Families that go Trick-or-treating but don't hand out candy?

[DisneyBeagle]

I've noticed for the past few years that my neighbors across the street go out trick-or-treating (all 4 kids and both parents accompany them) but they don't have anyone stay at their house to give out candy. I also know they don't leave out a bowl of candy because I've got a clear view of their door.

I guess you could say that it all evens out since I don't have any kids, but I still give out candy. Personally, I think that if you're going to be taking candy from others then you should be giving out candy also.

What do you think?

 

[happygirl]

I've noticed for the past few years that my neighbors across the street go out trick-or-treating (all 4 kids and both parents accompany them) but they don't have anyone stay at their house to give out candy. I also know they don't leave out a bowl of candy because I've got a clear view of their door.

I guess you could say that it all evens out since I don't have any kids, but I still give out candy. Personally, I think that if you're going to be taking candy from others then you should be giving out candy also.

What do you think?

My hubby and I both go out with our kids trick and treating. I never thought of it as wrong not to give out candy.

 

[RunningGirl]

I've noticed for the past few years that my neighbors across the street go out trick-or-treating (all 4 kids and both parents accompany them) but they don't have anyone stay at their house to give out candy. I also know they don't leave out a bowl of candy because I've got a clear view of their door.

I guess you could say that it all evens out since I don't have any kids, but I still give out candy. Personally, I think that if you're going to be taking candy from others then you should be giving out candy also.

What do you think?

I agree with you. If you're participating in trick-or-treat by collecting, you also should be giving. When it happened that we each had to take a child we always left a bowl out. Now my kids are too old to trick-or-treat but we still pass out candy.

 

[love2disney]

thats really weird. if u have kids here you give out candy and trick and treat. i take the kids out and Dh stays home handing candy.

IMHO it would be rude to take and not give out any

 

[bjgrazi]

I think it's Halloween and they want to take their kids ToT'ing. What does it matter? There are no rules about it. We have one kid and both my husband & I take him. When we get home if anyone comes we hand out candy. I left a bowl out one year and the first group of kids came and cleaned it out.

 

[RunningGirl]

My hubby and I both go out with our kids trick and treating. I never thought of it as wrong not to give out candy.

But if everyone did this then who would give out candy? Only kid-free houses?

 

[jen0610]

I've noticed for the past few years that my neighbors across the street go out trick-or-treating (all 4 kids and both parents accompany them) but they don't have anyone stay at their house to give out candy. I also know they don't leave out a bowl of candy because I've got a clear view of their door.

I guess you could say that it all evens out since I don't have any kids, but I still give out candy. Personally, I think that if you're going to be taking candy from others then you should be giving out candy also.

What do you think?

For us, no one trick or treats in our addition. We are very small and not a lot of small kids. Most everybody who does have kids, goes else where.

For years, my kids trick or treated in the addition that I grew up in and that mom and dad still live in. My mom always passes out candy. And I always took candy over for her to pass out for our household. I felt like we were giving back to those familes that we were taking from.

Now, DD13 goes with friends. They take turns which addition to be at. I think this year they are going to be back over at my mom and dads.

 

[Disney_Dreaming]

I disagree!

We live in a neighborhood that doesn't have many trick-or-treaters going door to door.

We go elsewhere to have fun!

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

We go out treating to public events, but we live on a county road where there is no safe place for kids to go. I'd hand out in a heartbeat if we were in a neighborhood. My parents and grandparents still do and we've been out of the house for years.

 

[Katy Belle]

Well, SOMEBODY has to give out candy, or it wouldn't be any fun I think we would all like to go around with our little ones, but DH and I always take turns, so someone is home passing out candy. I have had a friend come from another neighborhood and her kids go out with my kids. She brings her bowl of candy to my house, and we both hand out candy, while the DHs take the kiddos around. She feels that if her kids are getting candy from our neighborhood, that it makes sense to bring her candy here.

