Handing out candy with a newborn...

[ChristyMarie]

Ok so this year I have a 3 month old so I really don't want people to constantly ring the doorbell. I also don't want to have to put him down all the time to answer the door. If he's just gotten settled that can put him in a rather cranky mood.

I'm thinking of just putting out a big bowl of candy and a little sign that says please help yourself. And maybe a "shhhhh...baby sleeping" sign over the doorbell.

Tacky or ok?

[lisas3575]

You are a good person. I would just disconnect the doorbell and turn off the porchlight! :eek:

[summer02]

Maybe it's just me, but I definitely would not put a sign up letting complete strangers know that I have a baby inside the house...but I'm a little paranoid :o. Maybe just put a bowl out while it's still light outside since that is when the little kids with parents will be out and then once it's dark, take it in and turn off the light?

[zwieback]

I don't think putting out candy is tacky, but I don't think I'd advertise I have a baby. That's just me, though. With putting out candy, I would feel like one or two people would take all of the candy at once and leave nothing for the other trick-or-treaters. But, if you don't really care if that happens, I don't see why not. I remember some houses that did that when I was younger.

If DH/SO is not going to be there with you, do you have a friend or sibling who would want to come over for a few hours, have some food and fun while handing out candy? Otherwise, I think I'd probably just turn off the light and snuggle in with the baby and enjoy a good movie or book. :)

[Kathy B]

With putting out candy, I would feel like one or two people would take all of the candy at once and leave nothing for the other trick-or-treaters. But, if you don't really care if that happens, I don't see why not.
This most likely WILL happen. We have been to several houses over the years that set out a bowl of candy, and I would estimate at least half of them had a sign and an empty bowl. :rolleyes:


If DH/SO is not going to be there with you, do you have a friend or sibling who would want to come over for a few hours, have some food and fun while handing out candy? Otherwise, I think I'd probably just turn off the light and snuggle in with the baby and enjoy a good movie or book. :)

This is what I would suggest also. In our area, kids know that no porch light on means the house is not participating in trick or treat. They just move on.

[imloulou]

Definately just turn off the porch light and front room lights (for those who don't get the porch lite thing... ;) ). When we come across a house with no porch lights on we just move on...no biggie.

[leightx]

I would just leave the porch light off - there are quite a number of families that don't participate in the whole Halloween "thing" in our neighborhood...either for religiuos reasons, or because they're not home, or possibly because they have a newborn at home. The kids know not to bother with the dark houses - time is of the essence when there is candy to be had! ;)

Am I the only one that thought this thread would be about some weird new tradition of handing out candy with newborns when they left the hospital??? :p Just me? Ok then...

[cangoss]

One more idea to add to the mix - give candy to a neighbor and ask them to hand it out along with theirs.

[MusicMom]

13 years ago, my DD was six days old on Halloween and I was worried about more than sleep being interrupted ;). DH took DS out trick or treating and I kept our light off.

[Heidi]

I saw a cute idea in a past Martha Stewart mag where they took one of those foam pumpkins and poked holes all over it and stuck in orange and brown Tootsie Pops all over with a sign saying Help Yourself. I think it may depend on how 'good' your candy is as to whether or not people are going to take handfuls! LOL Tootsie Pops--most kids will just take one. Snickers bars? That's a little more iffy, IMO!

Or turning off the porch light and putting a piece of tape over your doorbell is a good idea too!

[foodlady]

I agree with the others -- to discourage trick-or-treaters, simply turn the porch light off and put tape on the doorbell that reads "please knock." (For the people who ignore that your porch light is off :rolleyes: )

What time to do the kids go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood? If baby is sleeping, you can just wait by the door with the candy bowl and pass it out as kids come (don't wait for them to knock). When my twins were babies, I did this and as a result was able to meet a lot of the other moms in my neighborhood. Some of them didn't know we had babies...one of them even came by the next week with a basket of muffins to see if I needed anything. :)

Our neighborhood does trick-or-treating early -- 4 o'clock until 7:30. I love it! I'll take my preschoolers out early (with baby in the stroller). And with two noisy boys in the house, this baby sleeps through everything. No doorbell worries this time around... :D

[tamawrite]

13 years ago, my DD was six days old on Halloween and I was worried about more than sleep being interrupted ;). DH took DS out trick or treating and I kept our light off.

...and the next Halloween, she kept the light off because she had a 3-month old sleeping...

;) :p :D

ETA...never mind...DH was with DS... :o...continue with thread... :o :o :D

[newtricks]

...and the next Halloween, she kept the light off because she had a 3-month old sleeping...

;) :p :D

ETA...never mind...DH was with DS... :o...continue with thread... :o :o :D

And DD was Six Days Old. Where *your* mind went ;) AIN"T happening at that point! (I think she meant bfing :) )


Christy Marie - I would put out the bowl of candy. Especially if you're in the house you can check it once or twice and replenish if you need to. Before you know it your 3 month old will be out there participating in the candy gathering so you're not really in that "turn off the porch light" demographic. That's just from my perspective though - In our neighborhood you sort of see the same families every year so it would be a little strange to not hand out candy one year and be trick or treating the next. It's the old and/or single folks who don't paritcipate generally.