Trick or Treating--Leave the candy or stay behind to pass it out?

[grlpwrd]

I've left a bowl of goodies before and some neighborhood friends witnessed high schoolers take the whole thing.

Now I try to leave my goodies with the neighbors to pass out compliments of me or my dh and I switch off.

 

[emma'smom]

Well, it was cold and rainy...so we didn't want to leave a bowl out...the candle in the pumpkin kept blowing out. It was pretty dark outside!

I ended up taking the girls up the street and around the first cul-de-sac while dh passed out the candy and then we switched off and he took them down the street and around the second cul-de-sac while I passed out candy. Then I took the girls down to a neighbor's house on the other street to see their girls' costumes. They played together for about 20 minutes and everyone was so tired that we called it a night....

They have bowls full of sugary snacks, wet and sticky costumes, everyone had a chance to pass out candy and trick and threat.......and they happily asleep! Happy Halloween!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

I can't believe how many kids we had this year! I gave away 10 bags of candy. I even joked to my DH that I was going to have to start passing out McDonalds ketchup packs!

So, what does DD ask when I open the door for Trick or Treaters? "HEY MOM, ARE YOU GIVING THEM KETCHUP?!?!?" I was mortified, but started to when I closed the door!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

 

[Reese]

Just in for the evening and had to vent. I took my son trick or treating and then came home so he could hand out candy which he loves doing. I decided it was getting late and wanted him to go take his bath and put my candy on the front porch. Went in for a sec to grab the note I'd made asking the kids to take just a couple of pieces. Heard a thud and went back outside to make sure everything was okay. The very first kid that came by emptied my whole bucket of candy (five bags full - the good stuff too) into his bag. I really can't believe it. Anyway, I hope everyone else has had a happy halloween!

My brother has the perfect solution to that. He sits in front of my parents house and dresses up like a stuffed scarecrow and has a fellow real stuffed scarecrow in another chair. They put the candy out with a sign saying to take a couple of pieces of candy. When some of the kids go to grab a great big handful...or the entire bowl, he just reaches over and they scream and drop it.

 

[stczt]

We have alot of candy left And we gave our handfuls. One thing I noticed is the kids either had walmart bags, I think that tacky. Or they had tiny buckets that you could'nt put a handful of candy in. I had to do it 1 at a time.

 

[Hannathy]

We always had one parent stay home and one would go around. I can't believe how many people I'm reading that TAKE their kids trick or treating but think nothing of not being home to give out candy! I mean come on fair is fair why should I give your kids candy if you aren't giving mine any? Switch or take turns but I think it is very tacky to not have someone home if you have kids out trick or treating.

 

[lg3]

We are supposed to take turns, but I usually let DH take "Snow White" out because he loves Halloween more than I do. I may not next year, and make sure I get my turn to go out with DD, because I want to see the neighbors, and enjoy it too.
My vent: I was disgusted with the number of kids who literally didn't dress up at all, but went trick-or-treating. We had about 150 kids, and literally a third to a fourth of them weren't dressed up at all - usually young teenage boys. When I asked two of them what they were, they go " A hobo" Right. The kids were wearing regular clothes, and believe me, they weren't hobos. Most of the younger kiddo's were very polite, but the older ones leaved a lot to be desired. I couldn't not give them something if they weren't dressed up, as I truly think they would retaliate in some way down the line.

 

[Fintastic]

Since we got a grand total of THREE trick-or-treaters last year, this year we didn't bother to hand candy out at our own house. We went to DH's grandmother's neighborhood and he handed candy out there while I took DD trick-or-treating.

 

[sara74]

The first year that DD was old enough to TOT we both went with her and I put the bowl on the porch with a sign. We were just on our own cul de sac street so I thought that we would just have kids from the street or neighborhood and that I could at least trust them. They took all the candy and the BOWL too!!!!!

This year we had a kid come to our house with a pillowcase, no costume and he was talking on his cell phone when he came to our door!!!!!! DH took the phone from him and told the person he was talking to that they would have to wait as the boy was TOTing. Then he made the teenage boy say "Trick or Treat" and picked on him for not even bothering with a costume before he gave him one piece of candy and gave him his phone back.

With kids like that out there I don't mind not beinghome for 45 minutes so I might take the kids out!

 

[MSSANDRA]

good point. So how old is too old to TOT?? DS did not really TOT after age eleven or twelve except that both grandma's still insist he come by for his bag of candy;no costume required. WE however were eating dinner tuesday night and the waitress, about 17, mentioned that she could not wait to get off and go TOT. When we lived in a neighbor-hood, we always turned the light off after about 8 or 8:30 because that's when the little kids went in and the older kids came out. What age do you thing is too old????

 

[Hannathy]

I think about 13 maybe a young 14 or roughly 7th-8th grade. Definitely when they start high school-9th grade is too old. My DD is 14 and she dressed up and took her 8 yr old brother around this year but she didn't trick or treat, she just wanted to dress up. She said a couple of places told her to take something and when she said no she was just with him they said no you deserve something so she got a few candy bars anyway. In actuality she will end up with a lot anyway 'cause my DS is extremely picky and only eats about 3 kinds of candy!

We only had a couple of kinda old groups this year but they were all in costumes so I don't mind too much.

 

[Del]

One should stay home and one should go out, if possible. If only one parent, ask a neighbor to pass out candy for you or ask if your child can TOT with their friends.

Del