Halloween For Special Snowflakes

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gymrat
StudioFiftyFour, my town does have participation guidelines: if you are giving out candy, you put your porch light in. If not, then the porch light stays off. What pisses me off about Halloween are the breeders who are more than happy to take their kids trick or treating, but then when the kids grow up, instead of staying home and handing out candy to the new generation, they turn their porch light off or go out. The family across the street did this. They took their kids trick or treating, so no one was home to pass out candy. Ok, I can understand that. But now the daughters are grown, and the porch light is still off. Greedy, self-centered assholes.

That's cool. I can accept that. I do have a hard time accepting that some parents can take, take, take when it comes to TOT but don't give anything out when their turn to actually dole out candy actually comes around.

Children traveling from door to random door, toddling along streets, across lawns, along fences with vicious dogs, and stumbling upon poorly lit and maintained sidewalks at night, while in full costume which often obscures vision and hearing, and taking candy from strangers needs to be banned. If parents can't figure out why this is a bad idea then they are idiots. Have a Halloween party instead, IMO. The days of "Leave it to Beaver" types of environments and safety are gone.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

Halloween. The one day of the year that breeders encourage their kyds to take candy from strangers. Any other day, they'd be screaming Paedo.

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bookworm
Halloween. The one day of the year that breeders encourage their kyds to take candy from strangers. Any other day, they'd be screaming Paedo.

Gah, so true!

Hah, that gave me mental image: some skeevy-looking guy crouched in the open door of his van, ropes and tape visible on the floor behind him. His arm is getting tired from holding an oversize Snickers bar out to a snuffly kid with Coke-bottle glasses, who is sounding more like a little old lady as he yells "I need one without nuts! Almonds make my asthma flare up. That chocolate better be organic."

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gymrat
StudioFiftyFour, my town does have participation guidelines: if you are giving out candy, you put your porch light in. If not, then the porch light stays off. What pisses me off about Halloween are the breeders who are more than happy to take their kids trick or treating, but then when the kids grow up, instead of staying home and handing out candy to the new generation, they turn their porch light off or go out. The family across the street did this. They took their kids trick or treating, so no one was home to pass out candy. Ok, I can understand that. But now the daughters are grown, and the porch light is still off. Greedy, self-centered assholes.

I love how the on/off porch light is now a published guideline. "In my day" we did the same because it was commons sense . Plus of course, if you are willing you put out a lighted pumpkin.

It is so crappy that all these breeders are fucking with Halloween with all the fussing, worrying and rule. I loved it as a kid and odd I guess for someone CF but it is the one day (well 2-3 hours) a year that I welcome kids. I think a lot is that kids in my neighborhood are decent and one of my cats loves "answering" the door; ring the bell and she comes running to check out who has come to worship her. She adores Halloween.

Aliceblue I used to have a cat who did the same thing! He would run to the door to check out the trick or treaters. A few of them asked to pet him - and he loved it. Go figure.

We are not handing out treats of any kind as usual.

Instead we are eating Halloween cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate while watching uncut slasher DVD's.

Now that's my idea of a perfect Halloween!

I thought of this thread when DH and I were picking out the Halloween candy for this year. We both love peanut butter, so we went with two big bags of the M&M Mars "Peanut & Peanut Butter Lovers" mix.:satan

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"Not every ejaculation deserves a name" - George Carlin

I don't understand how half of this is even an issue. Hesitant? Uncertain? Disappointed when selecting candy? If you did hand out candy, why would you not have a strategy for distribution and place it in the kyd's bag or bucket? Why would you give shitleigh the chance to grab a handful and deplete your rations you needed to get through the night? Why wouldn't you be in charge of what the kyd gets? I remember getting wax lips and homemade popcorn balls as a trick-or-treater. I wasn't sure what you were supposed to do with wax lips, and the popcorn balls looked nasty, plus I didn't know where they had been or who had touched them. You dealt with it. Luck of the draw. After all, whatever you got was free.

This list actually sounds like a scenario you would encounter at a private party. If I was to present a bowl of candy, it would be inside my home or at a school where I knew the kyds' or their pahrunts. If you're a stranger at the door and I don't know you, forget the courtesy, you would get what I give you. Now if this is going on at a party and everyone kind of knows each other, I say it would be an opportunity for shitford to start getting over his greed, indecision and non-verbal tendencies. It's called learning manners, growing up and being a part of polite society. Giving in to the breeders' speshul bullshit is like agreeing to chuck the infrastructure of two thousand years of civilization out the window.

