Is This the Biggest Halloween Grinch EVER?

This mum admits to boycotting Halloween, saying she steers away from traditional treats because her kids “get enough sugar.”

The mother shared on a parenting forum, “I’m the Grinch when it comes to Halloween. My kids have never been nor will they go trick or treating.

“I put a sign out saying ‘don’t bother knocking here or you’ll get fruit on my door’ haha. It’s an over-commercialised American tradition. Not for me sorry.”

“If they knock here I will give them fruit. I don’t really care where the tradition started, I won’t be sucked into plying kids with sugar or having my kids knock on randoms’ doors and ask for treats,” she writes.

She was soon accused of being “not a fun mum”.

I remember the first time we did anything for Halloween was a birthday party my then 6yr old was invited to by one of his classmates. Prior to that my children didn’t really know anything about it.

Since then we often attended a disco at the local play centre and carved a pumpkin at home. That was it, until new neighbours came along who were originally from America and then the fun began! We haven’t missed a year since.

halloween 2

I think everyone has their own opinions on Halloween – but please don’t spoil the fun for other kids. If you don’t want to join in, just pop a sign out letting people know. Easy!

Will your children be trick or treating? Share your comments below.

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84 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 28 Jun 2023
    11:43 am
Its fun for the kids and so im happy to go along with it.
My kids are grown now but I always makesure I have treats in the house for halloween. Its so exciting for the kids. They get to dress up and go out after dark with their friends. They are all in big groups and they are simply having fun and not causing any harm.

- - mom321515 said
  - 04 Dec 2019
    9:35 am
It is getting more and more popular. My children are under 3 so when they are bigger if they ask we might do it , until then we will avoid this one

- - mom111059 said
  - 20 Nov 2019
    9:35 am
It seems to be more popular than ever. Not keen but wouldn’t turn kids away without a treat either.

- - Fluffys57 said
  - 10 Nov 2019
    2:42 pm
I am also not a fan of Halloween

- - littlehandsofmine said
  - 08 Nov 2019
    5:14 pm
Oh no fun! I love the atmosphere it creates

- - mom111059 said
  - 07 Nov 2019
    12:58 pm
Got to admit I’m not a fan. Halloween is too scary for us. Keeping that in mind I’d give out lollies if someone came knocking (which I hope they don’t)

- - Jbuttxx said
  - 07 Nov 2019
    6:47 am
Just don’t put a balloon outside your house if you don’t want to take part

- - ~Loui~ said
  - 04 Nov 2019
    3:36 pm
I don’t really like Halloween either.

- - mom362408 said
  - 01 Nov 2019
    7:50 am
I love halloween, my mum took me every year as a kid trick or treating and now she goes over the top and decorates the house, makes Halloween food and gives out so much candy for the kids, 53 kids and a zombie dog came this year for Halloween to her house!

- - MumInOz said
  - 31 Oct 2019
    5:08 pm
I think halloween is fabulous!
Any event, celebration or occasion that lets the community get to know each other is a win from me!
My kids favourite treat last year was an orange – they thought that was so cool!

My kids had thank you notes they hand made last year for the people who gave them a treat, and they also had happy Halloween pictures they could give out to receptive folks who chose not to. (Being young it was more like scribble on paper) but they were very well received all the same.

All their idea, I was a little worried the pics for non Halloween houses might be taken the wrong way, but when you have an adorable witch handing you a hand coloured “ghost” – it is a little hard to be too grinchy – lol.

- - DaffyD said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    10:13 pm
I support her decision for her life and family. I’m not a fan either

- - mom385887 said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    8:19 pm
I don’t think I really want my daughter to go trick or treating. She can definitely dress up for it, but i’m not sure how I feel about the trick or treating side of things. I am also that person who literally hides in my house when kids knock on my door to trick or treat. Grinchy I know.

- - ThisIsMe said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    2:11 pm
I was never allowed to go when I was a child and not much of a fan but my kids really enjoy it so I suck it up and take them – it’s ONE night a year and they love it and get so excited.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    2:00 pm
We never did it growing up and my parents are still very anti-Halloween as it being a very US based thing. I however love it now and my kids go every year. They love it for the lollies, dressing up and walking around the neighbourhood with their friends. I love that it feels really community orientated on our street and I get to say hello and chat to the neighbours.

- - kjgarner said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    12:34 pm
We were never allowed to do it when we were younger, but now I have kids I love the shear dressing up and walking around the streets seeing what other’s have dressed up to be.

- - Quackers said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    2:34 am
Halloween never been a tradition for me growing up. I remember once trick or treaters knocked on my parents door. They were confused, but gave them each some potatoes thinking their parents were too poor to buy groceries. They grew up in a place where you’d expect that from poor gypsies and their English not that great to understand what the kids were asking for.

So growing up with that I find the whole thing a bit strange. Would make more sense to knock and beg for proper food. Would think it could be a fun way for kids to go around collecting food for the less fortunate.

- - ashley06 said
  - 30 Oct 2019
    12:32 am
Kids love dressing up and some go to a lot of effort.I am happy to hand out a few treats for the trouble they’ve gone to.

- - tessie said
  - 29 Oct 2019
    4:14 pm
I’ve never celebrated Halloween and have no intention of ever doing this. I bought lollies and spooky treats 2 years in a row, left front light on and kept dog tied up and no-one ever came. Now I just leave the light off and people know not to come knocking. That way no-one is disappointed.

- - mom152736 said
  - 29 Oct 2019
    9:35 am
happy for kids to knock on my door my kid won’t specifically go ..he’s so shy ..lol

- - mom343701 said
  - 29 Oct 2019
    6:06 am
Thankfully our kids are growing out of this. I do not like all the lollies