https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:20:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783823 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:31:20 +0000 ustechie 2783823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>in addition to a sign saying "you're welcome to 2 pieces"...how about a sign that says "smile, you're on camera" :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783620 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 23:26:36 +0000 katsupgirl 2783620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: I would probably say something to the kid. Call it a teachable moment. He's a kid and it's okay to call him out on his behavior. Maybe he will think twice next time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783614 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 22:06:17 +0000 ALV91711 2783614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This year my mom left a bowl out and only a few were gone, she doesn't get many kids in her neighbourhood. We ended up at a couple houses that just had bowls out and even the big kids were just taking 1 or 2. </p> <p>Last year we left the bowl out while we both took DS out. It was fine. There were a number of houses that did that and I thought it was nice. </p> <p>I feel if one kid is going to wreck it for the rest that is the way it will be. I want the candy gone and hope that everyone is good and just takes a couple. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783611 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 21:41:47 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2783611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We thought about leaving out a bowl while we took our kid down the street, but then my younger sibling came over to hand it candy for us instead. I really wanted us both to be able to experience it with her. So my other plan was to go to a few houses with her and then go home and my husband could go to a few with her. I’m glad we ended up being able to all go as a family. We walked straight by a house with a bowl on the front step because it didn’t seem worth it. My kid is 2 and the whole experience was what we wanted: seeing decorations, saying trick or treat to people, politely accepting their treats, and having the social aspect. One woman was jumping for joy at seeing our little group of kids and it made me so happy. The treats are only secondary I feel. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783607 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 21:07:52 +0000 sunny 2783607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We left a bowl out because we were going to a party. We came home pretty early so that we could also go ToT in our neighborhood and saw that about 1/3 was still left. After going around a few houses for about 30 min we came back and there was only 1 candy left. My neighborhood is a “destination” so there’s TONS of kids so I think most kids were good about just taking 1 piece. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783601 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 20:12:26 +0000 catomd00 2783601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We left a bowl out and came back an hour and a half later and maybe 25% of it was taken! I was so shocked and excited about the awesome kids we have in the neighborhood. When we came back after another hour or so, it was gone. I did love the person who flipped it upside down to let people know not to bother walking up the driveway, though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783595 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 19:37:14 +0000 erinbaderin 2783595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsLonghorn: I mean, if they were trick or treating with a parent they couldn’t have been that old, I would think?</p> <p>Also while I think dressing up as the poop emoji is gross, I don’t think that putting brown makeup on your face is automatically “brown face” and therefore inappropriate. He wasn’t being a brown person. If a kid was a bear or a dog or a chocolate bar I think it’s fine to wear facepoint (that being said, I’m white, so what I think doesn’t really matter and if a bee of colour wants to weigh in and says otherwise I’m willing to learn). </p> <p>All that being said, I would probably also be annoyed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783589 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:54:13 +0000 Mommy Finger 2783589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I left a bowl out and didn't have a problem. We don't get a ton of trick or treaters but enough. </p> <p>HOWEVER!!!! This was discussed one of the mommy FB pages for my town and one women told us that they left a bowl of candy out and some teenagers took all of it. She actually called the cops. Now, I'm not saying what the kids did was right, obviously, but really? Call the cops? I thought it was quite the overreaction. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783588 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:44:06 +0000 looch 2783588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: I understand what you're saying, it's not that the kids have a disability or don't, but it's more along the lines that you just can't make a reasonable judgement on anyone's situation from one behavior at one single time. That's all, no more, no less.</p> <p>Regarding your particular situation, I wouldn't say anything to the kid or the parents after the fact. I know it feels like maybe you should, to help them get back on the right path, but what's the action that you want? An apology? To give the candy back? That's how I decide if it's worth it to pursue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783584 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 17:53:10 +0000 petitenoisette 2783584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry that kid did that, that would bother me too even though I know that's the chance you take leaving out a bowl. I would definitely be giving him the stink eye in the future. </p> <p>We don't get any early trick or treaters so we left out a bowl while we went down the street then with ouR LO. No one came between when we got home and bedtime. After bedtime we put the bowl back out because we didn't want our dog going crazy barking and wake her up (plus it was around 7:30 at that point and I was done). Definitely felt Scrooge-ish and we did have a couple groups come but I figure better that than nothing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783567 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:38:10 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2783567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsLonghorn: the only way to prevent that for next year is to put the candy in the bag for the kids. I pass out Ghoul-Aid every year and hand that off to each kid to make sure everyone gets just one. Then for the candy I let the kids pick out a piece or two or three (fun size though). I have run into a couple big kids over the years that really dig in and come out with a lot of pieces, but it’s so balanced by the kids who just take one. Just so I am not left with a bunch leftover I encourage the onesie and twosie kids to take a piece for their mom. :happy: </p> <p>@MrsSCB: oh geez! I wonder if these candy snatchers would do the same if they knew they were caught on camera. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783566 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:29:43 +0000 kiddosc 2783566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: @MaryM: @MrsLonghorn: I don't have a problem with older kids trick or treating, but they can be respectful. Grabbing three candy bars and then basically telling her off and having the Mom not say a thing about it isn't really excusable. Just like the kid at my house shoveling 5 handfuls of candy into his bag wasn't about a lack of fine motor skills. </p> <p>I think it's much more likely that they're just being rude kids than that they had a non-obvious disability. It gives kids with actual disabilities a bad name when you try to excuse all bad behavior by saying "well, maybe they have a disability." Kids with disabilities are generally quite capable of being respectful. Just like my typical children are quite capable of being little terrors at times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783563 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:06:25 +0000 MaryM 2783563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsLonghorn: I agree with @looch: on trying not to judge. </p> <p>Our next door neighbors is 17 and still trick or treats. He appears to be a typical teenager, but he has autism. A lot of people probably think he and his friends are way too old to be out collecting candy, but as long as they want to participate, we're happy to have them visit.</p> <p>Oh, and this was the first year he and his friends were allowed to go alone without a parent. In previous years his mom would hang back as they went house to house so they sort of felt somewhat independent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783560 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:52:28 +0000 birdofafeather 2783560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we've left a bowl out but we have never lived in high traffic areas, so we always have some left. this year, my dad stayed at our house to watch the dodger game and passed out the candy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783559 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:52:23 +0000 MrsSCB 2783559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My friend did last night, and someone stole all the candy, the non-candy items, and their teal pumpkin :-(</p> <p>ETA: Oh, also my coworker had the same thing happen -- came back to all candy gone. He also watched his doorbell camera, and it was an adult woman who took all the candy... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783556 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:48:42 +0000 Bluebonnet 2783556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My Mom comes over to see the kids dressed up, then she hands out candy, while we go trick or treating.</p> <p>Some of our neighbors (with older kids) all get together at the end of the street and if we don't have anyone to pass our our candy, we leave our candy bowl with them and put a note on our door. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783554 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:44:15 +0000 looch 2783554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsLonghorn: this helped me put things in perspective. You just never know what's really going on. </p> [attach=677/17/oyraxr.337x600.IMG_2571.PNG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783553 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:39:02 +0000 MrsLonghorn 2783553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just have to vent -- we don't have a lot of trick or treaters, so I got full-size bars this year. At the end of the night ~7:45, 2 big kids came by and the mom was standing just a few feet behind them. Not sure of the age, mom was with them but they were definitely old enough to know better.</p> <p>Kid 1 - took a candy bar and said thank you.<br /> Kid 2 - in brownface with a poop emoji hat on his head. (I get that he was going with the poop theme, but brownface still felt really inappropriate to me). He also took 3 full size candy bars!! I said "woah - you don't need three full size candy bars - leave some for the other kids". He said "yeah I do" and walked off. The parent said nothing, and I'm certain she saw/heard it all. </p> <p>I get it, they're kids....its halloween....Maybe I'm over-reacting, but I can't help it. Between the costume, and taking a third full size bar, and the mom saying nothing, and the kid not saying thank you....I'm just still angry. I need to let it go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783549 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:21:36 +0000 jhd 2783549@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just turned out the light and both went with our LO to trick or treat. Our street generally gets very few trick or treaters because they have to walk uphill! We will donate leftover candy to our church’s float in an upcoming holiday parade. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783548 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:20:14 +0000 bushelandapeck 2783548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We leave a bowl out and hope for the best. The first year we did that the bowl was empty when we got back but the last few years it's still about half-full when we return. We probably went to 6-8 houses last night with bowls left out and none were empty. Proabbly depends on the are and the time of day too. We were only gone from 6-7pm ish. