[wensteve]

I live in a smaller town in Canada. I am not originally from here but moved a few years back. Since moving here I have noticed a very common trend. 1 "trick or treater" will come to my door with 2 or 3 bags for candy. They will normally say "it's for my sisters who are keeping warm in the car" or sometimes they don't say anything at all. When I was a kid, we never did this (I didn't even know it was allowed or I may have tried it a few times lol) Does anyone have these types of kids come to their door and what do you do? I don't want my house to get egged for denying candy to kids but we are expecting a huge crowd this year so the candy budget has gone up. I was going to do up little bags with a few candy pieces in each bag and give those out and have a small bowl of suckers for these "double dippers" but then I thought "can't I just say no?" So, thoughts, can I just say no???

 

[shinytoydragon]

Yes you can.

 

[Frankie's Girl]

Instead of doing bags of candy, why not just have a large container that you personally dip into and then you can control the number of pieces that you hand out? Then if there is a kid that has their own and a bunch of other bags for siblings/friends that you're unsure of their existence, you can give out one piece each... and no one is disappointed.

We have a large tub of loose candy that we keep behind us (prevents TOTs from reaching in), and we adjust our amounts as the time goes on (how much candy we have left to give), and on how awesome the costumes are. Everyone gets candy, but the ones that are particularly impressive get a BIG handful.

 

[im the goddess]

I do what Frankie's girl says. the missing sibling gets sweet tarts. LOL. You can do you bags, but have some loose candy for just such occasions.

 

[Blarghity]

Instead of doing bags of candy, why not just have a large container that you personally dip into and then you can control the number of pieces that you hand out? Then if there is a kid that has their own and a bunch of other bags for siblings/friends that you're unsure of their existence, you can give out one piece each... and no one is disappointed.

We have a large tub of loose candy that we keep behind us (prevents TOTs from reaching in), and we adjust our amounts as the time goes on (how much candy we have left to give), and on how awesome the costumes are. Everyone gets candy, but the ones that are particularly impressive get a BIG handful.

Yeah, I do this. I learned the hard way to keep the tub behind me when a kid reached in and tried to steal one of my MP3 players a few years ago. This year instead of a tub, I am stuffing the candy in a skeleton's rib cage and keeping the skeleton in a coffin.

As for double dipping, just say no. Make them work for it. When I was a kid, double dipping meant a change of costume and going around the neighborhood again. Eventually the homeowners caught on to the fact that the humps on all the hunchbacks of Notre Dame were the first run candy bags of all the double dipping kids in the neighborhood.

 

[boo who?]

I thought this thread was going to be about TOTs that show up more than once!

Surprisingly, I've not gotten many requests for phantom siblings. But I like the idea of lesser candies at the ready.

 

[Ghouliet]

I do not make an issue of it. It's just a candy bar.

 

[LairMistress]

I'm too much of a softie to say no, but that's because I know that some kids can't participate in ToTing as much as they'd like to.

My middle son really doesn't like dressing up or going door to door because of the crowds. He's autistic. He also has Cerebral Palsy, and uses a wheelchair for long distances. So, I used to take him ToTing in his chair, walking with his older brother.

Generally, it worked well--except for one house. This particular house was up on a bit of a hill, with steps going to the door. Clearly, we could not make it up the steps, so I let the oldest go by himself. No other kids were at the house at the time. The man spoke to my son, looked over at us at the bottom of the stairs, even commented on my handicapped son's costume (Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin; so he could wear regular clothes that looked like Linus', had a blue blanket and a Snoopy, a "Welcome Great Pumpkin!" sign, and pumpkins attached to the wheelchair).

He gave my oldest son one piece of candy, and didn't offer my younger son any at all, just shut the door.

Really? I was obviously holding his bucket. He looked at us long enough to figure out who my son was dressed as. I didn't make my older son take his bucket up there. I have to say, I was a little upset.

