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

[ilovepcot]

I do remember as a kid not going to houses that sat back too far from the street because it took too long to get to and from the door-it was all about maximizing your time out and hitting as many houses as you could .

Totally true. As a kid, my friends and I would venture to a house way off the street only if we'd heard they were handing out something really extra special good. For me, that had to be chocolate AND of a decent size.

 

[Skywalker]

So, if my kids come home from trick or treating with MORE candy then I handed out do I have to go out and find kids to give more candy to so it is even???

No according to my husband, that is how you "win" Halloween. As long as you bring home more candy than you gave out!

 

[golfgal]

No according to my husband, that is how you "win" Halloween. As long as you bring home more candy than you gave out!

Well, we have 3 kids so the deck is stacked in our favor

 

[disneychrista]

I was a single parent when my kids were of ToT age, so we never gave out Candy.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well, we have 3 kids so the deck is stacked in our favor

We have 5 kids so I guess we will be giving Willy Wonka a run for his money!

 

[golfgal]

We have 5 kids so I guess we will be giving Willy Wonka a run for his money!

We used to go all over town to T or T when we were kids. We would stop home half way through to dump out our pillow cases because they were full and too heavy to carry .

 

[Mickeypooh99]

that is fine but know you aren't appreciated and you are talked about. Why do you think we want to buy your kids candy that don't even live in our neighborhood?
How do you even justify that any way shape or form.

The people across the street turn their lights off when they see the vans start coming in.

That is just sad. Just because my kids don't live in town doesn't mean they aren't part of the community. They go to school there, play sports there, participate in community projects... I think that is enough justification. When the village cemetary needed clean up, my kids were out there helping. We give bags and bags of canned goods to the local food bank. I could go on about ways we give to the community. I really don't see how a small bucket of candy for the kids is selfish. Its just about a fun night in the community.

Why judge people you don't even know.

 

[Feralpeg]

When DD was little, my sister would come to my house to give out candy while I took DD TOTing. We never really cared how much candy she got, because she really wasn't a candy type kid. Most of her candy ended up going to my office. It was just about the fun of walking around in costume.

Now, I give out candy every year. I love doing it. For the first time in four years, DD is home. She and I will be fighting over who gets to answer the door! Candy isn't really what makes Halloween special. It's the costumes and running around in the dark!

 

[Hannathy]

That is just sad. Just because my kids don't live in town doesn't mean they aren't part of the community. They go to school there, play sports there, participate in community projects... I think that is enough justification. When the village cemetary needed clean up, my kids were out there helping. We give bags and bags of canned goods to the local food bank. I could go on about ways we give to the community. I really don't see how a small bucket of candy for the kids is selfish. Its just about a fun night in the community.

Why judge people you don't even know.

because the community isn't paying for it the neighbors are. If the people in the other towns want to go to the mall and trick or treat or go to the downtown stores where businesses are giving it out go for it but to come into neighborhoods and take the candy that is for the kids who live there and know each other I feel is wrong. If I could buy just for the neighborhood kids I could buy much bigger bars but since w always get 50 to 100 from outside we have to get smaller sizes. do you at least rotate neighborhoods each year so the same one doesn't get hit each year?

 

[lisaviolet]

Hey...you're still welcome. And for coming all the way from Texas to FL, I'll buy the good stuff for ya! Maybe even throw in a few "surprises"!!!

No according to my husband, that is how you "win" Halloween. As long as you bring home more candy than you gave out!

Too funny on both. Love the few surprises.

Thanks for making me laugh. Win Halloween. I LOVE your husband! Oh whoops that's a whole other thread!!!

 

[HelenePA]

because the community isn't paying for it the neighbors are. If the people in the other towns want to go to the mall and trick or treat or go to the downtown stores where businesses are giving it out go for it but to come into neighborhoods and take the candy that is for the kids who live there and know each other I feel is wrong. If I could buy just for the neighborhood kids I could buy much bigger bars but since w always get 50 to 100 from outside we have to get smaller sizes. do you at least rotate neighborhoods each year so the same one doesn't get hit each year?

same one doesn't get hit each year? No words for this... maybe sad that you sit there and actually think about it Have a good night and wonderful Halloween.

