Trick or treating: If you take your 10 month old, should you collect candy?

Beth.1212 · October 2013

DH wants to take our soon-to-be 10 month old trick-or-treating along our street. He'll probably go to a few houses where we know the neighbors before returning to hand out candy. DH wanted me to mention that we expect over a hundred kids to trick-or-treat at our house, and we will be giving out candy.

I am happy to share DS's cuteness with our neighborhood (DS tried on his monkey costume, and he's SO ADORABLE), but I don't want to take any candy. We don't let DS have any sugar at this point, so there's no way he'd even get a little taste of the candy. I think it's basically like asking for candy for us, and to me, it seems tacky. DH wants to collect candy so that DS can have the full trick-or-treating experience. What do you think?

rjeller32 · October 2013

I just think it'd be awkward to walk up to a door, show off your child, and leave. We took DD1 when she was a year old, and we grabbed just a piece at each house. She had fun collecting the candy, we had fun eating it later.

If you don't like the idea of taking candy, then don't go.

kerbear135 · October 2013

If you came to my door, I wouldn't think it was odd if you took a couple of pieces of candy..afterall, you're out there hauling LO around, you might as well get a treat. Of course, I'm not up-to-date on trick-or-treat protocol b/c we work a haunted attraction and this will be the first Halloween we've not worked in 5 years..

ASmallWonder · October 2013

Personally I think TOTing is for kids who will be eating what they get. If your entire neighborhood is going to come to your door, THAT is when you get to show off your not-old-enough-to-TOT kid. Our oldest was 6 months old the first year and we dressed him up to show off to the people who came to us. The next year we went to a couple houses because that's all the candy he was going to be allowed to have. This year the little guy will come with us but we won't have a TOT bag for him.

jllmb79 · October 2013

With DD#1 she was only 5 months old at Halloween, we just gave out candy dressed up. Her second Halloween she was 17 months but still didn't eat candy. We let her hand out candy and went to our friend's house to say hello and let her say trick or treat. We didn't take any candy.

hamiltks10 · October 2013

The cool neighbors will offer you a beer or Jell-O shots.

jobiann · October 2013

We are not taking DS out, the Grandparents are coming over to our house and we are handing out candy to kids who come to our door. DS and us will be dressed up. We will probably go next year with our friends and their kids in a group next year in our neighborhood.

Shelly038 · October 2013

I love Halloween so no one is going to tell me that I can't take my 10 month old trick or treating, lol. I plan to collect candy for the whole TOTing experience even though she will not be able to eat it. I live in a neighborhood where TOTing is big, we typically get 100+ kids. If 16 year olds who are barely dressed up can come to my house for candy, I can certainly take my adorable 10 month DD and collect candy on her behalf!

g8trkim · October 2013

I think it would be kind of strange to go to a door and not take candy. Is there any way you can buddy up with a neighbor with kids? That way they are the ones getting the candy and people still get to see the cute baby.

maybebride · October 2013

I do not plan on taking DS TOT'ing. We will be visiting the Mommy's, Daddy's, and Nana's offices, my dad at his assisted living home, and the great-grandparents. I DO plan on getting him a bucket or whatever, but it will simply be a prop this year as he does not eat sugar yet. If someone at one of the places we visits throws candy in, fine. But, I do not expect it.

But, I do side-eye parents who take their small babies out to collect candy. I don't refuse to give it to them, but I want to.

portentosa · October 2013

I'm trick-or-treating with my local mommy group that has kids and babies of all ages. DS will be 10 months and is just starting to walk, but he won't have a concept of Halloween and won't be eating the candy so I don't plan on collecting any, but on the other hand I don't want to be rude in my refusal of candy, so I'll take it if offered.

I'll probably just hang back at the doors and enjoy the walk around the neighborhood with other moms. I'll bring along a pumpkin spice latte for my treat.

Jackiemxoxo · October 2013

If you came to my house with your LO dressed up I would totally expect you to take candy. Also, you could always go to the mall to show LO off and a lot of the malls do a trick or treat type thing.

Myzticsunshine · October 2013

I don't see what's so bad about adults getting candy on Halloween so long as it's because your carrying around a child to show them the celebratory traditions of Halloween. We could all use the extra pick me up with all the energy these kids have

Alondrasilva10 · October 2013

Like my husband says

"It's not like we'll ever see these people again."

