What do kids learn from the Halloween experience?
 

Here are some important lessons they might learn:

1) If you want to get ahead in life, and get the candy that life has to offer, you have to misrepresent who you are. You have to pretend to be something or somebody you are not. This lesson will come in handy later in life when they have to apply for a job.

2) Sugar/candy is a valuable commodity so get as much of it as you can (collect it...save it... hoard it).

3) Candy is a psychotropic tool: Eat some to cheer yourself up when you're sad, or eat some to celebrate when you're happy.

4) It's okay to take candy from strangers.

5) Parents take their wellbeing seriously.



What they might not know is that 1 out of 10 kids have a disease called "Non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease". It happens mostly to kids who are overweight but they don't have to be overweight to get it.

There was a news report of a woman who was giving letters to obese kids instead of candy. Personally, I find that insulting to the parents.

It's always up to the parents to control what there children eat. No control on kids eating habits can cause problems later in life as we all know.

It's a fun night for kids to dress up and enjoy the night.

Please Lord, give me patience.

They learn how much fun it is to wear costumes and go out on a "scary" night with your mom or dad. They learn to enjoy other people's costumes. They learn to say "Trick or Treat" and hopefully "Thank you." They learn to do something with a lot of people where kind people hand you treats. I loved Halloween and still do and wish we had little ones coming to the door.

Didn't you love it too, VillagePl? It is so much fun and still one of the most celebrated holidays in the ole' U.S. of A.

Try not to think of all that sugar. It won't kill you if you do it once in awhile. Even dedicated doctors and dentists tell you that.

6.) They learn that Halloween is a fun time of the year for them - something they'll always remember.

Bill :)

Learn to have Fun
 

Its fun period. Almost "anything" to get some kids out of the house and away from those video games!

I still remember the fun of Halloween. We lived in a small town of 5,000 where we never heard of children having a problem when they went out to trick or treat. There are some nice alternatives now---called trunk or treat put on by Churches and other groups. boo!

They learn that some adults have forgotten what it was like to be a kid!

:boom::MOJE_whot::boom::MOJE_whot:

ignoring all the special interests, minority (not race) reports and isolated incidents.....they learn to have fun and do something they do not get to do the other 364 days of the year.

I think GG summarized it perfectly......

It is fun for 98% of the population.

We get to participate in the fun by going to my son's house out on the fringe of TV where the kids come by walking, riding golf carts, tractor and hay wagons, SUV's full to the brim....hundreds/thousands(?) of kids all having FUN.

Starts at 6 and ends at 9 PM just like clock work......a real treat for us who choose to enjoy the fun things of our lives as long as possible.

Happy Halloween (and I don't know what the grinch of Christmas equivilant is for Halloween.......party pooper?).

btk

I forgot number 6) It prepares them for college: When they go away to college they will guzzle lots of booze (beer) in the spirit of "having fun". They will have learned that from Halloween and other such holidays where people stuff themselves with junk. And the lesson is: You can't be happy without it.

Sigh.

This is a copy of a letter that a woman in a Fargo neighborhood put in some children's trick or treat bags if she thought they were overweight.
http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amne...rue_lfalse.jpg

Anonymity empowers people to do some mighty mean things.

Wow! Someone must be having a bad day. Here, have a hug and a smile!:smiley: xoxo

Maybe a Candy Bar would help??

You are right. We aren't ourselves when we're hungry for a candy bar. I hope that no one turns into the Horseless Henchman.:grumpy:

From the mouth of our 4 year old grandson: He can get dressed up as whoever he wants to be and is allowed to take candy from strangers. It only happens once a year and if he's lucky he'll get a lot of lollypops. Daddy and Mommy don't like them!

Gee OP, I and my kids took part in all the Halloween events, and all of us turned out fine. We aren't diseased or debauched or in jail. Of course, we may be a bit odd...

Halloween was and is, FUN!

Ya gotta admit this is a funny post. It should be moved to just for fun.

We really can't "lump" everyone together........

Our kids enjoyed going out trick or treating, just as their dad and I did in our day...........and now our grandchildren also enjoy getting the costume together and going out on Halloween night.......

