FIRST there were Christmas Eve baskets, then Easter boxes and now… Boo Baskets?
The new trend sweeping social media – particularly in America – involves parents packing a container full of spooky and autumnal treats for their little ones.
However, the added pressure to shell out even more to keep their children entertained and on trend is getting too much for some.
In a post on the Family Lowdown Tips & Ideas group on Facebook, one mum wrote: “Anyone’s child asking for a Boo Basket?
“My 11-year-old keeps sending me TikToks. I mean, when was this a thing?”
And other mums in the comments section were quick to weigh in, with one writing: “It’s another stupid fad that everyone is starting to do.
“Basically it’s like an Easter basket but full of Halloween stuff.
“Blinking TikTok is responsible for lots of madness.”
“It’s a trend now isn’t it?” another added.
“Everyone’s going crazy for it! I do get my kids a bucket and some bits every year but never go crazyy haha.”
“Are these kids forgetting who’s raising them?” someone else marvelled.
“We are millennial parents. They need to lower their expectations!”
“I can understand why children are asking for them or enjoy them but as adults maybe we should be thinking about exactly what values we are teaching them,” another wrote.
“So much consumerism of things that are used for a limited time and will ultimately end up in landfill and are increasing our carbon footprint.
“We enjoyed Halloween when our kids were growing up by doing arts and crafts, carving pumpkins and playing games and watching a movie.
“They made up their own costumes from old clothes and sheets, we used face paints and they sometimes went to Halloween parties or went trick or treating to people in our village who wanted to join in the fun.”
“Bloody YouTube & TikTok have a lot to answer for,” someone else sighed.
“Yes my 10 & 13 yr old girls keep asking for one.
WHILE some might be waiting for Mariah Carey to slowly defrost, I couldn’t care less that Christmas is less than 100 days away.
Has everyone forgotten that there are less than 50 sleeps until the best holiday of the year?
I’ve long preferred Halloween to Christmas and spend most of the year mourning the loss of spooky season.
Not that I don’t find ways to include it into my year.
In April I marked the halfway point to the best day of the year with a ‘half-o-ween’ picnic in a cemetery (where else?). Come July I needed to get my fix again and hosted a ‘Summerween’ barbecue complete with watermelon carving and Piña Ghoul-adas.
Christmas fanatics are often horrified by my snowy-season snub, but for me December is just a slew of stress and overspending.
I don’t know about you but wracking my brains for bigger and better present ideas and spending four times the amount of time and money at the supermarket is not my idea of a good time.
With Halloween there is no expectation to spend. Homemade costumes are often head and tails above the ones sold in the shops and when it comes to decorations what is better than a carved pumpkin that can cost just pennies to achieve?
In January kids return to school bragging about what Santa brought them this year, all with the hope of outdoing each other but November 1st is a different story.
Trick or treating is fair through and through. Unless you’re bribing the neighbours, children all receive the same, and whatsmore for free, eliminating any playground bragging rights.
Above all I love the chaos over curation when it comes to Halloween. There’s no obligation to strive for perfection, in fact the rule is the sillier the better. It’s all the childhood nostalgia of Christmas but without the pressure.
So spare me the Christmas spirit, I’ll opt for a fully fledged ghost any day.
“It’s like where did Xmas Eve boxes come from???? Not in my childhood.
“Just expense after expense!”
However, others insisted they’ve been doing similar things to Boo Baskets for their children for “years”.
“In my house anyway we have done them for about 14 years!” one wrote.
“I’ve done this for my daughter since she was born and she’s 11 now,” another said.
“I think it’s sweet and I like the name boo basket!
“My daughter’s is a box.
“Usually has her Halloween costume and bag, some glow sticks, a plush toy.
“Bit harder now she’s older but I don’t plan on stopping.
“Wish someone made me one!”