On another note, it is generally agreed that if you have your porch light on, you're handing out candy. I resent that, because if I need to go outside to do something, let the dogs out or would like my light on for security, I can't use my light on my own property because it is somehow an invitation for these people to come into my yard and up to my door!

That's a good point, Moot. When I answer the door on Halloween night, the kids just open their bags, and I randomly drop something in from my bowl of assorted treats. They don't even see what I've given them. If I held the door open and let them all peruse, at their leisure, my assortment, and choose what they wanted, it would take all night! I think it would confuse the smaller ones, who stand there like a deer in headlights whilet heir parents unsuccessfully coax them to say "Trick or Treat." They don't even know why they are there, or what they are supposed to do.

I wonder if the breeders would like it if I answered the door, dressed as a dominatrix with my paddle in my hand with my husband bound and gagged on the couch. :yeah

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What is a home without children? Quiet. ~Henny Youngman

I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance. ~George Balanchine

"I took the batteries out of my biological clock and put them in my vibrator"

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CF_Amy
I wonder if the breeders would like it if I answered the door, dressed as a dominatrix with my paddle in my hand with my husband bound and gagged on the couch. :yeah

They would be jelous, I bet.

_______________________

“I was talking about children that have not been properly house-trained. Left to their own impulses and indulged by doting or careless parents almost all children are yahoos. Loud, selfish, cruel, unaffectionate, jealous, perpetually striving for attention, empty-headed, for ever prating or if words fail them simply bawling, their voices grown huge from daily practice: the very worst company in the world. But what I dislike even more than the natural child is the affected child, the hulking oaf of seven or eight that skips heavily about with her hands dangling in front of her -- a little squirrel or bunny-rabbit -- and prattling away in a baby's voice.”


― Patrick O'Brian, The Truelove


lib'-er-ty: the freedom given to you to make the wrong decision, based on the reasoned belief that you will normally make the right one.

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t.

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CF_Amy
I wonder if the breeders would like it if I answered the door, dressed as a dominatrix with my paddle in my hand with my husband bound and gagged on the couch. :yeah

They would be jelous, I bet.

Also works a treat on Mormons and other ghod-botherers.

Is trick-or-treating more or less popular now than it used to be? I never did it as there is no way my parents would never have allowed me to go knocking on strangers' doors at night, let alone allowed me to eat any sweets a stranger gave me. I would have imagined that fewer parents allow their brats to take the risks now but every year I see more Halloween stuff in shops and it looks like someone's buying brat-sized costumes- and multipacks of sweets to give out to brats who come knocking. I don't like answering my door when I'm not expecting anyone, especially at night, and I certainly won't be giving out anything to any brats who try it.

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gymrat
But now the daughters are grown, and the porch light is still off. Greedy, self-centered assholes.

Is this them?

Larry David - Bald Asshole

In the UK we have this problem with "carol singers" who go door-to-door scrounging for money for themselves, rather than for charities. It happened to a friend of mine who gave them some money to go away. When they headed nextdoor he told them the neighbours weren't in, and got the reply "will they be away for Christmas?" He said "No" to try and stop them putting the address on the To-Burgle List. Nice...

Anyway, if someone is over 10 they're too old to go trick-or-treating, and if they're under-10 they're too young to go without an adult. I'd prefer it if they just bought their own sweets and stayed at home.

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shy lurker
I work from 10-7 on Halloween. I don't do halloween. I have better things to spend my money on than free candy for some crotch dropplings. Plus binging on candy triggers my bipolar. Some years there are no kyds, when other years we would run out of candy. MN weather is unpredictable.

One time I remember that I had an off brand peanut butter cup. The tin foil didn't seem right. So I opened it, and there was a needle prick in the center. I recall taking a butcher knife and cutting it in half. My memory is vague now, but the peanut butter looked funny. I was about 14 at the time. So remember this story lurking breeders.

This was word for word on that thread on reddit that was cut and pasted from here too! Holy fuck, she is even responding via cut and paste!