Both of my children were always tall and thin and healthy.
Ditto for their children........all eat healthy and are healthy.

I personally do not believe one night of Halloween can ruin anyone's health. We always sat down to a home cooked dinner and I always provided all the nutrients in healthy meals........which they now cook for their own broods........believe me, the young adults today are very much into healthy eating, exercise and wellness. I admire all the young folks of today.

I so agree...sigh....can nothing be light, fun, a little exciting without some devils advocate predicting doom and gloom with binge drinking, selfishness, depression, greed, drug abuse, etc. etc. being the product of enjoying Halloween. It just makes me sad..so lighten up...life can be tough enough without ruining every childhood memory.

Take a x2 dose of your downers today? Just sayin.....

let's just the rest of us in the 98% that are happy with it (and a lot of other things) and let the minority vote be the devil's advocate for themselves and theirs.

Bah....pumpkinn!

btk

Talk about taking something and blowing it all out of proportion.

I know who is going to play Scrooge at the Dickens Classic!

I hope all the little trick or treaters had a fantastic Halloween, and enjoyed dressing up and saying "Trick or Treat!" Shout out to my favorite Cat in The Hat, my niece, Skyler, treat or treating in Burlington, KY!

Wow, someone having a hard time getting into the "spirits" of the thing. Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night

We were surprised that, despite the heavy rain, we got about 40 children with their brave moms and dads...come to our front door trick or treating.

As usual, the costumes were outstanding and many very original.
The horde descended about 6 p.m. and ended about 7:30 p.m.
School night, after all.........

Several highlights, but among the ones that stood out were the "now parents" (but long ago neighborhood kids/friends of our kids), bringing their children to our house........and the parents remembering what we used to do to scare them all.
A blast from the past.

One young dad said to my husband, when he opened the door........

"All the way up here I was telling my children about when I was a little boy and you would jump out with your mask on and scare us all; you had the spooky music playing really loud; we all couldn't wait to come to your other house, especially since you had the coffin out. " Then he added, "I guess you don't do that anymore, given your age and slowing down". ha ha.

What? We never had a coffin !!!!!!!!! Funny, how time dims memories.
The rest was accurate. He and his brother now own a restaurant and brew pub on our Main Street; he had served aboard a submarine as a young man.

Now we are definitely the oldsters of the neighborhood.
The visits of the "old neighborhood kids" sure brings that home.......
Short but sweet trick or treating Halloween night, due to the rains.....

Not as many children live up here anymore; they've all grown up and moved away for their careers......but we do get some who come in "cars" from other parts of town, driven by their parents, who stay in the car.
The rest, brave the hills and walk their kids around like we all did.....

Just checking the calendar to see if today was All Souls Day or All Saints Day as my husband's father was born on All Souls Day and my mother in law always "He came in with the spooks".......

My calendar shows that November 1st is All Saints Day...........and also Mexican Day of the Dead.
So, tomorrow, November 2, is All Souls Day......had he lived, he'd be close to 100.

Speaking of pumpkin.........

Last night we had the most scrumptious pumpkin spice cookies frosted with butter cream icing (in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts, etc.,etc.) PLUS my husband's favorite Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kat Bars.....which we gave out to the kids.........but still have quite a stash left for him to enjoy.

Unless one is a serious diabetic, a little bit of sugar, now and then (not the artificial stuff) isn't going to kill anyone..........all in moderation.

Valentine's Day is another day to enjoy "sweets" without the food police.....

We had 52 Trick or Treaters last night in Ringgold, GA. We have become somewhat famous in our neighborhoods over the years for the huge goodie bags we give out, sometimes completely filling a child's plastic pumpkin. Since we have no children of our own it is the one day a year we get to splurge on kids.

Next year will be the last for that. Our full time move to TV in 2015 will end the tradition. Sure hope the buyers of our house here don't get egged from disappointed kids.

I loves you'uns already.

Hurry HOME!

Getting back to the OP's question... What do kids learn from Halloween?

They learn about generosity.

