Trick or Treat?

upsadaisy

I agree with the OP. Some people do give out treats with out decorating/buying a pumpkin. They leave their lights on so people know they can knock.

We have taught our children if the house is dark, or the outside porch light is off; don't knock.

But really I don't think it is necessary to come and shout at a child. Don't answer the door and the chn will move on.

Every child that came to our door had a costume and said thank-you and the majority said please. Plus it's a nice way to know your neighbours!

lexuslass

RichGold wrote: »

An alternative to telling people how to light their homes would be to not take your children out begging.

I never used to agree with trick or treating for that reason!

We live in a fantastic village , and if you haven't got a pumpkin or decorations up, then you aren't bothered with trick or treaters! It's all very organised and parents are with the kids!

The children that come are all kids we know from the village.. it's a bit of fun and a laugh! I reckon we have had about 60 this evening, but we decorated our house and we expected that! And I have to say every single one of them had impeccable manners!

I can fully appreciate that it isn't like this in many other areas tho!

durham_girl

Why should I sit in the bloody dark just to stop people knocking on the door begging?! I've got a sign on the door and still the little buggers have been hammering on it, maybe this woman was the same.

barbiedoll

Round our way, we would only knock at doors where there were pumpkins, halloween decorations or tealights etc in the windows or outside the house. To be honest, it was always fairly obvious who wanted trick or treaters and who didn't. If we weren't sure, we didn't knock.

Some people would leave notes out and that's fine. We liked the one which said ..."Please don't knock, you'll upset our sick dog"

I don't see why we should have to sit in the dark though. My son suffers with migraines and he can't sit and watch the telly in the dark, the glare from the screen can bring on an attack. We leave the hall light on so that we can see when we go upstairs. I'm not going to break my neck just to please someone else, if you're not sure that the residents will welcome you, then don't even think about knocking! Lots of people find Halloween a real nusiance, parents should take care when they take their kids out trick or treating.

dizziblonde

"Please sit in the dark in your own home all evening to make our lives letting our kids go round begging at strangers' doors for sweets easier."

Um... no. How utterly offensive (and how ridiculous it is when grown adults feel they've got to hide away at the rear of their houses so they're in darkness or be badgered and subject to "tricks" which are usually anything BUT fun).

Let people opt IN to the begging toothrot fest if they want to buy putting decorations out or pumpkins up, rather than expecting the entirity of society to have to sit in darkness in order to opt OUT of providing everyone's kids with free sweets for the next month.

gardner1

durham_girl wrote: »

Why should I sit in the bloody dark just to stop people knocking on the door begging?! I've got a sign on the door and still the little buggers have been hammering on it, maybe this woman was the same.

yes after ringing bell 3 times then banging on door its tempting to tell the little 5hits to pi55 off

jamespir

was too wet here so no one was out

johnnyboyrebel

I could say how much I hate trick or treaters and how annoying it is to have kids knocking on my door begging for sweets but we were all young once and all did it (and thoroughly enjoyed it) but I will not be answering the door and will sit in the pitch black hiding

RobertoMoir

Beetlemama wrote: »

Please folks, if you are NOT home to trick or treaters, would you mind turning off the front hall light for a couple of hours so the kids know whether to call?

We went out and had a woman whip open her door and shout at our 8 year old, we were both with him, though standing back, and we were observing the usual rules of only knocking doors that were lit up AND had a living room light on, he only knocked once and it was just so uncalled for.

If you are not in, please leave the light off just for one night so the kids know not to bother you, or put up a no TorT'ers sign if you don't want the light off like some people have.

I doubt any of you are mean enough to yell at little kids, but it makes it easier for everyone if everyone knows the rules. While it wasn't an old tradition here, it's certainly a new one and the streets are now full of kids. All the parents sites and the letters they send home from school tell you these are the rules you should follow, it seems a shame if only the kids know them and risk upsetting people - and people upsetting the kids.

Peace out.

You know, I've done all of that myself and not been bothered, that's perfectly cool... but with respect, who are you (or I, or anyone else) to tell other people what to do with their lights?

Talking about "rules you should follow" is just ridiculous and while its common sense not to decorate your house for halloween if you don't want to take part, your mention of turning one's lights off as "rules" is truly the first I've heard of any organised campaign or whatever to publicise this convention, so for a set of rules people should follow, they're not doing a good job of getting out there where the people who "should" be following them might get to hear of these rules and realise what social pariahs they are.

Don't get me wrong, I do understand what you're trying to say and I'm sorry your kid got yelled at, but feeling that people who have their lights on yet don't want to participate in trick or treating are in the wrong in any way is more than a little presumptuous.

globetraveller

Perhaps children should not be encouraged to knock on doors of people they don't know. The kids in our neighbourhood are good and I do know everyone who comes. Its not the same elsewhere.