I would definitely take the candy and would not care if people knew that candy was actually for us.

carteramariec · October 2013

I initially hadn't planned on even getting DS a costume b/c he's only 10 months old and we never get TOTers at our house, but his older sister wanted him to go with with her so I got him the cutest costume. Now his sister is going with her mom and won't even be with us on Halloween, but I'm so excited about the costume that I'll probably dress my LO up and take him to the "Trunk or Treat" event at one of our local churches just so he can experience it...okay, so I can experience it. I won't ask for candy, but I won't refuse it either. Just kind of want to start a tradition with my LO.

hmontty · October 2013

No.

cvpis4me · October 2013

We're going with friends so I plan to just hang out on the sidewalk with my daughter in her stroller while the older kiddo's go to the door

blush64 · October 2013

LauraT25 said:

bmerr said:

If I take one, small piece of candy from your bowl, you're really going to get THAT upset about it? Some of you people need to get your priorities in order. It's a holiday for all ages... sheesh!

I think you may be imagining this wrong. If you showed up at my house with your baby, and no other kids, I would mentally roll my eyes and not offer you candy. If you took a piece I wouldn't snatch it back out of your hands or chase you down the street.

There is a difference between thinking it's stupid to do something, and actually getting worked up over it. And while Halloween may be a 'holiday for all ages', I personally really don't think trick-or-treating is an activity for all ages. I'm not getting my panties in a twist over it, or anything, but adults shouldn't go trick-or-treating.

I agree with this. Halloween is for everyone but when you are an adult it is time to stop trick-or-treating. I am happy to give candy to kids and teenagers who come to the door. If an adult showed up they would not get candy unless I was in a good mood. I guess some people let trick-or-treaters take candy from a bowl. I put the candy in to the bag for them, no one puts their hands near my candy bowl except me

A great way for adults to celebrate is to go all out on decorating your home for the little kids who will be coming by and dress up in costume to hand out candy. Your baby can be a part of handing out candy and still get to see people. If you want candy, eat some as you hand it out.

=Lee=B · October 2013

My husband is all about Halloween. He decorates the house, has a mega costume, scares the kids and hands out full size chocolate bars. He lives for Halloween. We will dress our 8 month old up this year...and I'll likely hide in back of house as she'll be terrified of daddy's costume. Next year she will likely go to a few close neighbors for candy then come home to help hand out...she'll likely do the same the next year. Until she is old enough to walk herself up and down the stairs and street there is little need for her to be out collecting candy from strangers. Before the age of 4 the kids get just as much thrill out of handing out candy in a costume to kids in a costume as they do from getting their own candy.

I have no problem giving candy to teenagers who took the time to get dressed up. Maybe I am biased as I was still out at age 16...but my friends and I would spend a lot of time making a really cool costume and were out having tons of fun in the spirit of the holiday...not just gathering candy.

As an adult...if I felt the need to go trick or treating I would just make a damn good costume so no one could tell I was an adult versus a tall teen!!

laura1 · October 2013

We didn't start trick or treating until DS was 2.5 and DD#1 was almost 17 months. That year we went to about 6 houses starting at 5:30pm before coming home. The each had one piece of candy then had dinner and went to bed. Last year, they were super into it - we did about 12 houses before I had to make them go home (they were 3.5 and almost 2.5). This year, we will bring DD#2 with us and go down our street. She may not make it the whole time - she is usually in bed by 6:30pm. I will not bring a candy bucket for her!

When DS was a baby, we lived in a neighborhood that just had a Halloween parade where all the kids gathered around a park and then marched in the costume parade around the block. Then they could ToT at the nearby houses (the local mother's association provided candy to those houses). It was perfect - we did not ToT but did go to the parade when DS was 8 months and the following year when DS was 20 months and DD#1 was 5 months. None of us needed the candy!

ObLaDi · October 2013

I would find it very weird for some adults I didn't know to show up trick or treating with an in-arms baby and no other children.

That being said, I would still give them candy; it's none of my business if that's what they want to do.

We're not taking DS out. If we had friends in the neighborhood, I might take him to those houses only, to show him off and visit for a few minutes. In that case, hell yeah, I'd eat a piece of candy while I was there. I love candy.

Lalarochelle1220 · November 2013

I only took DD who's 10mo because my stepdaughter is 8. LO had a costume on so I didn't feel bad since I was with both of them

mpalmateer7 · November 2013

DS is 8 mos... DH bought him a costume months ago, so we just took him to the local mall (which was PACKED with pure chaos) and walked around with him. I didn't ask for any candy, and wasn't offered any. LO got to stare at a million screaming kids, dress up, and be inside (weather is awful here). It worked perfectly.

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