I didn't give out candy..I gave out ROCKS!

[4greatboys]

I was born in '65 and my mom always checked my candy first. I couldnt have anything homemade either.
We have a little store here that carries candy cigarettes my kids love them (I think they taste gross).

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Oh No I thought we could be friends.

When we recklessly take our kids out of school for vacation In December. But now that I know no candy ciggarettes, I just don't know. we love them. I could eat about 20 boxes myself In fact I may have on friday!

 

[Crankyshank]

I miss the Fanny Farmer chocolate cigs that came in the cool box.
Never was a fan of the candy cigarettes. The gum ones were cool - I liked to puff on them to make the "smoke"

 

[4greatboys]

LOL sorry Im just a chocolate kind of girl

 

[Pam]

um, given the rather dramatic and entertaining posting history of the OP, I think everybody here is really getting worked up over a whole lot of nothing.

Weeeelllllll.... yes, TF..... but it is just so much *darn* blasted fun to jump on the bandwagon!

Do I think TOV was full of poo when posting this story? Probably.... but it just wasn't funny, in my opinion.... and then when she got thumbs ups from people who criticize others for doing much less horrific things, well... it rankled me.

If you're going into Target to buy candy with a check already made out (which btw, I have never heard of doing... ) then why didn't you just buy the candy?? Or - write another check??

So - I had to jump on the bandwagon and deliver my buck's worth of thoughts!

 

[gina2000]

I was born in the late 50s and our candy was always checked.

Loved candy cigarette gum and chocolate cigarette gum. It was just a sign of the times.....

 

[snoopy]

I have to admit the Target check writing thing had me a bit confused as well. Probably best that the OP buys the candy well ahead of time next year, or turns out her lights.

Oh, and FTR, I was born in 1964 and also had my candy checked for as far back as I can remember. I knew the rules, as do my kids, no one touches their loot until Mom and Dad have had a look. And while I know this is not the debate in question, I'd much rather my kid get a rock than a candy cigarette. After struggling to quit smoking the past 16 months, I would never want to send a message to my kids that cigarettes were anything other than a deadly habit that eventually kill. To give "fake" cigarettes out as a treat is sending the wrong message, regardless of whether the kids think they are cool, imo.

 

[capthooksmom]

Whether the OP was a joke or not, I don't believe for a minute that my 3 yr. old DS would confuse a rock for candy. He also understood the rule - no candy until we get home and mom and dad check it out. This was not a hard rule to enforce because he was supervised the whole time.
I'm much more concerned about him choking on candy that is routinely handed out for ToT - Dum Dum's, other suckers, jawbreakers, popcorn balls, taffy, Tootsie Rolls, all things that can become lodged in the throat or are hard to chew thoroughly. These things are promptly removed from the trick or treat bag and mom and dad make sure they disappear quickly

As far as the rocks in the Junior Mint box. THAT is dangerous and seems like a deliberate attempt to harm a child. I would definitely call the police.

 

[justhat]

While I hope (and assume) that no one choked or anything like that fromt eh rocks, it does concern me as a parent. The reason being that when we took our daughter trick-or-treating last night, we saw many kids who went to the house alone while mom/dad waited on the sidewalk. This was true even for the little ones, some who were as young as 2 if they were with an older sibling. If TOV just dropped the rocks in the kids candy bags, they may not even have known it was a rock and just thought it was some sort of loose candy. Barring the kids tasting it before the parents got the bag (which hopefully didn't happen, since 'loose' candy would be the easiest to sneak while walking from house to house), let's say they go home with te rocks in their bag. As a parent, if I went through the bag and saw a rock, I wouldn't know if it came alone, or with other candy. Since I wouldnt' know who gave it or why (definitely didn't think of Peanuts and it took a long time to remember that connection after reading other posts) I would be skeptical that it was some nut who may have tampered with the candy. I would think that they may have given more than the rock, and not knowing which candy piece they may have given, I would be skeptical of the whole bag. This is what I think would make the incident very disappointing for a child. Not really if they just saw a rock in their bag, but if I took away the whole bag for fear that the wacko who gave the rock tampered with the bag.

