Paying Teens to hand out candy

NicoleWI · October 2014

How much do you think I'd have to pay to have a teenager from the neighborhood hand out candy at our house for trick or treat? DH is working and I will be taking the kids out. We get a lot of people so I don't feel comfortable just putting out a bowl. Maybe like $6/hour? $12 to $15 total for 5:30 to 7:30ish? I kind of want to figure it out before I ask someone. For reference, we pay them $8/hour to babysit but they have only had to babysit in super easy situations so far. I'd probably give them more if it were evening or all the kids or whatever.

UnofficiallyLO · October 2014

That's commitment (on your part, to the spirit of Halloween, to clarify)! If they don't mind giving up their night for a few hours I would imagine your typical going rate would be sufficient if not less and a pizza.

notkateanymore · October 2014

Don't give out candy if you're not there. Why would a teenager want to spend their Halloween inside handing out candy. Turn your lights out.

lavendergiraffes · October 2014

I've never heard of this but I'd say if you're not available to hand out candy then don't. More candy for you!

lexusolsen · October 2014

We plan to be out the same times and back around 730. My plan is to put out a little bit of candy in a bowl with the lights out while we are gone. Then we will hand out the rest when we get home. I've done this for the last few years and there is always candy in the bowl when we come home.

caranichole · October 2014

If you're not there to be the one giving out the candy...then what is the point really? I'm in agreement with the leave the bowl out and pass out the rest when you get home or just don't give any out. I feel kinda silly even contributing to this post.

Cherryblossoms07 · October 2014

I have to agree that hiring someone to hand out candy is more than I would do for Halloween. If you can find a teenager willing to work that night then go for it, if that is what you want. I have a difficult time believing that many teenagers would be willing to work a Halloween night (especially a Friday night) for only $15 though.

Do you live near your parents or ILs? We have had quite a few neighbors (in more than one place that we have lived) that have felt that there has had to be someone in their house handing out candy while they were out or were gone so they have had one of their parents stay at their house.

Spin313 · October 2014

Sometimes one of my parents stay at the house and hand out candy while we ToT...otherwise we just keep the lights off until we get back, and THEN hand out candy.

yanakimou · October 2014

Take your kids out, then when you get home turn on your lights and hand out candy. Save yourself $6 and a pizza. Or eat the pizza yourself with leftover candy.

NicoleWI · October 2014

It's our subdivision and neighboring one's TOT, so it's not just like a general city-wide one where no one cares. We have the smallest kids. And I have three. So, I don't want to be seen all over the neighborhood getting candy with my kids and chatting, but then not be handing any out. It just wouldn't look right.

On the other side of things, we usually get a lot of kids from outside the neighborhood also, and we are on the corner. Dont' want pumpkins smashed, etc, if we are not home. I think we will get a LOT less kids this year, though, since a lot of communities are doing TOT on the same night.

DH is working, MIL has TOT the same night (she did candy for us last year), and my parents are out of the area.

Last resort=bowl on the porch, but that never goes well.

JENandJEH · October 2014

With little kids, we head out to trick or treat as early as possible (usually people in our neighborhood turn their lights on around 5) and we're only out for about 30 minutes. DH is never home (either deployed or doesn't get home until 7 or later) so I put a bowl on the porch with a little bit of candy (definitely not our entire stash for the night) and just hope that human decency prevails for the 30-45 minutes we're gone. When we get home, I turn our light on and we pass our candy.

If you're so worried about people seeing you and judging that you're ToTing with your kids but not handing out candy, just leave a cute note with your bowl that says you all are TOTing and will be back soon so please take 2 pieces or something.

PrimRoseMama · October 2014

I would not do this.

jag101 · October 2014

Could you make an arrangement with your neighbor to hand out your candy on you behalf while you are gone?

vettymama · October 2014

I would leave the bowl on the porch with a note saying you're TOTing with your kiddos. I wouldn't bat an eye if I saw that note on a porch or saw you out with your kids.

LoveBeingMama · October 2014

Honestly I would think nothing of seeing a mom out with her kids and no one home handing out candy. I would roll my eyes and shake my head if I found out people were hiring out the job of passing out candy. In our neighborhood, now and while growing up, you rang the bell and if no one was there, you moved on. Did pumpkins get smashed? Probably, but not at 6:00 at night, and never when it is as crowded as you say it will be. No one does it with dozens of moms standing all around. That's what the older kids do later. Leave out a bowl and if it all gets taken? Oh well. I've never seen a kid lacking in candy on Halloween. In a few years, your kids will want to TOT alone, and you'll be able to pass out candy the whole time while other moms with little ones leave their candy unattended. It all evens out. The circle of Halloween.

I think you are way overthinking this.

notkateanymore · October 2014

You are overthinking this. Nobody is judging you for ToTing with your kids...what do you think those people are doing?

Dochas · October 2014

We leave a bowl out. I suspect one little jerk probably dumped the whole bowl in his bag but my conscience is clear!

Keeptruckin · October 2014

Is our neighbourhood the only one where you get targeted if your lights are out. The teens egg the crap out of those homes. We live in a nice neighbourhood, but it happens. I leave a big bowl out with a note. We too are only out for 30 min usually.

sschwege · October 2014

First I want to say I'm insanely jealous of the going rate for babysitters in your area! DH and I almost never hire a babysitter because, well, we can't afford to go out and pay the sitter, it's insane!

Second, I would not think it necessary to pay someone to hand out candy. We just hand out candy for awhile, go out, then return and hand out more candy. Don't think it's a big deal!

Third, if you are planning to pay someone I think you need to do at least $20, I feel like any less than that and it's not worth the person's time. As a high school student I remember never wanting to take the short babysitting jobs because it seemed like too much of an inconvenience. Like you would put aside that time block, go out there, come back and have $10 in your pocket.

NicoleWI · October 2014

Okay,maybe I will just leave a bowl out. Houses are kind of far apart so it's going to take us quite a while just to get up and down the block. I can't count on a 30 minute outing. Actually wondering how I'm going to manage the hike this year b/c I am so huge and so sore already with the pregnancy. I'll be 30 weeks.

LoveBeingMama · October 2014

PetraStonegirl said:

NicoleWI said:

Okay,maybe I will just leave a bowl out. Houses are kind of far apart so it's going to take us quite a while just to get up and down the block. I can't count on a 30 minute outing. Actually wondering how I'm going to manage the hike this year b/c I am so huge and so sore already with the pregnancy. I'll be 30 weeks.

See, to me this is a perfect time to send the hubs out with the kid and stay home to hand out candy. No need to make that hike.

I think she said he is working.

mandymack · October 2014

I get it - I live in a community where everyone decorates their homes and hands out candy. We fill the front yards of the neighbors in the center and have a potluck of hot cocoa and desserts.

It's a really big deal around here, too.

I do what most of the PP have suggested: we go early 4:30-5:30pm and then settle in at home to hand out candy and join in the neighborhood festivities.

It'll be great and no one will be judging you if you aren't home for an hour or two.

SurpriseAt39 · October 2014

Around here, no one starts going out until at least 6 pm. Mostly because most people aren't home from work until after 5 then give the kids a quick supper...and it's not fun if its not getting dark.

I would not pay someone to hand out my candy.
Lights off and maybe a small bowl of candy on the step. (I've done it before. And there was still candy in it when I got home)
If there are still ToTers when I get home I will hand out candy then.

As for IF I would hire someone, I'd offer $20 and maybe some candy.

eaglesfan700 · October 2014

Just have your neighbor do it. I often go over to a neighbor's house to drink wine and bring my bowl of candy. Then I just tell the kids, don't go to that house, because I am here

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