Spin off - how much candy do you give out?

[Grace]

Marigold's topic about our favorite Halloween candy made me wonder how many kids come to our houses?

We live on a dead-end, private, dirt road with 19 houses. We haven't had a Halloween visitor in more than 10 years!! The first few years we lived here, we did get the girls from next door, and a couple from up the hill. They have all grown up, and there are no young ones any longer.

The house we lived in before this one - we moved in 2 weeks before Halloween. I asked my new neighbor how many kids came. She gave me the correct number, but didn't think to tell me they began arriving at 4pm!! In that village, the kids came around immediately after school. By 5:30, it was all over, and the kids gathered in a parking lot downtown for a party. Kept them off the streets and safe during the evening commute.

So what about at your house - how many and how much do you buy, and what kind of candy do you give out?

[luvofallhorses]

None. it's not that I don't want to - my dogs go nuts if people knock at the door.

[Karen]

We have more children in the neighborhood now than when we first moved here. The neighborhood has undergone a generational change, as the elderly passed away, and new families moved in. Some of the families are also Orthodox Jewish, so their kids don't trick or treat, but the firs year we had six trick-or-treaters, and last year it was something like 23. Each kid gets to choose three pieces from the bowl, as they have to climb a whole flight of stairs that bends in the middle, just to get to me and the candy. Though we live in a city of about 85,000, our neighborhood is just really two streets that form a kind of "h" shape, so most people don't even know we exist!

And I always have dog biscuits as well, for Henry, Molly and any other canines, whether or not they are in costume.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Usually no one or they come by when I'm not at home. I live in a condo complex in a security building and the front doors are inside the buidling like a hotel. The children would have to live in the complex and there aren't very many children that live here. I never buy Halloween candy. If I did I'd end up eating it all myself. When I lived with my parents, I used to enjoy handing it out though.

[pomtzu]

None - never have in the almost 40 years since I've lived here.

I live on a country road, and the houses are quite a good distance apart. There doesn't seem to be many kids around anymore, and even the one's that live in the vicinity, don't go out. I think the parents settle more for parties now since it keeps the kids in and out of any trouble or harm.

[Medusa]

We have so many kids that I can never plan on how much candy to buy. I spent $60 year before last, $80 last year and I still ran out of candy an hour before trick or treating ended and had to turn out the lights. I go to Dollar General to buy it so it isn't as though I pay top dollar. Kids always prefer Twix so I buy all that I can get my hands on. If I can get it cheap enough, I give them a regular size candy bar. If not, they get a few mini bars. Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that kids from other neighborhoods come in, which isn't allowed, but it happens.

[cassiesmom]

Usually no one or they come by when I'm not at home. I live in a condo complex in a security building and the front doors are inside the buidling like a hotel. The children would have to live in the complex and there aren't very many children that live here. I never buy Halloween candy. If I did I'd end up eating it all myself. When I lived with my parents, I used to enjoy handing it out though.

That's how my building is, too. There used to be a family with three children down the hall from me, but they've moved to a house. The family with the 2-year-old is moving to Kendall County this week, so no kids in my building. So, none.

The neighborhood my mom and dad live in has trick-or-treat hours, 3 to 6 PM. They don't answer the door before 3 or after 6. When I was little you didn't go to the house unless the porch light was on, but that rule is long gone.

[IRescue452]

Believe it or not, when I was a little kid and my brothers took me out trick or treating, we came home with dog biscuits that someone was giving out in bags to the kids in place of candy. My parents were furious, and it's a good thing we couldn't identity which house they came from. Guess that's not as bad as some of the other horror stories that you would hear of - like needles or razor blades in apples, etc. Makes you wonder what makes some people tick!

And you didn't have a dog with you? I usually hand the treats to people who have dogs with them. I get treats like Milkbone because they have the indent of the name in the treat and people typically recognize what they are so there's no confusing people who are picky about what treats they'll allow their dogs to have (I know milkbone is not the greatest but its trick or treating).

[pomtzu]

And you didn't have a dog with you? I usually hand the treats to people who have dogs with them. I get treats like Milkbone because they have the indent of the name in the treat and people typically recognize what they are so there's no confusing people who are picky about what treats they'll allow their dogs to have (I know milkbone is not the greatest but its trick or treating).

Nope, no dog. Just some hateful individual who was too cheap to buy candy, or maybe just didn't like kids.

[cassiesmom]

Has anyone ever heard of a trunk-or-treat? One of the churches I pass on the way to work is having one this year. I had never heard of it, so I looked it up on about.com.

Holding a Trunk-or-Treat Halloween activity is a great way to keep Halloween safe. What is a Trunk-or-Treat? It's when several families get together at the church building, park their cars in the parking lot, open up the trunks of their cars, and kids come around to each car to Trunk-or-Treat instead of going house to house to Trick-or-Treat.

Let people know the estimated number of children that will be there so they can know how much candy to bring.
If Halloween is on a Sunday you can hold the Trunk-or-Treat activity on Saturday the 30th.
Those who don't have trunks (or cars) can also hand out candy by standing in-between the cars.
People can even decorate their cars!

[moosmom]

I don't give any out because I live in a secured apartment building. Thank GOD!!!

[chocolatepuppy]

For many years, I decorated my front porch, dressed up and handed out candy. Trick or Treat was one hour. Then, they changed it to an hour and a half. Kids came in carloads, the fun was over. Too many kids! That extra half hour meant more stress with my furkids and watching no one escaped. Just wasn't worth it anymore.
Now I see they put it back to an hour, too late, I'm done.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

We get lots of kids in our neighborhood. A lot of people go all-out for Halloween. Last year, I handed out candy so didn't see it first hand (but learned from my nephew), but apparently there were several little "haunted houses" people set up at their houses, and at one house, they even got chased by a guy with a chain saw.

Lyra will likely be asleep this Halloween, so we will stay home and hand out candy.

[Medusa]

I decorate my house more for Halloween than I do for Christmas. I have decorations all over my lawn, too. My neighbor dresses as a scarecrow and hangs himself from his lamppost and when people walk by, he scares them. He really scared me last year!

Beggars night lasts two hours here. If I run out of candy again this year, I think I'll keep the lights out and not pass out candy next year. Too expensive.

[Freedom]

Well over 300 IF I wanted to! I stop at 75. That is usually the local children, and the youngest ones.

We have them come by th ecar loads from down city PRovidence, up to age 18 and NO costumes. I refuse to cooperate.

I do not give out candy, never have. High bounce super balls, wooden airplanes, toothbrushes (NOT a big hit except with the parents!), activity books, stickers, coloring books. I order on line in Sept while the prices are still discounted.