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mumofsixbirds
I lock everything up, shut out the lights and hide out in my office on Halloween night. I didn't like Halloween as a kyd, and I refuse to participate as an adult. No little sneauflayxe with impaired motor skillz will be coming to my house a-begging, because I'm the Grinch at Halloween. smile

Yup, this right here. Now if only some of these kids would get a CLUE and realize lights off = not handing out candy. We have a couple of new loud ones around here and they'll no doubt be outside for hours acting obnoxious.

Hey, some neighbors did the same thing when I was a kid. It was no skin off my nose. Now I wish I was just able to get rid of our doorbell. That ring makes me jump every time and those few clueless ones always have to ring.

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CherryIce

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mumofsixbirds
I lock everything up, shut out the lights and hide out in my office on Halloween night. I didn't like Halloween as a kyd, and I refuse to participate as an adult. No little sneauflayxe with impaired motor skillz will be coming to my house a-begging, because I'm the Grinch at Halloween. smile

Yup, this right here. Now if only some of these kids would get a CLUE and realize lights off = not handing out candy. We have a couple of new loud ones around here and they'll no doubt be outside for hours acting obnoxious.

Hey, some neighbors did the same thing when I was a kid. It was no skin off my nose. Now I wish I was just able to get rid of our doorbell. That ring makes me jump every time and those few clueless ones always have to ring.

Just find the circuit breaker and flip it off. You might have to run an extension cord to another room for the TV though.

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“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

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CherryIce
Now I wish I was just able to get rid of our doorbell. That ring makes me jump every time and those few clueless ones always have to ring.

It is extremely easy to wire your doorbell circuit to a separate new light switch.
The result is a custom 'on/off switch' for your door bell.

I recommend sourcing a lighted switch for a clear indicator of whether it is on or off, or simply marking the switch plate. (ie upper portion 'on', etc)

I did this at a former apartment (with landlord permission) and it is as easy as installing a phone jack.
It required very little skill nor money.

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CherryIce

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mumofsixbirds
I lock everything up, shut out the lights and hide out in my office on Halloween night. I didn't like Halloween as a kyd, and I refuse to participate as an adult. No little sneauflayxe with impaired motor skillz will be coming to my house a-begging, because I'm the Grinch at Halloween. smile

Yup, this right here. Now if only some of these kids would get a CLUE and realize lights off = not handing out candy. We have a couple of new loud ones around here and they'll no doubt be outside for hours acting obnoxious.

Hey, some neighbors did the same thing when I was a kid. It was no skin off my nose. Now I wish I was just able to get rid of our doorbell. That ring makes me jump every time and those few clueless ones always have to ring.

In the past, I would not participate in the Halloween goodie grab.
My former home had a single entrance, and I would barricade those steps with a couple of sturdy (not fragile or precious) planter boxes on Halloween night.
It was a clear indicator of 'No Entry' to the kids who would not take the lights being off as enough of a clue to bug off.
It worked perfectly for many years, along with a large 'Do Not Disturb' sign to deter Trick or Treaters.

For many years, I did not hand out any goodies on Halloween, but lately I have been participating.

That decision is under review every Halloween based on a vague set of criteria, including how much expense and bother the whole experience is for me, whether I feel I get something out of the experience and the attitude and behaviour of the kids.

The kids in this area are from low-income families and are not provided with adequate healthy nutrition, school supplies nor much that allows for creativity.
I also like to have options for kids that are not able to have mainstream usual candy, (ie. vegan, diabetic, allergic, Kosher Halal, etc.)

It is my choice to use the opportunity to encourage some my core values (ie ecology, encouraging creativity, social justice, community issues, thriftiness, etc. ) onto the door to door beggars.

Since I am also low-income, I bargain-hunt (ie find items at 75-90% off retail) and make a lot of the stuff (ie reusable fabric gift bags, ghost decor, mummy water bottle covers, online Halloween printables, etc) that the kids are given.
The budget is less than $1 per kid with a variety of items in a simple bag with maximum value and usefulness in my choices.


