does anyone else not allow their children to trick or treat? We do Halloween activities in the house, have been to Halloween parties and a Halloween farm day over this half term but do not allow my ds to go out trick or treating.

I was never allowed as a child and apply the same to my own child. Not for religious reasons but not comfortable with receiving gifts from strangers.

Does anyone else not allow their children to go trick or treating? Just genuinely curious

I don't think it's begging exactly, but knocking on strangers doors expecting sweets is really weird imo.

It wasn't a thing when I was little and wasn't when my kids were either so it feels like another imported 'thing' that just overdone.

But I accept I'm a miserable old bag and keep quiet.

I don't forbid it, I just try to avoid it. I don't have a moral objection I just have no experience of having done it or ever having anyone ring our door until last year when DS got invited to go round with his friend's family and DD was at a class party when they were all going out afterwards so I felt guilted into it.

Found it excruciating really. Can't get over how borrowed it feels and just silly to be pretending to be American for the evening. And it is American the way it's done in my village. It's got sod all to do with any Celtic traditions.

Right now we are 3.5 hours into our 4.5 hour journey home which I may or may not have engineered to take place tonight to avoid it.

I always let my DCs do it partly because I love the idea of setting aside one day a year when children receive something nice from strangers.

Through trick or treating, they got the idea that their neighborhood was a nice place full of pleasant, friendly people who liked children and engaged in children's idea of fun.

I can't see a downside to that.

It is a lovely community event here. Younger children with parents, and slighter older ones with friends. Children only go to houses with a lit pumpkin. This evening, my daughter and her friend and younger brother (almost 12 and 8), went alone for the first time. My son is just 14 but looks older and sadly concluded that it may not be appropriate for him to t and t anymore. So he dressed up in a not very scary outfit and had a lovely evening opening the front door and cooing at little ones. He said it was his best Halloween ever!

We did when our kids were younger. I think some parents have social anxiety and therefore don't find the tradition enjoyable. If they want to dress that up as something else and pretend it's because they think the activity is demeaning then so be it. It's their choice I guess.

Mine go even as early teens and enjoy it but I keep a big Tupperware box of party favours etc through the year and always go and buy some sweets to hand out, decorate the front window and let my dc have some kind of party / sleepover as it’s usually half term. I’ve always got treats in for the evening, even before we had dc and will continue when they’re too old so I feel we repay the Halloween spirit. I like the community feel of it, love seeing the children in their outfits and making a fuss of them.

That’s lovely! My oldest is very similar, a party got cancelled and he stayed home to answer the door and watch scary films with me and his dad.

I've only said it on 2 not several. We are allowed our own opinion and other people think it is too. I've heard rl people say it all the time.

@teatoast8 ok apologies. Only on 2 threads.

What a misery - begging indeed! People taking part put out lit candles or in our village, leave bowls of sweets out to help yourself. They also post their addresses on our private village Facebook page. They WANT you to take a sweet, as is the tradition. No pumpkin, no knocking, no begging!There's always someone that wants to take the joy out of everything. Community has special event, children enjoy themselves. Poster belittles it as 'begging.' Ridiculous.

Doesn't bother me at all, as long as the kids are respectful and don't keep knocking if there's no answer.

I don't think anyone over primary school age should be doing it though, unless they're taking younger siblings.

Completely agree.

We don't have enough events that encourage people saying hello to their neighbours.

My DC have always done it- this was the first year I didn’t have to take someone out trick or treating as they are all teens and have graduated to throwing Halloween parties instead!

We decorated the house and I really enjoyed being the one handing out sweets for a change. I think as long as you only go to decorated houses, and accompany your DC to make sure it’s safe, it’s a lovely community event.

I take DC trick or treating. I was never allowed as a child because my parents were very snobby about it being "common" . I still remember not understanding and missing out, so I allowed DC to go once they were old enough to realise it was a thing and asked to go. They love taking ages planning/making their costumes and get a lot of joy from it.

Having small children knocking on my door all dressed up brings me joy. These kids are having such a great time. Don’t understand why you would deny your children innocent fun.

See, this is fine. You can absolutely hate it but the fact you keep it to yourself and don’t deny your children the fun is the important thing. Kids are small for such a short time and they absolutely love it.

I absolutely hate it - awful American tradition. Hate the way it's taken over bonfire night but I guess it's easier for Mr Tesco etc to make loads of cash out of it.
So much plastic tat involved. Vile.

I won't be letting my kids do it. Think it's begging.

😆😆 people get more & more stupid on here!

I did it as a dc, my dc do it & we do it for others but we are a community & you don’t disturb those without decorations.

I absolutely hate it - awful American tradition.

Its Celtic you numbnut

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4d40rwwyjo

My kids are older teenagers now but think they only went out trick or treating once or twice. The school's Halloween disco was always on Halloween if a week night so went to that instead.

I don't put decorations etc outside and these days it's lovely to see the kids only going to decorated houses. We haven't had anyone knocking for a few years now. It's a win-win the kids aren't disappointed if no one answers and we aren't bothered by knocks on the door.

I think it's ok not to go out if you don't want to and equally ok to go.

I'm Scottish so my children have always gone guising as I did, my parents did, my grandparents did and so on back for 100s of years.

We still make neep lanterns and my DC practise their 'turns' from the beginning of Oct. DD1 tried some Tam 'O Shanter this year.

It's a lovely community event in our wee hamlet and a great way to increase DC confidence in talking to adults they don't know.

I've had bairns play the fiddle, do Highland Dancing (wooden swords!), gymnastics on the front lawn, poems, jokes, songs, nursery rhymes, etc.

Well aren't you a lovely person

We are allowed our own opinion and other people think it is too. I've heard rl people say it all the time.

of course you can have your own opinion but you clearly don’t understand what begging is.

I'm also Scottish. Halloween is a big deal here. It has to be proper guising though and not trick or treating! Unless you are a wee toddler 😂

Well aren't you a lovely person

Not really but at least I’m not stupid 😜