Your Halloween candy-giving practices?

[July]

I don't get trick-or-treaters where I now live, but I did have them for several years in my last two locations. We tried to have plenty of "good" candy on hand, enough so we could give 2 KitKats to each kid (or whatever we'd stockpiled that year).

However, I used to mind when kids would try to grab the bowl out of my hands or grab several candy bars, so I was a little annoyed at times and would try to keep that from happening.

On the other hand, I took some pity on the preteens/early teens who barely had a costume (if they had one). Despite my advancing age, I do remember that difficult time in life when I wanted to hang with friends but couldn't drive. Halloween was a fun time to feel free of parents, hang with my puppy love interests, and amass some snacks. So I cut them some slack, at least until they and their pillowcases turned up for the third time.

How do you manage your Halloween visitors?

[Angry Dragon]

1. Dragons eat the really unruly ones

[Not Ruth]

2. A ladle of vegetable lasagna

Is my preference.

[mercuryblues]

3. The last few years I haven't had any trick or treaters

The most I ever had was 10 kids. But when the kids in the neighborhood were still young enough to come, I had full sized candy bars or would give them a hand full of smaller ones. I figured they deserved it for trick or treating in our neighborhood. Far between the houses and long driveways.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. There are depressingly few at both my homes

My home in a Calgary exurb gets about 15-20 kids, my home in Costa Mesa about 5-10. Back in the 70's and 80's my parents would get about about 120 to 150. My parents would go all out, haunted house in the yard, they would both be in really good costumes and gave out mountains of candy.

When I will be in Canada for Halloween I bring up American chocolate bars not sold in Canada and vice-versa.

[hlthe2b]

5. I buy candy that kids like (starburst, skitttles and the like) but I don't, so I'm not tempted.

I don't get too many kids, so they can pretty much have as much as they want. I do mix a few individual bags of cocoa roasted almonds in there as a healthy alternative. A few older kids prefer them, it seems.

I take what is left to work a week later.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. Brussels sprouts!

[appleannie1943]

7. I live in the country. I have had exactly 2 in the last 46 years.

I felt awful because I did not have any candy. I filled a paper lunch bag with fruit, cookies and an envelope with 2 dollars inside it. I think they were happy with that.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Tuesday I'll be back,

and $5 would be even better.

Happy Halloween anyway.

[appleannie1943]

11. You could even visit some of your relatives on the other side of the electric fence.

At your age now I might slip you a jello shooter.

[Siwsan]

9. I seem to get fewer, every year

I'm in a nice, middle class neighborhood and for the first few years I'd see carload after carload of kids being dropped off. But for the past few years, regardless of weather, I'm seeing fewer and fewer kids. Maybe they are going to more organized events, now. It's probably safer.

This year they are calling for rain earlier in the day, and evening temps in the 30's. I bought a bag of 100 'Mars' variety candies and I have no doubt there will be leftovers but I figured better safe than sorry. Also I figured that I might as well get something I like, in case there are leftovers.

[jberryhill]

10. I give out condoms

Once in a while, a parent will get upset, but my attitude is that if you knock on my door looking for free stuff, you get what you get.

[appleannie1943]

12. My son and his wife have a table of jello shooters for the parents. He hands them out when his

wife passes out the candy. Parents make it a point to bring the kids round for candy.

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. I never get them

It's kind of sad. I remember there were scores of kids in my Houston neighborhood back in the 60s and 70s. Then the Candy Man poisoned his own son in 1974 and Halloween was never the same. Now it seems like more kids go trick or treating at shopping malls or just go to parties.

[Laffy Kat]

15. I remember that. Horrible.

Didn't he do it for the insurance money or something? One of the most disturbing stories I've ever heard.

[TexasBushwhacker]

16. Yup, just for money

And to top it off, he tried to poison other kids to cover up his crime. Thankfully the other kids didn't ingest the candy.

The $20K insurance policy had a double indemnity clause, so he killed his son for $40K. He never admitted it either.

[Laffy Kat]

17. I think that's when the stopped making Pixy Sticks, too. nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. Actually they still make the regular and giant Pixy Sticks

It was the giant Pixy Sticks that he poisoned. Of course there was never any reason for the general public to be afraid of them.

[Laffy Kat]

14. I would never just hold the bowl out for the little goblin hands.

I'd run out of candy in a hurry. I dole-out the candy myself. I try to give one candy bar and one other little something per monster, a sucker or little packet of Skittles, something like that. This year, I'm considering also buying one of those packages of regular sized candy bars; there are several varieties per package and I think it sells for $16 or so for maybe 16 bars. If I do that, I'll just give one bar per spook, and maybe just to the older kids, middle school and up. The only candy I've purchased so far are the fun-size M&Ms. May also throw in some glow sticks for the baby monsters. Oh, plus this year I'm buying dog treats too, as I had a lot of costumed dogs last year.

[OriginalGeek]

18. Buy bunch of the good stuff

Reeses, milky ways, snickers, twix.

Eat it all way before halloween.

Turn out lights and hide.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. That's what I would be afraid of doing n/t

[sakabatou]

19. Hand out one piece to every kid.

[Kali]

22. I have almost never lived where there were any trick-or-treaters :-(

when my kids were young we would take them to the hamlet where we get our mail, and we would pass out treats from out truck - since people knew us it was safe. I tried to continue the treat my Mom gave out: a sandwich baggy of fresh salted popcorn with a scoop of regular MandMs - such a good combo of chocolate candy and salty crunch. yum, I want some now!