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783547 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:17:50 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2783547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We both went early with DS who is 3 and left a bowl with a note saying take 2. The bowl was almost full when we got home 40 mins later so I think the younger kids with parents respected the note. We handed out til DS went to bed and then sorted out the stuff we didn't like that he got and put it back outside in a bowl. One older kid took it all but I didn't want it anyway :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783542 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 15:03:05 +0000 kiddosc 2783542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: We both want to go too while the kids are young and it's still about fun and not just getting as much candy as possible. DH likes to dress up with the kids, so it would be me missing out all the time to hand out candy. I figured the bowl was better than being a Halloween scrooge with the light off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783539 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:48:46 +0000 Foodnerd81 2783539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I left out a bowl while we went out. We both wanted to TOT with the kids. Last year I left a note that said “please take 1” and we had a bunch left! This year I left a note that said “please take a few” and we had two pieces left when we got back. But we live at the end of a cup de sac and the houses are pretty spread out, so I think it was mostly direct neighborhood kids, largely with their parents. </p> <p>In the future probably we will all go to the neighbors pre trick or treating party then one will go home to pass out candy and one will take the kids. But while they are so so little we both want to go! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783536 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:41:42 +0000 PawPrints 2783536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yesterday one of my friends with no kids who lives in an apartment posted that she really wanted to see some cute costumes somewhere that night - so I suggested she come ToT with us; she countered that she could just stay at our house and give out candy while we were out trick-or-treating with DD. It was perfect! Could be a solution for lots of people; I feel like I always hear people complaining that nobody trick-or-treats at their apartment and they want to see cute kids somewhere. </p> <p>I did leave out a bowl for 10 minutes at the end of the night while DH and I were putting DD to bed. Some kids took a lot but by that point I was fine with it, we have tons of leftovers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783533 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:38:01 +0000 erinbaderin 2783533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have neighbours with boys the same age as ours, so we went together and took turns - the moms went for a while then the dads went. We all wanted to do a few friends who live a few houses down so I put a bowl out for a few minutes - when I was walking back I saw one kid taking two bags of chips, but whatever. Then we left the bowl out while we put the kids to bed - I kind of worried that somebody would take everything but also we way overbought so I sort of didn’t care. I went out at 8:30 to blow out the pumpkins and there were still probably 15 bags of chips in the bowl, so I was pleasantly surprised by the manners of the neighbourhood kids (although a little displeased that I have like 70 bags of chips leftover). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783531 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:31:49 +0000 littlebug 2783531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a 4.5yo and a 21mo. Hubs and I took both kids out right at the start of ToT. The toddler and I went to like 5 or 6 houses and then we went back to our house where she helped me hand out candy until my husband and son got home. Once they got back, they took over handing out candy while I put her to bed. Next year we'll probably do the same thing. Once she's a little order, Hubs will take them both while I stay behind to hand out candy. I like to hand out candy and see all the kids in their costumes!</p> <p>ETA: Our lights were out while no one was home. I turned the lights on when we got back and were ready to hand out candy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783528 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:29:12 +0000 HappyBaker 2783528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We left a bowl out last night and same thing happened to us. I think next year we'll just turn out our light while we are trick or treating and hand out candy when we get back. We still got quite a few kids once we got home and my kids enjoyed handing the candy out to them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783526 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:24:38 +0000 Mamaof2 2783526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: that is hilarious!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783524 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:23:45 +0000 honeybear 2783524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I walk with our son and his friends and my husband sits outside with the candy and talks to the neighbors who are all doing the same thing. Or we invite friends who don't get trick-or-treaters or don't want to hand out candy to come over for drinks and to help him pass out candy. :) </p> <p>I'll be honest, I think kind of kills much of the joy of Halloween to leave a bowl out, although I understand why parents do it. We skip the bowl-only houses. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-leave-out-a-candy-bowl#post-2783522 Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:22:21 +0000 MaryM 2783522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: DH asked a kid if he'd trade a Reese's cup for our candy! (I specifically bought candy I knew he wouldn't want) </p>