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

[okeydokey]

I don't worry about what the neighbors do but in my house one of us takes the kids and one of us stays home to pass out candy. We also have hundreds that come from the more rural areas of our county and we give candy to them all too. I have to say, Halloween is one of my favorite nights of the year.

 

[TheZue]

I leave a note on my door saying we are trick or treating please come back later.

That's a good idea...it'll be our youngest's first time this year and I may do that so I can join DH on a couple houses. Trick or Treating is HUGE in our neighbourhood. We get kids from all over the city (which I'm fine with) and tons of the houses decorate. I like seeing all the costumes.

 

[happygirl]

That's a good idea...it'll be our youngest's first time this year and I may do that so I can join DH on a couple houses. Trick or Treating is HUGE in our neighbourhood. We get kids from all over the city (which I'm fine with) and tons of the houses decorate. I like seeing all the costumes.

I don;t think I would announce I wasn't home.

 

[Hannathy]

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 100% and think it is very wrong. This has always irked me a lot! When my kids were small and needed someone to go one of us went and the other stayed home and gave out candy. I think it is very greedy to do anything else. We only had 1 family that did thins and thankfully they moved because it left a bad taste in my mouth toward them every year.

If you are going out trick or treating then you should give out candy or else you shouldn't send your kids out.

 

[Michelle and crew]

I don;t think I would announce I wasn't home.

Lol, we would just leave a bowl on the porch. Might as well announce it. If you are in your neighborhood, and people are out in the sidewalks and porches no one is going to mess with your place. At least not here.

 

[Polyluvr]

My DH and I take the kids out trick or treating and always leave a bowl of candy on the doorstep w a note to please take 2 per person.

Well last year 5 minutes after we left the house I had to run back for my camera; and the whole bowl was gone!!!

This year I don't think I will be leaving any out; my DD is away @ college so no one will be home to pass out.

 

[Tinkermommy]

We have a neighbor that does this and it irks me. Probably shouldn't but it does.

It's kind of like going to a pot luck dinner and not bringing anything. If you are participating in the getting, you should participate in the giving.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

We live in a high traffic area (they come in by the van load).

No kids but I hand out candy, several hundred candy bars. So for any of the PP's who go trick or treating but don't stay home, I'm adopting at least one of you to even things out.

Thanks.

 

[madcam]

I never really think about it....my kids have NEVER come home from ToTing where anyone has said "Oh my....we do not have enough candy!" I end up throwing candy out left and right the following week. There are always houses that are "dark" (not handing out candy) in all the neighborhoods we have ever lived in and I don't spend a second wondering if they are out ToTing at the same time, if they are not home, if they do not feel like participating or if they have personal beliefs that keep them from participating. In our experience, there are far more houses giving out treats then we can even get to anyway.

That said, I always am the one that takes the kids ToTing. My DH will come too if he is in town (he has missed many Halloweens due to business trips) because he misses so many. If there is not another person at my house to pass out candy such as my parents or inlaws, we always leave a giant bowl on our porch with a sign stating "Please help yourself but leave some for others. Happy Halloween!!" We have yet to come back to a completely empty bowl. (VERY low, yes, but not all gone.) I usually have a spare bag or two to pass out when we get home as well. But this is just what I do and I don't really think about the rest of it.

 

[Pooh67_68]

I quit trick or treating when I was 7 (just never liked it) so I was home with dad to hand it out. DH and i are married 24 years, no children and we have always handed out candy. No worries to someone who doesn't hand out, we are balancing it out for you.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

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

That's exactly what we will do! DH & I enjoy going out with our kids and when we come home we give out to those who ring our bell. I will not leave out a bowl of candy in case greedy kids take it all at once.

 

[iheartnmr's]

I could not care less about something so trivial.

 

[S. C.]

We have a neighbor that does this and it irks me. Probably shouldn't but it does.

It's kind of like going to a pot luck dinner and not bringing anything. If you are participating in the getting, you should participate in the giving.

