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Thoughts on Halloween



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 1st 03, 05:06 PM
Harold Buck
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Default Thoughts on Halloween

Just a few random thoughts on Halloween:

========================================

My son just turned 2 this week, and if *he* can remember to say "Thank
you" to people giving him candy, then the older kids should be able to
remember.

========================================

This year, we started having two bowls of candy: the "Gee, aren't you
cute, being of appropriate age and wearing a costume" bowl of Snickers,
Twix, M&Ms, etc., and the "Gee, if you'd gone through the trouble of
finding a costume, maybe it would have hidden the fact that you have
more facial hair than I do" bowl of assorted hard candies (plus candy
other people gave to my son earlier in the night that no one in this
household would ever eat).

It's a whole lot less confrontational to give the older kids a bunch of
crap they don't want than it is to say, "No, you're too old and you
don't have a costume, so no candy for you," but it doesn't reinforce the
bad behavior, either. Maybe if everyone started doing this then the
older kids would get the message and stop coming out. I think next year
I might give the older kids boxes of raisins. Or maybe prunes.

========================================

I think some of the kids I saw out tonight got more exercise trying to
run from house to house so they could get more candy in their bags
before dark than they did the whole rest of the year.

========================================

Is there a good way to make sure that holidays like Halloween and
Christmas don't just turn into unmitigated greed-fests?

========================================

Did you know that there's never been a documented case of tainted candy
given out from a residence? There was a guy giving out stuff on the
street that had been tampered with, though. Still, it's smart these days
to be careful.

========================================

That's all I can think of for now.

--Harold Buck


"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

  #2  
Old November 1st 03, 07:26 PM
Donna Metler
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Default Thoughts on Halloween


"Harold Buck" wrote in message
...
Just a few random thoughts on Halloween:

========================================

My son just turned 2 this week, and if *he* can remember to say "Thank
you" to people giving him candy, then the older kids should be able to
remember.

I noticed that the younger ones were more respectful-although having Mom or
Dad on the driveway hissing "Say thank you!" probably helped.
========================================

This year, we started having two bowls of candy: the "Gee, aren't you
cute, being of appropriate age and wearing a costume" bowl of Snickers,
Twix, M&Ms, etc., and the "Gee, if you'd gone through the trouble of
finding a costume, maybe it would have hidden the fact that you have
more facial hair than I do" bowl of assorted hard candies (plus candy
other people gave to my son earlier in the night that no one in this
household would ever eat).

It's a whole lot less confrontational to give the older kids a bunch of
crap they don't want than it is to say, "No, you're too old and you
don't have a costume, so no candy for you," but it doesn't reinforce the
bad behavior, either. Maybe if everyone started doing this then the
older kids would get the message and stop coming out. I think next year
I might give the older kids boxes of raisins. Or maybe prunes.


I gave out little toy items-the little ones were thrilled by it-the big ones
weren't so happy. And I figure that a bendy toy or little game is probably
better for them than candy, anyway. Besides, I can take extras to school for
my treat/birthday box (candy never survives to make it to school). I did
have some candy for the under 3 set (where the toys are a choking hazard,
and the parents are almost certainly going to eat most of the candy anyway)
and for really, really nice/cute costumes (usually worn by the under 10
set).


========================================

I think some of the kids I saw out tonight got more exercise trying to
run from house to house so they could get more candy in their bags
before dark than they did the whole rest of the year.

I'm just thankful Halloween was on a Friday this year, so they have a few
days to burn through some of the sugar high before they come back to school.
600 sugar charged kids in one building who have been up late the night
before is rather scary.

========================================

Is there a good way to make sure that holidays like Halloween and
Christmas don't just turn into unmitigated greed-fests?

One of the things my mom had my brother and I do was make little craft items
before halloween-then we'd give them out to the older adults in our
neighborhood as we were trick-or-treating. It was kind of neat to give
something back. We did this the last few years we trick-or-treated, before
we got too old for it. We also visited these same people for other holidays
(Christmas caroling and the like).

========================================

Did you know that there's never been a documented case of tainted candy
given out from a residence? There was a guy giving out stuff on the
street that had been tampered with, though. Still, it's smart these days
to be careful.

