Do you make kids say "Trick or Treat"

[bsmcneil]

This makes me think of the generational divide where some folks dislike it when people respond to "thank you" with "no problem". It often feels like some people feel owed (a phrase, a look, a hug, etc). Why withhold candy over it? I don't think it teaches the wrong lesson (nor do I think that a 2-3 second interaction like this teaches them to say the magic password in life).

That said, I did ask my kid (I stayed about 10 feet back) if they said T-o-T and/or Thank you and I insisted on the TY (and encouraged the ToT)

 

[Dug720]

I don't hand out candy (or anything) now since kids around here mostly go to bodegas or other stores or things are set up in parks. But if I did (and when I lived where door to door was common), I wouldn't stress it since there are non-speaking kids, kids whose native language isn't English, and kids who have extreme anxiety, any of which would result in not speaking. I'm not punishing them for how they are.

I will say, if it were that big of a deal, I'd find or make a sign that non-speaking kids could point to things like "Hello" and "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you".

 

[_19disnA]

For the 15 seconds or so you interact with each child on Halloween I don't try to be their therapist/parent/psychologist and attempt to make a judgement about how they were raised (or think it is my role to get involved). To me it is a fun holiday for children to get free candy from their neighbors. Some parents are also more chatty/sociable than others and that is fine too. I don't read too much into any of that. Some houses in our area don't hand out candy and I also don't feel it is any of my business to attempt to determine why. Someone may be away on vacation or have a school function for Halloween, so they aren't home that night.

 

[Brian rhymes with dyin]

Disney really brings people of all stripes together, huh.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I had about 400 kids because I live in a very big subdivision and it has a lot of young couples in it with a lot of kids and I would say about 80% of the kids say trick-or-treat some just walk up and take candy because I have my candy sitting out and I’m sitting outside behind a table giving out my candy and buckets on the table and I’m sitting outside a lot of the kids say trick-or-treat they say happy Halloween they say thank you they tell jokes they ask how you’re doing they tell me to have a nice evening and some kids just walk up and don’t say a word they just woke up and take candy and leave I don’t require them to say trick-or-treat some kids are just shy for a lot of the really younger kids the parents will tell them now you say trick-or-treat and you say thank you or the parents will say did you say thank you because the parents are standing at the end of the driveway
I will say for most of the older kids to come to get candy almost every one of them will say trick-or-treat almost every one of them said happy Halloween and stopped and chatted for a few seconds or told jokes
And it’s usually the same every year
And I was told go have fun be safe don’t get in any trouble or at least don’t get caught

 

[footballmouse]

I don't actually make them say it, all the kids still say it. I didn't have any kid come up and just stand there. I sit outside so they don't have to knock or anything.

 

[Keladry84]

I don't really pay attention honestly - I was non-verbal until 4, and would have hated to have someone gate-keep candy on Halloween just for not saying "trick-or-treat".

What does kind of surprise me is how many try to take more than one piece - when did multiple candy at a house become a thing? That never would have crossed my mind as a kid......

 

[Allison]

No, I am not going to force a child to say something for a piece of candy. The ones at my door were all polite and well-behaved. That is the important part. I didn't care if they said a specific phrase.