So yeah, I'm a little more understanding about the phantom sibling thing, but only from experience. I always wonder if they're double-dipping too, though.

I personally wouldn't make my oldest ToT for his younger brothers. If they don't want to ToT, then they can either go without candy, or I will just buy some and that will be that.

 

[Rumsfield]

I read this in a blog early this morning -

"What can trick or treaters expect in their bags this Halloween when visiting Uncle Pigors' pad?

Well if you are decked out super creepy you may get a whole TRICK OR TREAT BAG of goodies, if you aren’t dressed, rude, and don’t even say TRICK OR TREAT you are getting a dog bone. It's now a tradition I hope to pass on to other folks. This way maybe those kids will get the picture and try a lil harder at Halloween!"

I like his style !

The Source - http://spookycreepycool.blogspot.com/

 

[Blarghity]

I'm too much of a softie to say no, but that's because I know that some kids can't participate in ToTing as much as they'd like to.

My middle son really doesn't like dressing up or going door to door because of the crowds. He's autistic. He also has Cerebral Palsy, and uses a wheelchair for long distances. So, I used to take him ToTing in his chair, walking with his older brother.

Generally, it worked well--except for one house. This particular house was up on a bit of a hill, with steps going to the door. Clearly, we could not make it up the steps, so I let the oldest go by himself. No other kids were at the house at the time. The man spoke to my son, looked over at us at the bottom of the stairs, even commented on my handicapped son's costume (Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin; so he could wear regular clothes that looked like Linus', had a blue blanket and a Snoopy, a "Welcome Great Pumpkin!" sign, and pumpkins attached to the wheelchair).

He gave my oldest son one piece of candy, and didn't offer my younger son any at all, just shut the door.

Really? I was obviously holding his bucket. He looked at us long enough to figure out who my son was dressed as. I didn't make my older son take his bucket up there. I have to say, I was a little upset.

So yeah, I'm a little more understanding about the phantom sibling thing, but only from experience. I always wonder if they're double-dipping too, though.

I personally wouldn't make my oldest ToT for his younger brothers. If they don't want to ToT, then they can either go without candy, or I will just buy some and that will be that.

See, in this situation, kids in wheelchairs or little ones in strollers, I'll get up and walk down to the sidewalk to hand out the candy. As caregiver for my mother, I know exactly how tiring pushing a wheelchair can be. And hell, what's a little more exercise on my part?

 

[GobbyGruesome]

If it's 100% clear that they're really just greedy kids, I just push them down the stairs (in my dreams. Only in my dreams.)

In reality, I just try to mitigate without making a big deal. Basically they just get half what the other kids get.

I think we've only ever had one kid who was REALLY bad, so I guess we're lucky. Unfortunately, she's a repeat offender. :/

Attitude is everything. IF a kid takes an interest in the yard and appreciates the effort we put in - or if they have an amazing costume...basically if they honor the spirit of Halloween, I could care less about them weaselling me out of an extra candy bar. (of course we don't get 500 kids either so it's less of an issue for us.)

If a kid is just going through the motions to get as much candy as they can and not showing any kind of effort or interest, they'll probably walk away with less in their bag.

 

[dscrimager]

I seem to have two kinds - the ones who try to scoop a handful - to which I say - just take one piece.
And those that are very demure and only take one small piece to which I say - take a couple. If you are obviously greedy you get less,...

The worst was the greedy grandma last year that kept showing up and draining my candy by the handful. Finally, when she walked up again I just stood in her way and kept moving to block her way to the cauldron. I mean I understand if you take a couple of pieces; it's only candy; but she was trying to grab double handfuls and she had already hit me twice and was coming back for a 3rd time with both hands out? No way...

Also, I agree about appreciating the display - even a small compliment will net extra candy. I get 400- 450 kids per year so I have to meter it out somewhat carefully to not run out.

I also have lots of toys, stickers, etc for kids/parents who don't want candy and those are mixed in as well. So if someone takes a candy and a toy I'm cool with that but again in moderation.