========================================

That's all I can think of for now.

--Harold Buck


"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson


  #3  
Old November 2nd 03, 01:43 PM
chiam margalit
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Default Thoughts on Halloween

"Donna Metler" wrote in message . ..
"Harold Buck" wrote in message


You need to move to an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. We had ONE group
of trick or treaters although we live on a street with probably 200
kids on it. The group that came knows my kids from school, but they
didn't even ring the doorbell, they knocked. I *love* when Halloween
comes on a Friday night!

Marjorie

  #4  
Old November 2nd 03, 05:31 PM
Mary Ann
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween


"Harold Buck" wrote in message
...
Just a few random thoughts on Halloween:

========================================

My son just turned 2 this week, and if *he* can remember to say "Thank
you" to people giving him candy, then the older kids should be able to
remember.

Becuase they are excited, sometimes the smiling faces and the enthusiastic
"trick or treat" is better than a forced Thank you
========================================

This year, we started having two bowls of candy: the "Gee, aren't you
cute, being of appropriate age and wearing a costume" bowl of Snickers,
Twix, M&Ms, etc., and the "Gee, if you'd gone through the trouble of
finding a costume, maybe it would have hidden the fact that you have
more facial hair than I do" bowl of assorted hard candies (plus candy
other people gave to my son earlier in the night that no one in this
household would ever eat).

It's a whole lot less confrontational to give the older kids a bunch of
crap they don't want than it is to say, "No, you're too old and you
don't have a costume, so no candy for you," but it doesn't reinforce the
bad behavior, either. Maybe if everyone started doing this then the
older kids would get the message and stop coming out. I think next year
I might give the older kids boxes of raisins. Or maybe prunes.


My 12 yr old is 5'5" and could pass as 20 but she is still a kid. Don't
jusdge too quickly


========================================

I think some of the kids I saw out tonight got more exercise trying to
run from house to house so they could get more candy in their bags
before dark than they did the whole rest of the year.


Hey it there one shot

========================================

Is there a good way to make sure that holidays like Halloween and
Christmas don't just turn into unmitigated greed-fests?



Nope

========================================

Did you know that there's never been a documented case of tainted candy
given out from a residence? There was a guy giving out stuff on the
street that had been tampered with, though. Still, it's smart these days
to be careful.



Yup

========================================

That's all I can think of for now.

--Harold Buck

Please write us back in 8 years

  #5  
Old November 2nd 03, 10:58 PM
Harold Buck
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween

In article ,
"Mary Ann" wrote:


It's a whole lot less confrontational to give the older kids a bunch of
crap they don't want than it is to say, "No, you're too old and you
don't have a costume, so no candy for you," but it doesn't reinforce the
bad behavior, either. Maybe if everyone started doing this then the
older kids would get the message and stop coming out. I think next year
I might give the older kids boxes of raisins. Or maybe prunes.


My 12 yr old is 5'5" and could pass as 20 but she is still a kid. Don't
jusdge too quickly


Did you see the word "and" in there? If your 12 year old shows up
without a costume, I don't think she deserves any good candy. Do you?


========================================

I think some of the kids I saw out tonight got more exercise trying to
run from house to house so they could get more candy in their bags
before dark than they did the whole rest of the year.


Hey it there one shot


Huh?


--Harold Buck


"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

  #6  
Old November 3rd 03, 02:54 AM
David desJardins
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween

Harold Buck writes:
Did you see the word "and" in there? If your 12 year old shows up
without a costume, I don't think she deserves any good candy. Do you?


While it's possible to see Halloween as an economic transaction between
children and adults, in which the children entertain you by dressing up
in costumes, in exchange for which you give them candy, I don't think
that's the only interpretation, and, in my opinion, it's not the most
satisfactory. I would prefer an interpretation in which they dress up
in costumes because (and only if) they enjoy it, and you give them
treats because (and only if) you enjoy it. In that view, no one is more
or less "deserving" than any other, but of course you are free to give
or not give treats to whomever you choose (e.g., you could give candy to
every third visitor, or only to those carrying paper sacks, or whatever
other distinction is important to you).