Sadly, Halloween has changed since we were children, today children have learned not to trust. Back in the day we would be out for hours and eating the candy as we went. One older woman in my neighborhood would have us up on the front porch for cider, home made donuts and stories that would scare the **** out of us-today that would never happen.

The only reason my parents ever "checked" the candy was as an excuse to eat the good stuff-LOL.

VPL, you need to lighten up.

The apples were the worst. I remember one time walking up this big long driveway and they gave us apples. We used our chalk and the entire way back down we wrote "BEWARE, APPLES, GO BACK".:1rotfl:

When we were teenagers, we opened umbrellas and covered them with half slips. then we rang the doorbell and got down on our knees. While the adults were oohing and ahhing over the cute little ghosts, we stood up. Got a laugh every time.

Sometimes I wonder if there might be a troll or two on this forum.

My husband and I were just talking about all of the above which you mentioned.
We also always were hobos, etc., etc., etc.

Only thing is, we didn't have chalk in our sacks.

We also both received the same exact treats as you mention.
Nothing was "wrapped"........it was all loose candy, apples, cookies, etc.
I helped my mom make "treat bags" with loose candy......

No one worried about us............whether being abducted or harmed.
We lived in THE CITY. We even went to taverns trick or treating.
I'm talking eight years old and up.

I think prison sentences then might have been different and put a scare in any would be perps.........or else people just abided by the TEN COMMANDMENTS in those days.......I truly believe that last thought.

Sr. Citizen, you truly believe that in the mid-twentieth century people did not lie, steal, or commit adultery? Wow. Wish I had your faith in people.

What???????????

Are you referring to the Ten Commandments mention?

I meant, on Halloween, our parents certainly didn't worry about us being abducted, raped and murdered; kidnapped, etc. when we went out alone in the dark.......on the city streets. Circa 1953 to 1955, etc., etc.

I wasn't thinking of the other commandments, only what related to children going out alone on Halloween......and the fact that our parents did not worry about us.

Nowadays, so many children are harmed in terrible ways.

p.s. Out of due respect, I still think my comments are always being taken "out of context" even others where I've said over and over again how beautiful and attractive we thought the Villages was......and when I posted about the drug sweep in our once nice little town, it was to show that things "change" all over.......I was not being defensive about our town.......just stating facts. All places have things of beauty and all places have not so nice things. We were living in a bucolic atmosphere while raising our family........now we are the elders at 68 years old pushing 70 and times have changed; society has changed..........but back when we were kids, it was SAFE.

Why would that be? Fear of the law?

Fear of being imprisoned?

Fear of God? Thus, my Ten Commandments post.

In a nutshell, our parents let us wander all over and not one person ever bothered us.....................

Now ............lying, stealing, etc. adultery? I'm sure it happened. Just watch BOARDWALK on Sunday nights.
Atlantic City, Chicago, etc.

I bet you get invited to a lot of parties.

:rolleyes:

SMH, once again!! I'm quite certain most of us had the enjoyment of "playing" Halloween for many years, well before we had the tendency to over analyze everything, and we all turned out all right...well,OK, maybe SOME exceptions, but you get my drift. 1 day a year is NOT going to erase all the values and good habits taught (hopefully) the other 364! Jeez...

You are correct.......just as the majority of us have said.

We enjoyed Halloween safely without incident and had fun.
It didn't harm us in any way.

We looked forward to it the entire month of October, comparing notes, walking home from school........

In a sense, you are correct. Very seldom is there any immediate harm from Halloween or any other holiday. However, childhood habits are being formed that will last a lifetime. People will say, "we all turned out okay!" Really? I'm not so sure about that.

But if I tell people how they might not be okay, they will either tell me that being a little less healthy is worth it, or that it's unavoidable because it's genetic. You can't win this agrument with people who are addicted and in denial. (I'm not talking about you personally, just people in general on this board.)

Whether it's "fatty liver disease", diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, heart disease or whatever, nothing matters because having "fun" is what really matters more than anything else.

And, of course, whatever holiday it is (take your pick), it's only once-a-year.

P.S. It has been estimated that the average kid consumes 3 cups of sugar during the halloween festivities.

:1rotfl: