trick or treat!

[PRINCESSDAISYFLOWER]

What do you think of Trick or Treating?

Harmless fun or a nuisence?

Dangerous or innocent?

glorified form of begging or something special for the kids?

just wondered peoples views

[mushpea]

Hmm,, well i kinda contradict myself cause i dont like the idea of trick or treating,, knocking on strangers doors asking for sweets can not only be scary for some but also dodgy cause you dont know what they have done to the 'treats',,,, I never let my 2 go untill last year when my daughters freind and her mum invited my daughter to with them.
On the other hand we love giving out the sweets and dress the hall up with lots of spooky stuff and my two dress up and hand out the goodies,, we put a sign on the door that says happy halloween from donna's childminding with a spooky picture on it so they know we take part( and i get to advertise) and have a franchenstign bubble blower going off wen we open the door and this year i have bought a spooky music cd,,
so basicly i dont agree with knocking on stangers doors but then i love giving out the treat but its usualy people i know that arrrive on our step.

[the happy house]

I'm with mushpea on this.
I hate the thought of taking my son out begging and so we've never done it. However... halloween is a bit of fun, so in the past we've had halloween parties at the house - the kids get to have fun and treats without annoying the neighbours. We decorate the outside of the house so kids know it's ok to come to us and we fun giving out sweets.

[mum22]

I only take my children to the surrounding houses of people I know, and then only when they have decorated and are openly welcoming trick or treaters. I dont like the crowds of teenagers who dress up quite scary and come on mass though.

[Gizmo]

I dont like it as a parent but when I was a kid I loved it, my mil takes the girls to the neighbours houses bu would never let them go to someone we didnt know, not many kids in my street so I dont really get anyone at the door

[onceinabluemoon]

My kids love Halloween and love to go trick or treating and have done since they were small and went with their older brothers. They never do tricks of course and I've never had any problem with horrid sweets or anything else dodgy.

We also get lots of kiddies and teens come by and they're never rude or abusive and most have made a real effort with their costumes etc. If they don't dress up they don't get sweets but they just laugh and plead not throw eggs or anything else nasty.

It's quite easy for people to put up 'no trick or treat' signs on their doors if they don't want to join in the fun these days so I see it as harmless fun as long as the kids and adults are all respectful.

[mushpea]

i must add that we have never had any hassle from teenagers or any age child for that matter and most make an effort to dress up,,,, one year we didnt do it as my son was born on the 29th october so we put a sign up saying' sorry no trick or treaters due to newborn baby ' and they all respected it,, infact as they read it you could hear them going ahhh!
hes gonna be 10 this year and loves it cause he thinks its great having a birthday so near halloween and treats it as his party !

[Chimps Childminding]

I'm with Mushpea!!!! My kids were never allowed to go trick or treating when they were little - we used to dress them up and take them to their grandparents but they weren't allowed to go knocking on doors.

However, I always have sweets at the ready for trick or treaters knocking on my door, even tho as my kids will tell anyone who will listen, I don't believe in halloween :D

[miffy]

I like the trick or treaters knocking on my door but only if they've made the effort to dress up otherwise they don't get any treats from me!

Miffy xx

[Pipsqueak]

I don't like trick or treating - just purely for the area I live in and the little twits who participate!


Overall I like Halloween but not the Trick/Treat bit of it.

[miss mopple]

I hate it with a passion. I intensely dislike feeling like I have to hide in my own home at halloween. My 4yr old is easily frightened and if I opened the door to kids dressed up it would freak her out. My 11yr old thinks Im the meanest mum ever as I wont let her trick or treat but I dont care. Apart from anything else I dont want her coming home with a stupid amount of sweets.

I dont get the whole halloween thing at all tbh

[Daftbat]

I think its a bit of a laugh - I keep sweets by the door ready for the kids who tend to be the ones i childmind coming over. My daughter likes to go out with a friend but they only go to houses we know. The kids enjoy dressing up and so long as parents go with them i don't see any problems - we all need a laugh and a bit of nonsense sometimes.

[patevans]

I used to love it as a child we used to go round the neighbours, now the kids round this way take it a bit too far so I dont open the door anymore!

[singingcactus]

I love being able to share a holiday with my neighbourhood. I love having the neighbourhood kids call round, all excited and having fun. I love seeing the older ones playing the part and getting to take part in the celebration.
I'm happy to take my kids trick or treating, but they tend to rush round so they can carry on scaring all the others who come to ours.
I certainly don't feel that the kids who come round to mine, and call 'trick or treat' are begging. I have pumpkins and decorations out and actively invite trick or treaters to come play the game. It's fun, it's a laugh, and it's all good natured. When I put my little boy to bed I pop a notice on the door saying it's late now and the children are asleep, please don't knock anymore. And that has never failed.

[Mouse]

I don't mind it at all.

My children dress up & go round the neighbouring houses. Most people round here put a lighted pumpkin in the window or near the door, so we know to go there. Either DH or I take them (only the younger ones), so the other can stay at home & hand out sweets to children who call - again, we know most of them. One of my ex-mindees comes every year & every year I have to pretend I don't know who it is! He's not even bothered about the sweets - he just like to think he's surprised me!

I made my boys stop going when they got to their teens as I think it can be too intimidating if a group of older kids turn up.

My grandparents used to live near an american airbase & we'd love going there at halloween as it's such a big event to them :D

[zillervalley]

never gone out when my dd was little didnt like to do that, but i must admit i have made a spooky tea and had her friends over and dhe to theres


i do make cakes with the mindees to take home, not a total spoil sport

[Roseolivia]

We used to go out every year as kids but it was a lot safer to do that then.
Rose is only 3 so haven't had to do this yet but we usually have a Halloween party at home for family and friends which the kids love. With baby due we're not doing it this year though so i've bought some face paints for Rose and will just paint her face and maybe my bump if it's still here:laughing:

[peanuts]

my lot only go to doors of the people we know, they know which doors to o to the back door as they do not open their front doors for trick or treating.

A couple of years ago i ended up making about 30 bags and they all went. Last year i just handed the ones that knocked a couple of fun size sweets, the ones i knew got a bag with goodies and money.

Last year i gave a little one what for he was 5 and knocking on every door, no adult supervision or anyone with him. told his mum the next day i had given him what for, she didnt even know that he had went out trick or treating.

it annoys me when they knock on the door and expect treats for just knocking. older kids accompanying wee ones depending on who they are usually get a treat.

Last year i said to a couple of kids, i dont know you, and told them they shouldnt go knocking on doors they didnt know, they didnt even come from our area. Where i live i am next to the park so all the kids know me.

my dd is at me to decorate the house this year, they are a bit older now so i though i would get away with not doing anything.

[ziggy]

my own children are grown up now and living back in England, i live in a small village in Ireland and usually have a bowl of fun size treats for children who knock on the door. i am undecided whether to bother this year, as many dont dress up, just stand there and more annoyingly very few say 'thank you'.

Will be taking mindee to toddler group halloween party and have activities planned for this week but might ignore the door bell on halloween this year, sad really