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

@teatoast8 honest question here ....
You say it's "begging" but I see it as being given a prize for dressing up, doing a dance, saying a joke etc (like Stargirl a couple of posts up describes).
So are events like a fancy dress competition or a dance contest at a summer fete also considered "begging" to you?
A child dressing up/doing a show in order to gain a prize.
What's the difference? Or is there none to you?
I'm not trying to be bitchy - I am just genuinely curious.

Agree, my own experiences are that it's a fun community event. People buy sweets and put out decorations to let you know if they are participating.

It's nothing like begging, it's obvious to the kids that it's something you do for one fun night a year. I doubt any of them are going to grow up into adults who routinely knock on doors for sweets because they were taken trick or treating.

@Mlanket - hmm you're nice.
There is absolutely nothing 'Celtic' about buying loads of sugar /plastic tat. 🤣🤣

I doubt any of them are going to grow up into adults who routinely knock on doors for sweets because they were taken trick or treating.

😆😆

No I think it is so lovely. It is not begging whatsoever 🙄But I completely understand not wanting your children to go but I just feel like it's the number 1 thing little children think about when talking about Halloween

@Billyandharry no one has to buy "plastic tat". That isn't compulsory for trick or treating.
If people do - that's their choice.
Sugar free "treats" also exist.

@Billyandharry

You said “awful American tradition.”

which I replied & said it was Celtic with a link so you could learn more. I never mentioned plastic tat…

Clearly another intelligent poster!

Why don’t you read the link & learn something?

It’s so sweet seeing the kids dressed up and excited. Great childhood memories from my now grown up children. The unwritten rule of only knocking on houses with pumpkins and decorations is fine. And it’s not begging!

We don't buy plastic tat. We buy pumpkins & I use the innards to make soup or pie. We light tons of candles & when it's super dark we have a walk around the local church grounds. You're generalising.

My mum never let me trick or treat, arguing it was begging or frightening old people. We trick or treat only houses that are decorated and enjoy receiving trick or treaters when our candles/pumpkins are lit. It's all good natured around here.

I'm not stupid either thanks..

Don't write stupid things on the internet then.

You basically knock on people's doors and expecting them to give you something for nothing 🤷‍♀️

Hardly stupid. Just explained why I think its begging.

The ones with decorated houses want you to knock on their door because they want to give you something.

I was a child in the 1960s and ‘trick or treat’ was seen as a thing for the poorer children who wouldn’t normally afford sweets - the same ones who did ‘penny for the guy’. We had our own Halloween traditions.

I didn’t let my DC go out in the 90s, it didn’t feel safe to me in our area, which was visited by groups of kids from elsewhere for better pickings. We did decorate the house and give out treats.

I'm not stupid either thanks..

Or self aware! 😆

@teatoast8 it's not for "something for nothing" though.
It's a reward for dressing up (or doing a dance/joke/song etc - but most people just do the dressing up).

It's not begging. I think we gave x5 sweets than we got back and we didn't eat most of them.

Many houses in our village go all out with decorations. It's really nice to visit them because we're a bit introverted and don't get to know many of our neighbours, so it's nice to do something that's a part of the community and have an excuse for a bit of a chat with them.

DS is also autistic and there a loads of things we can't do, but he gets really excited about dressing up for Halloween and trick or treating. He's very delayed verbally but he was incredibly polite and said "trick or treat", "thank you" and "happy Halloween" unprompted - a big deal for us.

I absolutely love it and so do my kids! Love the excitement. There’s such a buzz round here. The buzzkills can close their blinds, turn off the lights and wallow in their misery.

My parents didn't agree with it when I was a child and I felt left out.

Now, I always take mine.

We only go to decorated houses and they say please and thank you and Happy Halloween. It's lovely for the older people to see the children in their costumes and sometimes exchange a few friendly words. I have never told my children not to speak to strangers- on the contrary, I think talking to strangers is a really important skill.

Nearly everything that is handed out is in sealed packets so I'm not at all worried about them taking sweets from strangers. There's very little evidence for any of the urban legends about kids getting razor blades and heroin in their buckets. Drugs are expensive and most people aren't enthusiastic about giving them away for free.

Oh you always get the perpetual moaners and miseries coming out with nonsense about TorT'ing..every..single..year!

We had a fab night..had a Halloween party at our house, went all out with the decorations and lighting/ music..handed out loads of sweets as we WANTED TO..no begging required.

I work in the local school and most of the kids who came I recognised from there..it was epic.

Of course don't knock on doors where people haven't decorated..if you do you that's a completely different thing, nd I totally don't condone that.

We had 3 very polite teens knock on the 30th, who told me they couldn't make it on the 31st as had a football competition to go to..bless 'em!

Join us next month for Mumsnet's Joyless Seasonal debates as we hear from Lisa, 43 from Cleckheaton, who explains why children shouldn't write begging letters to Father Christmas.

@CrispyCrumpets so true 😂
The Christmas threads =
"I hate all the gifts people buy me it's such a waste blah blah"
But.....
"Wish lists are so grabby"