Halloween - Ever had these things happen?

[Catlady711]

The Halloween passing out candy thread got me to thinking and I was wondering how many others have run into the things I have?

I lived in a place for years that didn't get trick or treaters so when I finally moved to a place that did I thought it would be neat to hand out candy again. BAD IDEA!

I had a folding card table set up in front of my house with small piles of candy already set out for each kid, and a large popcorn bowl full of the rest of it I could set it out between groups of kids.

I don't know about other areas, but the kids in my area were HORRID! Half the kids didn't even say 'trick or treat' they just stuck their bags out, and I'm not talking those really little kids who are too shy or just can't talk good yet. I mean older kids 11-15 years old.

Many of them didn't even have on anything I'd call a costume of any type. Kinda looked like they just grabbed a pillowcase out of the closet and started out of the house for some free candy. Others reached WAY over the table to help themselves to a HUGE handful of candy right from the bowl even though we'd told them to take one of the little piles we had laid out right at the edge of the table on their side.


The end all beat all of RUDENESS was the kids (ages approx 8-15) who wouldn't let me put it in their bags, they wanted it in their hands. At first I was truely baffled as to why, until they got to the end of my entry sidewalk, flipped on their flashlights, and sorted through the candy they wanted, and threw the ones they didn't on my sidewalk, RIGHT IN MY PLAIN VIEW!!

After those experiences I have not handed out candy since.

Yesterday I had a couple errands to run during trick or treat time and could not believe the average age of the kids!! I think I saw all of about four kids under the age of 5, and only like seven kids between 5-10. All the rest of the kids I saw (and I must have seen about 100 or so) were about 14-18 years old!!! When I was that age it was something to be teased about when you were that old and going out trick or treating!! And it hasn't been THAT long since I was that age. I wanna know what started changing with the kids in recent years???

Has anyone else run into any of these things in their areas?

[Freedom]

Well, now you learned NOT to let them have access to the candy! That's why I give out what I am distributing.

Last evening, I had NO problem telling the ones with no costume: "Sorry, this is not BEGGING. No costume, no treat." And I just didn't put any in their bags, just the other members of the group with costumes.

And I had no problem saying, "how old are you? This is a holiday for little ones. You shouldn't be at my door without your baby brother or sister." Yeah a few wise ones said they didn't HAVE a baby brother or sister, but by then I had just moved on to the others, or shut the door.

Dad worries we will get egged. Hasn't happened so far, and I've done this the whole 5 years we've been here. And if we do, so what? The rain will wash it off!

I even asked one group, "where are you from?" Answer: "Washington Park." (That is ACROSS THE RIVER! Totally different city.) I said, "sorry, don't know where that is," and closed the door, no treats.

[Catlady711]

Good ideas! Although given the way I've been seeing the changes around here lately for trick or treat I don't think I'll hand out candy again. Just isn't worth the hassle and expense to be treated rudely and have to police the kids. It's a sad situation when something that used to be so fun, on both ends of it, has become so rude.

[sirrahved]

I totally agree with not giving candy to non-costumed children but here's my rant:

What is the difference between a three-year old and a 14-year-old as far as access to candy? If they don't have a job, and can't take themselves to the store for candy, then they are the same, right? Why are very young children so much more deserving than older children?

[NoahsMommy]

OMG, you must live in this neighborhood!!! Last year made me so sick of passing out candy to rude teenagers without costumes that were obviously NOT from our area that this year, I never went near the door. (migraine didn't help, although...maybe it did!! doh!)

Its sad, because this holiday is for children...not rude, non-costumed teenagers. Go do something else you little losers!!

[Karen]

We had very polite trick-or-treaters this year, and I doubt anyone was over 15, 16 tops. Most of the kids were inder the age of 10, and I recognized almopst everyone. Everyone was in costume, no one's pumpkins got smashed, everyone said "Trick-orTreat" except for one girl who said "Happy Halloween!" and almost everyone said "Thank You" - sometimes after a parental prompt. It was a nice Halloween.

[critter crazy]

I didnt hand out candy, but I took my son door to door, and not once did I hear of any bad kids, our biggest issue was the lack of kids this year. There were many people who never once got a trick or treater, where last year,, they had numerous ones. I didnt see too many teens either. my sons friend Lucas was cuter han heck tho(age 6) as he kept saying "happy Halloween" as he reached the door, and "Have a merry Christmas" as he was leaving, we got plenty of laughs from that!

[BC_MoM]

I'm not ashamed to say I went out trick-or-treating this year with my little cousin and her friend. Everyone except 1 or two houses were kind enough to give me candy.

It's unfortunate that kids with bad habits have come to your area. It spoils Halloween!

[Twisterdog]

I have never once had a problem with trick or treaters. They are all polite and cute here, I guess.

Yes, we get older kids. My kids and their friends all go trick or treating. They are 14, 16 and 17. I fail to see a problem at all with this. They are teenagers out having good, clean, harmless fun. Being kids. I say that's wonderful. They aren't out drinking or vandalizing. They just want some candy. What's the harm??? I think kids are asked to grow up so quickly, let them be kids.

[Freedom]

I don't think I'll hand out candy again.

I haven't given candy for years. One year I gave toothbrushes. Kids all groaned. Parents hollered "THANK YOU!" from the street. Last year I gave stickers. This year, I gave airplane gliders, glow in the dark super balls, and Halloween themed coloring books (they are small and only 8 pages). Most got all 3. Towards the end they got two or one as things ran out.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Yes, we get older kids. My kids and their friends all go trick or treating. They are 14, 16 and 17. I fail to see a problem at all with this. They are teenagers out having good, clean, harmless fun. Being kids. I say that's wonderful. They aren't out drinking or vandalizing. They just want some candy. What's the harm??? I think kids are asked to grow up so quickly, let them be kids.

I agree. As long as they are still school age kids (under 18) I see no problem with it.

[mina'smomma]

This is one of the reasons I make little baggies up so the greedy ones can't hoard the candy. Not to mention you can't see into the bags until you open them.

[Catlady711]

I'm baseing (sp?) my opinon on the older teens on several things...

1) They were not with any younger kids (ie; little brother/sister/niece/nephew)

2) When I was a kid it was unheard of to go out once you were over about 14 because all your other classmates would tease you and call you a sissy, unless you were out with a younger kid as supervision, usually not by choice. Don't know when that changed.

3) Very few of these kids over the age of 10 had any kind of older teen or adult with them for supervision. And believe me there were no where near enough cars on my street to accomadate that many kids.

In general that year very very few said thank you regardless of age or whether or not they had supervision from an adult or older teen.

I don't think it's good clean fun when a barely dressed up, or not even costumed, kids refuse to take the candy in their bags, sort through it at the end of my sidewalk, then throw what they don't want down on the ground in my plain sight muttering about not getting the 'good stuff' when it was MY hard earned money that bought it. That's just rude. I can't see much difference between that and smashing pumpkins because I still have to clean up the mess in front of my house from both.

I guess some of you are lucky you don't seem to have alot of kids like this in your neighborhoods.