 

[allison443]

Apparently you aren't familiar with parents chit chatting at the bus stop. How many TOTers did you get, how many bags did you end up buying, how's everything going, did you get your lawn mower fixed, have you used your heat yet this year, can you BELIEVE the property taxes this year...

People don't compare notes? What do you do at the bus stop? You don't send your kids UNSUPERVISED do you? lol Some people may just ignore their neighbors or others may chitchat about what goes on in the neighborhood or around life. I brought my practice test to the bus stop and asked one of the othere parents to explain a problem to me. It's whatever, we are friends, so I guess we do compare notes sometimes.

No, I wasn't talking about the neighbors, I was referring to where you said either you or your dh stays home and gives out candy, while the other takes the kids trick or treating. Then you said you get annoyed when someone comes to your home for candy, when they didn't give any candy to your kids.
How does the parent at home know who gave out candy to their kids? they weren't going around with the kids. So does the parent who took the kids around compare notes with the parent who stayed home? You know, we went to Johnny's and they weren't home, did Johnny come here? etc.

 

[Colleen27]

so would that have worked if everyone in the neighborhood had small kids? Like in our neighbor hood all the houses were built within 3 yrs of each other so we all had small children at the same time. If everyone selfishly went out with their kids where would they have gone? I still don't understand why both parents have to go with the kids. Why can't 1 stay home ? they still see the kids or you can switch half way thru.

I've never lived in new construction like that. I'm sure if we did, I'd handle it differently. We've always lived in established neighborhoods with a range of ages/families/situations, so our way works just find for our circumstances.

 

[tzolkin]

I am the oldest child in my family (DH is an only) and our kids are the oldest grandchildren. We started the tradition when we bought our house in a village when our oldest child was a pre-schooler that my parents would come to our house. They would hand out the candy while DH and I took the kids trick-or-treating. Now, we always have a party at our house and my siblings bring their kids too.

We have joked that some of our neighbors probably think my parents live here since they get candy from them every year.


Almost all our neighbors have one parent stay home to hand out candy. Only one or two families turn our their lights while they take the kids out. They will give candy while they're home, but honestly it seems that there is really about a one-hour window of when kids come by. We only go to a few houses around our block, and in that time usually all of the trick-or-treaters have already been to my house. I've probably only been home to hear the doorbell ring 4 or 5 times in the last 8 years.

 

[Hannathy]

I've never lived in new construction like that. I'm sure if we did, I'd handle it differently. We've always lived in established neighborhoods with a range of ages/families/situations, so our way works just find for our circumstances.

yes all the kids are the same age. between last year 2010 and this year 2011 18 kids from our street will graduate highschool. so if all those families went out at the same time and no one stayed home to give candy just where would those kids go?

 

[luvmy3]

yes all the kids are the same age. between last year 2010 and this year 2011 18 kids from our street will graduate highschool. so if all those families went out at the same time and no one stayed home to give candy just where would those kids go?

What kids, the ones graduating HS?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think if Halloween stresses anyone out so much so that they have to keep a candy tally then perhaps they should just shut the porch light and not participate. There is no requirement to hand out anything. Go out to dinner and see a movie instead.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I think if Halloween stresses anyone out so much so that they have to keep a candy tally then perhaps they should just shut the porch light and not participate. There is no requirement to hand out anything. Go out to dinner and see a movie instead.

 

[tasha99]

So basically there are two types of people: those who give out candy because they enjoy kids and like giving, and there are those who give out candy because it's quid pro quo and their kids are trick or treating that particular year. Will the people who keep score give out candy once their kids are grown?

 

[Hannathy]

What kids, the ones graduating HS?

We were talking about back when they were all young of course not now. just pointing out that in some neighborhoods if everyone went out with their kids there would be no houses to go to!