Trick-or-treating - How do you feel about it?

[jessmke]

I am in Canada so it's a pretty big thing here, it is quite unusual to not participate, I actually don't know of anyone who doesn't enjoy it. Our local community centre puts on a kids Halloween party so we will go to that while the kids are too young to understand the trick or treating. Once they are old enough to understand and enjoy it then we will absolutely go out to do it. We live in the country so we will drive into the city to go out with my niece and nephew around their neighbourhood. I really miss getting the trick or treaters coming to our house since moving to the country. I had no problem giving treats out to the teenagers, even if they weren't dressed up. The way I see it, there are a lot of worse things those teens could be doing on Halloween, I'd much rather they go door to door to get candy than be drinking at a party somewhere.

 

[cat_reversing]

Wow, this subject definitely seems to be a marmite subject, love it or hate it with nothing in between!
Personally I like the whole thing, carving a pumpkin for the window and DD dressing up. We only did it properly for the first time last year and she loved it. We live on a nice housing estate where almost all the kids go to the school on the estate so there are lots of kids out and about that night and you always see someone you know.

It's nice to meet the neighbours, we only go to decorated homes and the people we met last year really enjoyed seeing the little kids coming around, especially some of the older residents who may not have much interaction with kids. Most houses run out of treats by about 7!

I did it when I was a kid, it was not about being greedy or begging but about the dressing up and meeting people in the neighbourhood.
DD wants to be a spider this year, now where did I put those black tights?.....

 

[AnneD]

I don't like trick-or-treating and I don't take our daughter. If she asks, I will refuse. I don't like people coming and knocking, so we put a basket of sweets out and we don't decorate the house. My OH likes the idea of carving the pumpkin, so he buys one every year and then leaves it to me to carve with her. I don't mind doing that. But going out for sweets and knocking on doors, no way. It just doesn't sit right with me.

 

[kbwebb]

We dont do it. both of us dont agree with it - like pp's said how can you say dont accept food off strangers but suddenly its ok just for this one day.
I do pumpkin carving and dressing up with DD but dont do the trick or treating.

 

[ClairAye]

I hate it! I never did it as a child and until recently, thankfully lived up a big, spooky at night driveway that saw one trick-or-treater in many years and that was a teenager who wasn't even dressed up. My 5 year old has asked if he can do it after seeing it on TV but I've simply said no. I plan on turning off all the lights and watching films with the kids upstairs to try avoid having them come to my house too lol.

 

[Milina]

I don´t mind. Of Course it depend on how much visitors you have during the evining. If there is a Group of Kids every five minutes it is just too much and also to expensive. But if there are four or five groups of children who play trick or treat I don´t have a problem with that.

 

[Cariad_x]

I've taken Ollie the past two years and will this year - it's very popular where we live and we get loads at the door. I just see it as harmless fun though I understand why some folk don't like it. I've always given out sweets though OH has that job now we have kids and he hates it haha.

 

[housewifey]

I had no idea so many people disagreed with it!

We love it over here, it was a big thing when we were growing up and we couldn't wait to go round our street after school. I never minded having trick or treaters come round before DD was born & we love it even more now!

DD can be shy and isn't super keen on telling a joke etc so this years she requested to not go but would like to dress up in the house to answer the door to trick or treaters, so that's what we're doing this year. Our street goes all out through, the decorations are always fab and its a great way to get to know the neighbours you don't see very often.

 

[Babybump87]

I never enjoyed Halloween until DD1 was born and we started decorating the house and taking her trick or treating . We only did family and friends that live close by . Last year we had a Halloween party which everyone loved .

This year we are going to decorate the outside of the house not too much and do a pumpkin and the girls will go trick or treating again just to family and friends . We are also going to make some treats for DD1 to take into school ! .

 

[twobecome3]

It's really huge here ppl have had decorations up for weeks already. We just go up and down our street and are done before it's fully dark and all the bigger kids are out. Pll make it very clear if they are participating, it will be decorated with the porch light on and usually the inside door open and they are lingering by the door. If ppl are out there will often be a note left by a bowl of treats at the front. We are done and kids in bed by 7 so I don't decorate the window, shades drawn and we've never had a knock. I think ppl are mostly excited for the small children as the littles will often get extras like Halloween themed cups or small toys

 

[krissie328]

I never cared to trick or treat at strangers houses. Even as a kid I loved the church harvest festival and trunk or treat. So we do similar activities. My husband on the other hand loves it so will likely take DS out for a bit to trick or treat.

 

[impatient1]

I've always experienced trick or treating and my girls enjoy it too. We do only go to houses with their outside lights on though. When we go out we also make sure to leave our candy bin outside so that kids can get something from our house while we are out and about.

 

[c1403]

I was never allowed do it as a child, never asked.

We did take DDs last year as so many homes here go all out and were very welcoming. We only knocked on doors with decorations then came home (we have never had them on our road as its a dead end road)
I explained to DD1 its only once a year on a special day and you must say thank you. I will put an age limit on it though. Once they are over 10 I think that's enough. They certainly wouldn't go unattended.