Though I am hoping that no one did taste the rocks, I do have a comment on parents checking candy bags before letting the kids eat it. We went trunk-or-treating with some friends at their church Saturday night and when we were done I was talking about what a great idea it is and my friend said "yeah, it's great, because you knwo the candy is safe and you don't have to inspect it, sinc eyou know everyone who is here giving out candy." Now I didn't agree with that at all, and when my daughter is old enough to eat candy I will inspect it no matter who she gets it from, but this mom didn't feel that way. She felt that since the people were all members of her church then they're safe, good people who wouldn't taint Halloween candy. Her 2 kids are 2yo and 4 months, so in their case, that 2 year old might just have bit into that rock. Hopefully not many parents feel this way, but I'm sure she's not the only one so others should keep that in mind when playing a 'trick' on trick-or-treaters.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I was born in '62 and my parents always checked our stuff before we could eat it. We did snitch some stuff in between though, but always followed Dad's Cardinal rule: "NO UNWRAPPED CANDY!"

Years ago, people would put loose stuff like candy corn and Chuckles in little bags. My parents would pitch that stuff pronto, and we were afraid to eat it ourselves because of the way they acted.

I check all my son's stuff and know what I found from yesterday's loot? A cellophane wrapped Kooze ball.

Now if anything could be a choking hazard to a little one, it's one of these things. And it was wrapped like candy.

No idea where it came from--my son and his friends pretty much covered the whole town. I wouldn't call the cops on the person who thought was a good idea even if I knew who it was regardless. Heck, they bought it like that somewhere and probably figured it was a good alternative to more sugar.

I agree, candy cigarettes are gross! They taste perfumey to me. Ick!

But how I loved those bubble gum ones! I remember blowing on them so the powdered sugar blew out the other end. Looked just like you were smoking (well, it did if you were 8 or 9, I guess).

 

[CheshireVal]

This whole thing is so very bizarre. On many different levels.

 

[Beauty]

My child would have thought it hillarious!!

Oh and I hardly think trying to see good in EVERYONE is a BAD THING! My husband is one of those people, he looks for the good in everyone and trys to find it even if there isn't any there! To bad, I'm not that nice.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Originally posted by Toby'sFriend
um, given the rather dramatic and entertaining posting history of the OP, I think everybody here is really getting worked up over a whole lot of nothing.

I DON'T get the original Target thing. Is she trying to say Target wouldn't sell her candy because she pre-wrote a check? Is there a particular reason she couldn't go somewhere else to get candy? I mean, it must have taken a fair amount of time to go to a park and get rocks.....no ATM's nearby?????

So she is getting out of her car with a handful of rocks, and a neighbor comes over to ask what they are for? uh huh

And then her husband comes home and goes to the neighbor to ask why he didn't stop her? again uh, huh

As my 11yo says "Dude, whatever!"

Ahhhh....yup, I think you're onto something, and yup, she had me believing her. Oy.

 

[ginna74]

like I said I bit too.. I don't think an adult would do such a thing lol

 

[sweet angel]

My neighbor gave out pencils. I think that's as bad or worse than rocks. The whole rock thing struck me as kind of funny...although I would've just turned out my light.

If my son came home with a rock in his bag, I wouldn't have cared. One less piece of candy!

Who walks around and takes inventory of what house gives out what? Unless, of course, it's the full size candy bars!!

I'd say jawbreakers are as hard as rocks...just in better flavors.

Any child who goes trick or treating needs to have his stuff inspected (I'm 38 and my parents always checked mine). f you can't trust your kid not to eat the candy before you check it, maybe you should go with him!

 

[tmq2766]

Just Weird!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by justhat
As a parent, if I went through the bag and saw a rock, I wouldn't know if it came alone, or with other candy. Since I wouldnt' know who gave it or why (definitely didn't think of Peanuts and it took a long time to remember that connection after reading other posts) I would be skeptical that it was some nut who may have tampered with the candy.

That is a very good point I had not thought of.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

My neighbor gave out pencils. I think that's as bad or worse than rocks. The whole rock thing struck me as kind of funny...although I would've just turned out my light.

Okay, I gotta ask, why do you think pencils are worse than rocks?

 

[bumcat]

I don't think the big deal is the Charlie Brown effect that most are concerned about.
Does anyone remember the rock pebble type gum they use to make? or the rock candy? The gum looked identical to rocks.

The word that keeps coming up from concerned parents is "potential". and there lies the problem....

Before doing anything these days you need to ask yourself is it possible someone might be harmed by what I do?
I have seen kids too many times digging thru their bags and eating candy before they get home. It happens and it's not worth the risk. Who knows? If the story is true maybe one child did end up in the emergency room choking on a rock.
IMO it's just not worth the risk or taking that chance.

 

[justhat]

I would like to know why pencils are bad too.