Trick or Treat

[Digeroo]

I find it totally unacceptable that children should be knocking on the doors of people they do not know and then vandalising the place when  you say no thankyou.

They should not be knocking and I should not be pestered by them.  My children never knocked on the door of people they did not know and certainly did not walk the streets in the dark.

[Digeroo]

[betula]

I think the kids should stick to friends or family houses.

Mind you to be fair we went singing at peoples doors at Christmas,most people told us to b off.The truth is though we never vandalised anybodies property and I don't think that would have even occurred to us.......changing world.

[.]

I have a yellow builders bucket at least a third full of  Orange Halloween pumpkin  seed and pith

[lewic]

I always thought that trick or treat worked both ways, so if you didnt want to accept someones treat of flour and eggs they got your bucket of water (or worse) from the window. Or maybe thats just a Somerset thing!

[Emagggie]

 ;D ;D ;D
Where we live now, we don't get pestered.( Long road, few houses) Before, our cars and windows got egged because the little darlings weren't happy with the spoils. ::)

[mummybunny]

I take my kids trick or treating  ::) The local paper prints a no trick or treaters poster to hang up in the window if they would prefer not to have anyone knock or most people just draw the curtains or sometimes just not answer the door. I have no problem with this nor do the kids. Its a bit of fun and a reason to get dresses up and have a laugh. I always go with the kids i wouldnt let them walk the streets alone. And we stick to our surronding streets. There trick is just to sing  i know a song that will get on your nerves!!

They really are not harming anyone but i do understand that some poeple like to ruin things for others.

Lucy x

[BarriedaleNick]

I dont mind the young ones who have their parents with them and who have got dressed up and made an effort..
Its the hulking 14 yr ols and older that get my goat.  Having said that and living in London I didn't get a single knock all night - very quiet.

[shirlton]

We give them 50p if they knock. Only 2 little girls came this year accompanied by their big brothers. They were very polite.

[Froglegs]

They really are not harming anyone but i do understand that some people like to ruin things for others.

Lucy x

Maybe it because some of us don't like to be pestered by parents and kids who at any other time would not give you the time a day.

[cornykev]

OH always buys sweets for the kids, but when they ring the bell, bang on the door and the windows it does try ones patience, and I did politely tell them so. :-X
I can just imagine if it was the old lady across the road, it would have frightened the bloody life out of her, I like the idea of no T/T posters.
We went out to a halloween party and we left the bowl of sweets with a note please help yourself but leave some to share, we came home last night and the buggers have nicked the bowl as well, thats the last time I'm buying any sweets she says, you can't blame her for that.  :'(       ;D ;D ;D

[grawrc]

We only ever offer them fruit from the fruit bowl and/or nuts. Word seems to have spread. We get fewer and fewer every year!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Seriously though there aren't that many young kids in the immediate vicinity. Those that do go out have mum or dad in tow and behave beautifully irrespective of what they've been given.  The older ones wouldn't be seen dead doing it - it's strictly for the wee ones.

One year we spent half an hour on the doorstep exchanging silly jokes with a couple of 8 year olds. What a good laugh we all had. And I guess that's what it's all about really.

[tonybloke]

I don't give sweets to strangers!!    ;D ;D ;D

[Kea]

I don't mind if it's just the neighbours children, we live in a cul de sac which in the past has had a number of American families living in it and they would be very generous at Halloween...word must have spread around our town and we'd see carloads of kids being deposited in our street each halloween and the doorbell never stopped. Problem was you couldn't tell who was who in the masks and because my own children were going round I couldn't not join in.
Last night I had a big bag of sweets ready and my pumpkin out and alight because I wasn't sure if my son was joining in or not but he didn't and because I didn't move a car out of the way they couldn't see my pumpkin so only 3 groups came to the door...now I have a big bag of kiddy sweets left!
I think next year I won't bother I've done my bit.

I still remember my first year living in Scotland when a bunch of kids arrived at the door asking for money for the Geyser!  Least that's what I heard.....I was left wondering why they wanted money for hot pools which they didn't even have in Scotland. Someone explained but in NZ we have geysers and bonfire night it's a Guy and we don't collect money. Don't have Halloween either in the same way. Kids don't go round peoples houses asking for sweets. Girl guides sell biscuits which you feel obliged to buy once a year that's about it.

[Borlotti]

Had one group of children with Mum, and let them choose a chocolate bar, and one for Mum.  No problem with them at all, there were very polite and said thank you.  Then one tiny tot came with Mum obviously, she was so sweet, not sure she really knew what it was all about, but was quite sure which chocolate bar she wanted, I gave her a kiss and a cuddle, with Mum watching of course.  Normally don't like Halloween, but did buy some sweets, mustn't be an old misery, and was pleasantly surprised, in fact sat their with my sweets and no-one else knocked, and the two that came were early evening so no problem.

[gwynnethmary]

We went to the pub for a couple of hours to escape the constant doorbell ringing.
Our neighbours at the back had a very noisy party that went on until nearly 2 a.m., and our neighbours at the side let off very loud fireworks at around 11 a.m with the folks from the other party all cheering them on.  I was just glad that our  four year old grand-daughter had had a sleepover with us the previous night- she would have been terrified!  It was like being in a war zone.  And we still have the 5th to look forward to!

[kt.]

I took my kids trick or treating 50 yards left and right of our front door then back home.  My daughter then went out with 2 of her friends and saw a bloke dressed as Father Christmas!!  He beckoned them over offering sweets.  They declined, never crossed over the road to him , and came straight back home.

[mummybunny]

They really are not harming anyone but i do understand that some people like to ruin things for others.

Lucy x

Maybe it because some of us don't like to be pestered by parents and kids who at any other time would not give you the time a day

Frogless i think you missunderstood what i said. I was not implying that you or others that would prefer trick or treaters not to knock their doors were ruining things. I was referring to the kids that vandalise properties by throwing eggs and flour because people choose not to take part!

And i sure as hell don't pester nor do i allow my kids to pester people who would rather not participate.
Lucy x

[ACE]

You have just reminded me to take the cable tie off the front gate, so the postie can get in tomorrow.

[mummybunny]

 ;D

[lushy86]

I like the kids dressing up and comin round, I always get some sweets in and decorate the porch.  This year I carved a couple of marrows from the plot, they looked great.  I have never had a problem with any damage or egging.  I love to see them dressed up, its a bit of fun.  :)

Lushy x