How do you teach your child it's okay to take candy from strangers on Halloween but not everyday?

Question

Adults are hypocrites. We tell our kids it's okay to take candy from strangers on Halloween but not everyday. How do you get the point across that it's not safe to take candy from random people everyday because they may kidnap him/her?

Answer 1

I wouldn't take my kids trick-or-treating in a situation where it is complete strangers in this day and age--it's NOT safe.
I would take them to a structured community event or church fall festival-type setting. There I would tell them that these people are NOT strangers because you know them through their jobs in the community or church or whatever. OR I would take them to houses of friends and neighbors that I did know.
Once or twice over the years when we lived way out in the country, we went to a safe neighborhood in town where a good friend of mine lived, and then I told them we were visiting my friend's friends, so they weren't strangers.
I also went with my kids trick-or-treating and checked all their treats. This is another way to add a layer of safety. It's not really the same thing to accept candy from a stranger if mom is standing right there protecting them as it is to accept candy from a stranger if they are alone.

We have to move beyond the "stranger danger" talk that can be very confusing for kids. They may get candy in the teller line at the bank, or at a doctor's office, or from Santa at the mall--we have to teach them which SITUATIONS are safe and which aren't. Also, many kids are abused by people they know NOT strangers, so they also have to be taught about "good touch, bad touch" and other boundaries that have nothing to do with whether or not someone is a stranger.

There is a Berenstein Bear book --I think it's called Stranger Danger and another classic book on this subject which I can't recall right now--a children's librarian or card catalog search would probably be able to pull it up--that are really good at presenting this information on a child's level.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Because is not OK to take Candie from stranger in Halloween, or any other day without mom or dad checking the candies first and giving then permission of eating them, when they go trick or treat ing you're there and know who give them the candies and check that's is not dangerous, and check the candies before they eat them.

Is very different from a stranger in the street giving then candies without your consent.

Answer 3

you obviously do not have children if you think that teaching them to not take candy from strangers is taught in a bubble

I taught my children to not get into cars with strangers, or to allow strangers to lead them to somewhere private, EVEN if they are offered candy

taking my children door to door in our neighborhood for Halloween treats is completely different

Answer 4

Secretly pay someone to kidnap them via offering them candy in a couple weeks. Then you can pull the "I told you so" card.

Answer 5

No, on Halloween, we tell children that any candy that they get MUST be checked by an adult before eating...

Answer 6

If you did a reality check you would see that most kids go around their own neighborhood and are often accompanied by their parents along with a group of local kid friends.

Answer 7

i agree. i just do it so my kid doesnt feel left out of some grand costume party. personally i dont like all the candy in her body.

Answer 8

if u want to teach them then all u have to do is talk to them straight up but in a nice and formal manner dont do it with violence and hey how old are you? hehe