DH and I were at a wedding last night, and when we arrived home this morning, we found our pumpkins smashed all over our front stoop and sidewalk. I posted a picture explaining what we found to our neighborhood fb page. It turns out a lot of people in our neighborhood had their pumpkins smashed, other decor ruined or stolen, and lots of "ding dong ditch" by kids (probably middle school-aged).
I was explaining to DH that I would be so embarrassed if I was a parent to those kids, and I'd be making them go door to door apologizing, and offering to repay or rake leaves. DH thinks that the pumpkin smashing isn't a big deal. I think it's vandalism and they should have consequences if found. So I'm just curious of the general consensus.
NTTGPR- Pumpkin smashing 170 votes
Pumpkin smashing is vandalism, and they should have consequences.
Eh, not a big deal. Kids will be kids.
I'm a special snowflake, and I will explain below.
Re: NTTGPR- Pumpkin smashing
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I mean, 'kids will be kids' works for messy eating toddlers or babies that get loud on planes. Nature of the beast. Messing with people's property and writing it off as 'kids will be kids' wtih middle schoolers is letting them off the hook. Now, ding-dong ditch (without the vandalism) is annoying but not as bad, but I'd still be totally embarrassed for my kid to be doing that.
However, mildly surprised that there are middle-school kids who would be out doing that at night rather than on their Xboxes or Facebooks or Instagrams. So, silver lining, at least they're out getting exercise? (Still would be pissed.)
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Vandalism is vandalism no matter what it is being vandalized. I would be pissed if I found out either of my kids did anything like that and they WOULD be apologizing and doing something to make up for it.
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Formally LisaG09
"Everybody wants to be happy. Nobody wants to feel pain but you can't have a rainbow without the rain."
Calm down. I simply meant it as it sucks but really in the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't consider it a big deal. A pumpkin costs what? $8? Go buy a new pumpkin.
I just asked him what he would do if we found out a kid of ours smashed pumpkins, and he said he would "be disappointed." I told him that I would make our kid go door to door apologizing, and offering to buy new pumpkins, as well as offer to rake their leaves (or something similar). Basically, community service. He said "yah that would be good."
I work with junior high students. Yes, kids are kids, but wrongdoing is wrongdoing.
Growing up, some kids used to smash pumpkins in our neighborhood the night of halloween, late at night, so when everyone woke up, there would be smashed pumpkins in their driveway. Super annoying, and yet, for some reason, it never really bothered me growing up. It was the sort of harmless mischief that halloween used to be about. I wouldn't call the police about something like smashing pumpkins ON halloween, but I agree that if it were my kid, id be disappointed.
However, destroying someone's pumpkin weeks before halloween and potentially damaging their yard or personal effects is really shitty.
I'm sorry this happened to you.
My husband is an extremely laid-back person, so his lack of reaction isn't surprising. But I think once there are actual kids in our lives, his attitude will change.
Didn't you start the asshole talk by telling Jags you were glad she wasn't an asshole?
Edit: Nope, I missed a post.