Halloween: Kiwi mums on the etiquette of trick or treating

Max Mischefski joins his brother Archie and mum Laura in Onehunga, for Halloween in 2017 New Zealand Herald. Photo / Greg Bowker

It may not be Halloween yet but the streets of New Zealand will soon be teeming with grinning little ghouls hyped up on sweets. If you’re a parent being dragged out for the ultimate annual lolly haul, there are a few things you should consider before your little ones take over the neighbourhood.

We rounded up some Kiwi mums in the know - who may or may not be dressing up too and who may or may not have spent their entire evening in a horrendous queue at Look Sharp St Lukes last night.

1. How to spot a Halloween-friendly house

Rather than rolling up to every house on the block, look for homes adorned with Halloween decorations - the folks who live here will have tubs of lollies at the ready while those without fake pumpkins on the porch probably won't.

If you're comfortable with your children heading out on their own, advise them to stick to houses with a street frontage rather than heading down long driveways.

2. Not all kids get to celebrate Halloween

As excited as your kids might be about hitting the streets tonight, not all children are allowed to participate in Halloween. Remind your kids of this fact and tell them to be considerate rather than show off about their experience.

3. Halloween hygiene

If you're handing out lollies, make it sanitary. Choose sweets that are individually wrapped to minimise germs and eliminate any concerns about tampering.

4. A matter of manners

As thrilling as the idea of grabbing fistfuls of lollies as fast as they can may be, encourage your kids to take one sweet from each offering and say "thank you" to their treater.

Our mums also recommend older children should be considerate and make way for the younger ones rather than pushing in front of them.

5. Use Halloween as leverage

When else do kids get to dress up and stay out late gathering a stash of free lollies? It's extremely exciting and well worth using as leverage for good behaviour.

6. How late is too late? How old is too old?

Given it’s daylight saving, there’s plenty of time to go trick or treating while the sun’s still up. Our mums suggest no later than 9pm is appropriate to be knocking on doors.

The jury's out on how old is too old for kids to go trick or treating, but our mums say when kids become teenagers they should consider it time to hang up their witches hat.

7. Treat yourself, too

Former Herald parenting columnist Beck Vass has some cheeky advice for parents on the trick or treating run tonight: Vass likes to stash a bottle of something for the grown ups in the pram to keep everyone sane.