Thread: Perplexed

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Where are the kids?? I went from about 180 ToTs last year to 300 this year...but it seems like less kids showed up. I couldn't believe the number of adults out Trick or Treating and after tonight, I'm starting to think that yeah, there should be an age when you're too old to ToT. Especially, if you're cheap enough that you go through the haunt twice and ask for candy both times. It's one thing to walk your kids around, it's another to have your own pillowcase to collect candy. Nobody was walking the streets either, they were pretty much coming in cars. My guess is that someone was texting "full size snickers". I had groups where it was 4 adults to 1 kid and one had 6 adults. The weather was great, got lots of compliments, but this whole adults out ToTing instead of decorating and handing out candy bugs me this year. Especially when I ask a kid, haven't you already gone through and he says yes, but his mom says no. I'm really thinking of seriously scaling back in the future....no walk thru....no more full size candy bars....just a simple haunt where kids can come up to the door and say: "Trick or Treat". That is if there's still kids ToTing.

You saw a tradtion become larger, stronger, more embracing and giving. You just witnessed trick or treat, which has been attacked on all fronts for decades, become vibrant and alive again.

We regulated trick or treat to kids in the early 20th century, but people of all ages went souling for cakes in the middle ages. Now, the creaky, intolerant, fun-killing "too old" nonsense is dying right in front of your eyes.
You helped tons of people have a more magical and enjoyable holiday...

and you begrudge that?

I don't get it.

You said "It's one thing to walk your kids around, it's another to have your own pillowcase to collect candy."

Why? You say it is just for kids? Okay... Why?

It's a hard decision since you want ToT's to come, but then it spoils it a bit when you feel like they are just coming for the free candy rather than getting into the spirit of Halloween. I say that if you enjoy doing the walk-thru, keep doing but scale down your full size candy so you can have extra $ to buy some more treats to counter those that come thru twice. Or if you think you're going to recognise the once that are just there for the candy, give them some lame candy lol

We had more ToT's here this year than ever before which was really exciting, though nowhere near as many as you've got, maybe like 25? Not all of then were in costume and one teenage kid stole one of our props. Grr

We also noticed a change this year.

This year we had groups where it was 4 adults to 1 kid instead of the typical ratio of 2-6 kids per 1 adult.

However we loved that families were going out together to watch the kids TOT. Especially when in the pasts we saw a ton of kids (even small kids) toting without an adult, and we saw a ton of adults who obviously viewed toting as a chore.

I hope that it is a sign that more adults are getting into the Halloween spirit.

However it could also be a sign of the bad economy

1) Larger family units living under one roof
2) More adults not working and therefore able to go toting
3) More families needing low or no cost activities for their kids

Originally Posted by Spats

You saw a tradtion become larger, stronger, more embracing and giving. You just witnessed trick or treat, which has been attacked on all fronts for decades, become vibrant and alive again.

We regulated trick or treat to kids in the early 20th century, but people of all ages went souling for cakes in the middle ages. Now, the creaky, intolerant, fun-killing "too old" nonsense is dying right in front of your eyes.
You helped tons of people have a more magical and enjoyable holiday...

and you begrudge that?

I don't get it.

You said "It's one thing to walk your kids around, it's another to have your own pillowcase to collect candy."

Why? You say it is just for kids? Okay... Why?

Yep, I begrudge that. I know the difference between celebrating the holiday and taking advantage of the good will of your neighbors. Saw a lot more of the latter than the former last night from the adults. And by adults, I'm not talking 21 year olds..I'm talking about the 30-40 and 50 year old adults.

Okay.

As for me, I can't tell the difference. The ability to determine if a child or an adult metally loves the holiday or just wants candy and could care less about the festival? I don't have that skill.

The Christmas carolers that once sang out "Now bring us a figgy pudding" and "We won't go until we get some" weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were taking advantage. It was easier with them, they came right out and said it.
Luckily, that tradition died off. No more moochers on the steps, especially ones old enough to have a job who shouldn't be getting anything they can't buy themselves, like Halloween candy, Christmas gifts or Valentines Flowers.

I think you were a part of something very cool.

I'm sorry to see you so discontented.

i agree with scatterbrains. I love that so many celebrate Halloween but I really DO think that ToTing should be for younger children. If yer old enough to drive to the bar, yer too old to ToT. Past that point, it's simply begging. Call me "Stingy Jackie" if you will but that's how I feel.

Davidsdesire,

No, I don't consider it stingy. I don't think either you or Scatterbrains are trying to ruin anyones holiday. I do, however, think that nostalgia for older concepts is getting in your way, that you want Halloween to be the way it was when you grew up, to the point that it becomes upsetting.

That is perfectly valid, nostalgia fuels many holidays, but it looks like this particular issue is harming your enjoyment of Halloween. It certainly seems to have hurt Scatterbrains enjoyment.

Scatterbrains... I agree... taking candy from neghbors when your an adult is not "celebrating the season." Especially if your not at home to hand out candy to the kids! One difference I do make is this...

If the adults dress up they deserve candy... to me... that is celebrating the season.

Showing up with a pillowcase and a sweatshirt and jeans... definitely not.

I'm torn on this one. Yes, it's absolutely for the littler ones, but I don't begrudge a teen for being out and ToTing -- in our area, they were out with their younger siblings.

A good thing that I saw this year was that our local food bank (in conjunction with the high school theater department) did a food drive. Older teenagers were out in costume with badges issued by the food bank, and would ToT for canned goods.