This year the kids will get:

Toddlers:
( value $5-$7) (my cost 15 cents)
- A set of sand toys
- locally sourced organic apple OR pear

Kids age 4-10 years
(value approx. $10) (my cost < $1)
- a reusable silky fabric gift bag 8 x 10 in with grosgrain ribbon
- 6 page Halloween colouring book
- set of 24 Crayola crayons
- pencil
- skull eraser
- two colouring bookmarks
- two Kid's Helpline cards (ie counselling for kids)
- box of raisins
- 2 Halloween sucker candy with ghost decor covering
- sport ball (ie soccer, basketball, football, golf, etc) shaped pencil sharpener
- box of about 30 Halloween theme stickers
- small baggie of coloured paper
- chilled water bottle with Mummy decor covering
- card explaining and encouraging re-use of fabric gift bag
- locally sourced organic apple OR pear


Pre-teen 11-14 yrs
(value approx.$10) (my cost < $1)
- a reusable silky fabric gift bag 8 x 10 in with grosgrain ribbon
- 4 pages of Halloween origami instructions
- 6 pages of Halloween coloured square origami paper
- choice of either 6 pack of scented markers, OR 10 Pack of coloured pens and mini-stapler set OR set of pretzel-shaped pens and mini-stapler set
- pencil
- skull eraser (Goth style)
- 2 pens
- one teen-style colouring bookmark
- one teen-style Goth bookmark
- two Kid's Helpline cards (ie counselling for kids)
- box of raisins
- handful of basic hard candy
- sport ball (ie soccer, basketball, football, golf, etc) shaped pencil sharpener
- chilled water bottle with Mummy decor covering
- card explaining and encouraging re-use of fabric gift bag
- locally sourced organic apple OR pear


Accompanying Adults in costume (rare)
(value $7 ) (my cost < $0.40)
- fancy package of garden flower seeds with positive affirmation message
- chilled water bottle with Mummy decor covering
- handful of basic hard candy
- box of raisins
- locally sourced organic apple OR pear

Cassia, that sounds awesome. The kids in your neighborhood are lucky and I hope they are grateful. If you had been handing stuff out in my neighborhood when I was young enough to trick-or-treat I would have thought you were the greatest.

My wife and I participated in Halloween a couple of times but didn't have many takers, so we ended up with a bunch of leftover candy. Fortunately, we have never had any problems because we don't hand out candy.

In my city, the mayor's office sets trick or treat hours, which is usually 6-8PM and people seem to adhere to it. Of course, the porchlight rule also applies.

If I did give out candy and the rules on those PSAs came out, I wouldn't do so anymore. I just wouldn't want the hassle.

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rudeawakening
Cassia, that sounds awesome. The kids in your neighborhood are lucky and I hope they are grateful. If you had been handing stuff out in my neighborhood when I was young enough to trick-or-treat I would have thought you were the greatest.

Thanks !

One of the ways I look at this is that is a chance to do some individual and community good while imposing my own values on the little beggars.

After the first twenty pounds of candy, I imagine the pile of candy blurs and looks the same to the kids and other items may be appreciated.

My hope is that my goodies have a chance to slightly improve a tiny portion of the life for a kid or two.
(Ie getting school supplies, self-expression through art/crafts, a healthy snack, confidential counselling on any kid issue at Kid's Helpline, etc)


OB Child-free:
I support social justice and assistance for many individuals, groups and communities, it just happens that a couple of those causes involve kids.
The majority of my social giving supports adults.
(ie this week, I am spending about ten hours each doing yardwork ( gardening and leaf raking) of two different elderly disabled neighbours.)

And people wonder why I stay away from this shit every year... eyes2

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Why live in a fishbowl, when you could be swimming in the ocean?

"She, and all other rabid breeders, are like crabs in a bucket headed to Red Lobster. When they see a smarter crab escaping, they try to pull it back in." - Miss Hannigan

"Yeah, that's what family is about - guilt tripping people into cleaning up someone else's mess." - mrs. chinaski

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cassia EXCELLENT idea! Don't give the bastards any more reasons to be fat and stupid. I would give out mechanical pencils. Those are the shit.

My issue here is where are the parents? When I was a kid, I would go out trick or treating with one of my family or one of m little friends while one of my family decorated and passed out treats. And when I got home after a nighttime of fun and fracas, my parents, my friends and I would sit on the porch while my parents went through inspecting my candy. and then when I got it back I started trading my friends for all the pixie sticks, chocolates, and gummies. mmmm.. I miss those days..

Now I live in an appartment building so trick or treating isnt really a thing. This year however, Im gonna go booze till I lose at Highball, which is a big ass halloween/El Dio De Los Muertos/ Mardi gras Celebration mashup with awesome awardwinning costumes and judging as well as live music and local brews. And this is right down the street from me! Oh yeah!