David desJardins

  #7  
Old November 3rd 03, 03:19 PM
Scott Lindstrom
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween


DD went out trick/treating with her friend who lives near
a slightly wealthier neighborhood than ours. She got a couple
full-sized candy bars (!!). The mind boggles.

I walked around with DS and his friends and some of their
parents, and we got all caught up on the neighborhood
gossip. Left out a bowl of candy on the porch -- most
kids took 1 piece, even the few roving bands of middle-
school boys. Still, we ran out of candy around 7:15,
which had never happened before, but that's when DS
was done, so we turned off all the lights out front,
and no-one knocked again, except for two friends of
DD's. I gave them rejects from DS's bag (He hates
snickers bars, for example). Almost everyone was off
the streets by 7:15. Picked up DD from her friend's
house at 8 PM, then DD and DS sorted candy and swapped
before getting in bed around 8:45.

All in all, it was pretty relaxing.

Scott DD 10 and DS 7.5

  #8  
Old November 3rd 03, 04:01 PM
Nevermind
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween

Harold Buck wrote
This year, we started having two bowls of candy: the "Gee, aren't you
cute, being of appropriate age and wearing a costume" bowl of Snickers,
Twix, M&Ms, etc., and the "Gee, if you'd gone through the trouble of
finding a costume, maybe it would have hidden the fact that you have
more facial hair than I do" bowl of assorted hard candies (plus candy
other people gave to my son earlier in the night that no one in this
household would ever eat).


I don't begrudge them going out when they're teenagers. I remember
doing it once even after we'd stopped for a couple of years. Big
nostalgia trip. Most teenagers still have an alive-and-well little
child inside still. But I agree that they should be in costume! Maybe
make 'em do a trick (sing a song? Do a dance?) if they're not in
costume?


I think some of the kids I saw out tonight got more exercise trying to
run from house to house so they could get more candy in their bags
before dark than they did the whole rest of the year.

========================================

Is there a good way to make sure that holidays like Halloween and
Christmas don't just turn into unmitigated greed-fests?


I think it's natural for kids to be greedy. Hey, how often are they
giving out candy for free?! You better make sure you get all you can!
But we adults don't have to overindulge by buying too many X-Mas
presents and too many decorations and by starting the "celebration"
too early just because the stores do. You can also limit how far you
take your kids trick-or-treating.

  #9  
Old November 3rd 03, 08:30 PM
Robyn Kozierok
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Posts: n/a
Default Thoughts on Halloween

In article ,
David desJardins wrote:
Harold Buck writes:
Did you see the word "and" in there? If your 12 year old shows up
without a costume, I don't think she deserves any good candy. Do you?


While it's possible to see Halloween as an economic transaction between
children and adults, in which the children entertain you by dressing up
in costumes, in exchange for which you give them candy, I don't think
that's the only interpretation, and, in my opinion, it's not the most
satisfactory. I would prefer an interpretation in which they dress up
in costumes because (and only if) they enjoy it, and you give them
treats because (and only if) you enjoy it.


My take is that I enjoy being part of the fun for kids (including teens)
who still get into the whole Halloween thing and still enjoy the dressing up
part. For (older) kids who don't bother/enjoy dressing up anymore, it
just seems like a big old candy grab, and something rather more crass that
I don't enjoy participating in. So... I don't exactly see it as an
economic transaction as you suggest, but I don't share your view either.

--Robyn

  #10  
Old November 3rd 03, 11:29 PM
David desJardins
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Default Thoughts on Halloween

Robyn Kozierok writes:
My take is that I enjoy being part of the fun for kids (including
teens) who still get into the whole Halloween thing and still enjoy
the dressing up part.


What if they dress up as part of an economic transaction, but they don't
actually enjoy it? How would you measure their enjoyment?

I think there are a lot of kids, even younger ones (i.e., younger than
teens) who see dressing up in costume primarily as an economic bargain
in exchange for treats, rather than something they do because they enjoy
it. And/or something they do because of peer/cultural pressure. I'm
not sure how you would verify or test this, though. Perhaps I'm just
projecting my own feelings onto other people.

David desJardins

 




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