Two most memorable trick-or-treaters were both very small children. While putting together glow stick bracelets, I had tossed one on the floor for my curious kitten to play with. The glow bracelets and plastic fangs didn't last long and we had to fall back on just candy During the greed frenzy 3-400-ish trick or treaters we had, one small child, possibly aged 3 or 4, dashed past me into the living room and snagged the bracelet/cat toy from the living room floor, helping himself to candy from a bowl on the way out. Made a whole room full of astonished adults laugh. Another very small child, who may or may not have been with the cat toy thief, demanded another such "light." I gave him candy, but he was not satisfied. We had been out of glow sticks for a while by then. The kid WOULD NOT LEAVE. He stood by the front door and wailed for a "light!" This went on for 15 to 20 minutes, even when I would close the door and open it again a minute later for the next batch of costumed kids, there he'd be, wailing for a "light." This kid couldn't have been more than 4 years old, and I kept asking him, "Where is your adult supervision?" At some point someone had uprooted or kicked over one of the little solar lights stuck in the yard and handed it to me, and I had laid it on the end table to put back out next day. It was glowing. I handed it to the kid and said, "Here!" He smiled, took it, and left. I think some parent finally materialized at that point because I heard, No, no, you can't take that!" at the edge of the yard, and then there was screaming. That's what you get, asshole, for dropping the parental ball for a whole twenty minutes. Hope the kid screamed the rest of the night.
Those kind of kids don't deserve anything at all. I would not have given them one piece of candy.
I really hate to punish a pre-schooler for having shitty parents.
Those kids are too little to punish for this behavior - it is their parents who are not doing their job.
@A2Jennifer that depends on how you punish them. One way would not to give them any candy and tell them why.
You got 300-400 trick-or-treaters? Wow! I got two.
It is shameful those children were not taught good manners or properly supervised by their parents.
With my daughter, I hammered good manners, saying "please and thank you," take your turn, one-finger touching, asking permission, taking just one, respect, good table manners, empathy and more.