When ours were little we worked different shifts. One of us was always on days and the other on 2nd. So who ever worked day shift would take the kids ToTing while the other was at work.
I feel it all evens out in the end. When ours got older and stopped ToTing then one of us was always home to hand out candy even though we were not getting candy in return.

 

[tasha99]

Agreed. The trivial things people choose to be a busybody about . . .

In the early years of my single parenthood, I tried to leave a bowl, but I found out it was completely taken within a few trick or treaters. So for a few years, we just left the house empty. DD18 loves to give out candy and has for the past few years. I think it's absurd to worry about reciprocating on candy--people tend to do their best and do what they can.

 

[CharliNye]

I could not care less about something so trivial.

Seriously agreed.

Out of curiosity to the OP, do you watch their comings and goings the whole entire day of halloween? because how do you know they don't go out for two hours with their kids then come back and hand it out the rest of the night? Or that they weren't handing it out prior to going? Are you watching them through a window the whole time(which would be kind of creepy).

Because this falls into the line of not having enough info or having too much info and being bothered by something that should be none of your business.

I'm sorry but this doesn't bother me at all. I have kids and some houses don't answer or have any but my kids end up with more then enough candy.

One year we didn't get anyone. Last year we got about six kids. Including my neighbors two. Then again everyone was terrifed of H1N1 so every friend in the surrounding burbs of chicago and the city had little to no trick or treaters. Hopefully this year everyone is out.

There are too many other really important things out there to worry about these days, whether or not your neighbor hands out candy should not be one of them. And oh, umm yeah if you do leave a bowl out it is a good chance some kids will take all of it. I've seen that happen, so that isn't always a wise choice. And I don't fault the parents for both wanting to take their kids out together. I think that's pretty awesome. I mean I'm pretty sad I may not be able to go with my husband and our daughter this year due to a torn ligament in my leg, I don't want to miss out on seeing my kid trick or treat.

 

[cabanafrau]

IMO it's no big deal.

 

[FireDancer]

This is one of those things that has probably always happened and will work itself out. Some families will go together for trick or treat, some will leave a person at home, and some will give out candy even though they don't have kids or go out for whatever reason.

In the end I'm sure most neighborhoods with multiple streets will have enough people handing out candy that the kids that want some will get plenty. No one I know has ever said their kids didn't get enough candy while trick-or-treating.

It just isn't something I would worry about. This would register at about the same level on my care-o-meter as whether or not you hang your laundry in the backyard or put a satellite dish on your roof.

 

[Hoodie]

I just want the candy out of my house. I don't really care if the people taking it are giving some out or not. Of course, when I was little, there was only one house in the neighborhood that didn't give out candy. Their kids were older and they decided they weren't going to participate anymore.

When I was little, it was the dads' job to take us ToTing while all the moms stayed home to give out candy. Occassionally one of the dads would take on extra kids, but there was always at least one parent at home to give out candy. We had a great little neighborhood. Kids would get candy and dads would get a shot at every house. Made for an entertaining night.

 

[saradela]

I spend 100 dollars on candy to give on Holloween night ( I go to the candy store and ask exactly that amount). Lots of children. I teach my kids that " What Goes Around Comes Around ". Plus, they have fun giving away candy, and waching kids been amazed at my porch. I am sure that I will hand down candy for the rest of my life. I belive that if you dont have any person that stays at home to give away the candy, because you have small children that are going trick or treating, its ok to go out, you have to make a choice, but you lose the opportunity of all the blessings that your house may get from happy childrens and parents.

 

[Michelle and crew]

I spend 100 dollars on candy to give on Holloween night ( I go to the candy store and ask exactly that amount). Lots of children. I teach my kids that " What Goes Around Comes Around ". Plus, they have fun giving away candy, and waching kids been amazed at my porch. I am sure that I will hand down candy for the rest of my life. I belive that if you dont have any person that stays at home to give away the candy, because you have small children that are going trick or treating, its ok to go out, you have to make a choice, but you lose the opportunity of all the blessings that your house may get from happy childrens and parents.

What a lovely way to look at it. According to the OP, single parents are SOL for TOT. Nice. I can't imagine keeping score.