For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for October 29, 2017

So they say it wrong in Canada?

I was Michael’s age when I decided to retire from Trick-or-Treating. When all I could think about was how cold I was and how I couldn’t wait to get home, I knew it was time to hang up the goodie bag, so I did. I never regretted it for an instant.

A little trivia. While Michael Patterson’s comment about walking 10 miles to do trick-or-treating is an exaggeration, it was not an exaggeration for the real-life Johnston children, because their home was so far on the outskirts of town. Lynn Johnston has told us in the past how they had to drive their children for miles to get to the neighbourhoods where they did trick-or-treating.

I was in 7th grade the last time I went trick or treating and I mostly only went because some other kids were going and I thought I’d tag along. I felt really dumb and knew I’d really outgrown it.

Lizzie looks like Big Bird, not a chicken!

How could Michael not get in on all the fun? Better late than never!

I was forced to stop trick or treating when I was sixteen. Because of my short height, I managed to get in an extra three years of candy-hunting. I can’t wait to have kids so I can get back into it with them.

I used to enjoy trick or treating; my mother used to make apple pies from the apples I got, my father would take the peanuts, any chocolate went to my baby brother, and I got to keep the rest.

My 2 older kids are being ripped forceably from trick or treating. The oldest (Michael’s age) still wants candy more than he hates dressing up, but he and his 10 year old sister are helping at “trunk or treat”s today, instead. They will no doubt make up for it on Tuesday, though! And my youngest (Lizzie’s age) is helping by getting extra candy for them tonight :-). They love it! Running free at night, getting almost sick from candy… Everything

I dressed up in costume to take my kids around the neighborhood. I didn’t carry a treat bag. One old lady told me to go away, I was too big to trick-or-treat. I told her with clenched teeth, that I was their mother. After they outgrew the candy collection bit, I still dressed up to watch our school’s Halloween parade. I had great costumes. Many people would borrow them off and on.

In the 50’s, we went trick-or-treating two nights in our small town. All the more time to hit more neighborhoods. I live on a hill that’s a dead end street, now. I don’t get any kids asking for treats. I still go down to the school once in a while to see the costumes the competing mother’s dream up for their little darlings.

While I never had to take a sibling T or T, I did take my Kids. I used tax them during the walk, by choosing a few pieces of candy just to keep my energy up.

when we outgrew trick or treating we decided to take our donkey and back her up to random people’s doors. we would ring the bell and run away but stay within hearing distance. it was best when we did it late in the evening at loud drunken parties. the reactions were priceless.

It was fun, but I retired from Trick-or-Treating years ago. As the youngest in the household, I have the job of keeping an eye out for Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween. I don’t mind doing it, but I have noticed the amount of kids dwindled quickly over the years. I guess the kids try their luck at other neighbourhoods. I’ll be surprised if anyone comes this year.

What my kids enjoyed most was deciding on a character/costume and making it (with a lot of help from mom) — the candy they collected was only secondary (and often had to be thrown out around Valentine’s Day) — and they now enjoy figuring out costumes with their kids. We have a whole Harry Potter thing going in one family and Great Gatsby in the other!

Trick or Treating was fun. But the indulgence in so much candy was and is unhealthy for children and adults.

Do not let Elly see the candy you have collected. She will either confiscate it, saying you have had enough sugar, or hypocritically eat it for herself.