I know lots of people that leave a bowl of candy out, or give theirs to a neighbor, or hand out early and late. I wouldn't feel right having my kids taking candy, without contributing to the other kids. Hopefully the people that don't contribute now will hand out candy when their kids are no long trick or treat age.

 

[happygirl]

But if everyone did this then who would give out candy? Only kid-free houses?

People that want to stay home and give out candy. I don't want to miss the fun with my kids either does my hubby. I can tell you there are plenty people in my neighbor hood that stay home. I'm not going to feel bad. When we get home we will turn on our light then,

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I don't think there is anything wrong with it. My DH and I both take our kids trick or treating. We live in an area that doesn't get any trick or treaters so we wouldn't be giving any out if we stayed home anyway, but I can understand if a family want to trick or treat together. Maybe they handed out candy before they had kids. Maybe they will when their kids are older. They are only young once, why not enjoy it as a family.

I don't think many people leave a bowl out. Too many kids would just take the whole bowl.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Hopefully the people that don't contribute now will hand out candy when their kids are no long trick or treat age.

That's a good point.

 

[Tinkh]

One of us always gives out candy. The years that we both went with our son and friends my mom would come to hand out candy since she lived in a low traffic area and my dad was there to handle things. We have a neighbor that leaves their candy with the other neighbors and she tells them that it was for that house since they had to leave. I would not feel right getting candy and not handing some out.

 

[design_mom]

I agree that there should be a give and take. There's only one family in my neighborhood who routinely takes but doesn't give. At the other families' houses where both go, they either have someone else there to pass out candy, leave a bowl out, or give it to the neighbors.

DH and I both like to go out with the kids, but my parents come to our house to pass out our candy. (They like to see the kids and never get any trick-or-treaters at their house.) If they couldn't come for some reason, one of us would stay home to pass out candy.

 

[2binak]

Leaving a bowl of candy on the front porch while you're out is standard practice in our neighborhood. OP - I can see why both parents would want to go (4 kids on Halloween can be alot to handle!) but I think they should leave a bowl out, leave it with neighbors or invite some friends and their parents to go along with them so that someone can stay home & hand out the candy.

 

[Momvic5]

I think it all evens out over time. My dh always stays home and gives out the candy, but honestly, I have never thought about it the way you are. We gave out candy for years before we had kids and while our kids were too young to participate. I think that if you enjoy the holiday and participate as a family, the rest of the neighborhood will be just fine. Really there are only a few number of years that families will probably enjoy the holiday together. I really don't think it is that big of a deal. My elderly neighbors give out candy every year.....I am sure my dh and I will do the same and still be handing out candy long after our kids have quit trick or treating.

My personal pet peeve: the streets and neighborhoods are flooded with cars now....No longer are we giving candy to just neighborhood children..... we are having to buy enough candy to give to the whole city.

 

[indimom]

We gave out treats when we were childless (giving and not receiving).
When the kids arrived, we started taking them out and not giving treats at the door (receiving and not giving).
When the kids are gone, we'll go back to sitting at the door so we can enjoy other folks' little ones (giving and not receiving).

I guess we're in our selfish and greedy phase since we've gone the last few years without giving treats or leaving a bowl on the porch.
Oh well. Doesn't bother me if someone thinks poorly of it. Just how we do it.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I thought people gave out candy because they enjoyed it not because they felt like they owed it to the community. I would love to hand it out at my house, but no one would come. I think it would be a lot of fun. I drive my kids into town, and we trick or treat. We don't bring candy to a friends house to give out.

We give back to the community in many ways. It never crossed my mind to feel like we were taking and not giving on Halloween. We give plenty to other projects like food and toy drives, community clean ups etc. We don't expect anything in return. I always thought of the candy people give away as a donation not a trade.

 

[Allison]

Another thing I've seen on the DIS that I never knew people would worry about.

Sometimes we've all gone, sometimes not. If we are home, we'll hand out candy. If not, then we don't.