Halloween Question

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  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,443 Member
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    is it unreasonable to think that someone would remain at said house to hand out candy?

    Yes.

    Ditto.
  • lenniebus
    lenniebus Posts: 321 Member
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    In my neighborhood, we have TONS of kiddos. If the whole family is out trick or treating, we leave the candy outside with a sign as to how many peices they may take (we said 3, others said 2). It takes about an hour to get around the neighborhood, and almost everyone goes between 5:30 and 7:30. If you don't want trick-or-treaters, you don't turn on your porch or garage door lights...decorated or not...that's the signal not to bother. Seems to work well for us.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    Decor doesn't equal someone being home to hand out candy.

    my question is -- why do parents let their kids knock on doors/ring doorbells of houses WITHOUT decor and WITHOUT the front porch light on?! When I was a kid we couldn't knock on doors without the front porch light on. that was the rule. this year it wasn't so much an issue, but last year, we ran out of candy pretty early, turned the light out, and the kids kept coming, all evening! what is wrong with parents?! when did this 'rule' change?!

    ok rant over.
  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
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    I go nuts decorating and my 16 step daughter hates that her friends come take pics and put them on FB, instagram, etc, Since I have 5 step kids we go out trick or treating but normally my family comes to my neighborhood so someone stays behind to hand out candy. Last night kids were at dads, :-( , and I got cauight up in other stuf that did not allow me to get home till 8. Now I have tons of candy following me and calling my name.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    is it unreasonable to think that someone would remain at said house to hand out candy?

    Yes.

    Indeed.
  • howabsurd
    howabsurd Posts: 6
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    I decorate because I like how it looks. I don't pass out candy because I don't like kids. Decorations and Halloween aren't all about kids. Simple as that.
  • smiley245
    smiley245 Posts: 420 Member
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    Most of the parents I know decorate the house for their own kids. I know mine used to love getting everything all done up and have a spooky looking front yard.
    Im a single parent, past 7 yrs the decorations have been up, but I have been out trick or treating with my own. :)

    My kids know the rule, lights are off move on to the next house. Though I saw a lot who didnt seem to care, It was more fun to run across lawns and ring door bells I guess...
  • robin820
    robin820 Posts: 150 Member
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    I get bugged by this somewhat same question.. I understand people want to trick or treat with their kids but what fun is it, when you cant trick or treat on your block becuase everyone is gone out with their kids. My husband and I take turns taking the kids out so someone is home to hand out our candy.

    AND Yes, if someone goes out of their way to decorate they should most definitely be home to hand out cndy or leave a bowl out for them.

    So stinking frustrating, when a block over every light is on, but your block only 1-2 lights are on and yours is in the middle of the block. People dont bother to head down your street for one light. :O) BOOOOOOOO
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
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    I didn't decorate outside my home and chose not to hand out candy this year. Why? Because I have three big dogs who bark and want to run outside everytime I open the door. This tends to scare some kids.

    Yes, I could lock the dogs outside in the backyard but they just make even more noise every time someone comes to the door. It is not worth the hassle to have the doorbell going off every minute or so. It also takes them about 10 minutes to settle down after a doorbell ring.

    Last night I did have one group ring the doorbell, not once but three times, even though my outside lights were not on. My parents never let me go up to a house without an outside light on.
  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
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    I think when someone decorates the outside of their home for Halloween, its a signal to children to "Come Here" for candy, we are celebrating Halloween at this house, so come on down kiddies..
    **Pumpkin Smiley Goes Here**
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,198 Member
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    In response to a few people who've mentioned porch lights...it occurred to me to add that the decorated houses in question DID have their porch lights, front door lights, etc. on as well. In all of the years I've been out trick-or-treating, that has always been one of the cardinal rules: Lights out = don't bother.

    And let me stress that my kids (and my friend's kids) aren't greedy, candy-grubbing fiends...they weren't cursing the people for not being home. They were simply curious about the decorations/lights because, in the past, that meant the people were welcoming trick-or-treaters.
  • bennysammysofie
    bennysammysofie Posts: 331
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    I decorate because I like how it looks. I don't pass out candy because I don't like kids. Decorations and Halloween aren't all about kids. Simple as that.

    Where i grew up, lights off meant you got egged. What IS halloween about? Grumpy adults?
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    I love Halloween, I would decorate, but then the kids would come pounding on the door.

    As another person said, candy is expensive, and when we did pass out candy, we'd see a parade of minivans FULL of kids pouring out to get candy. What happened to making the kids walk? Kids started becoming really rude and ungrateful too, "I don't like that kind" "Don't you have good candy?" :mad: (WTF? Kit Kats/Twix IS 'good' candy!)

    When I was a kid, the people that pissed me off were the ones that had the porch lights on, house decorated, the curtains open, and would never answer the door. You could even see them in their big picture windows sitting there watching TV.

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