Boo baskets are a reward for kids, but a trick for parents.
Exhausted mothers and fathers are slamming a new Halloween trend of gifting children with baskets filled with spooky seasonal treats.
The concept of a “boo basket” was born a few years ago, but it’s now a hot Halloween phenomenon thanks to TikTok and other social media platforms.
One angry parent complained on Reddit that Halloween has already gone too far, writing: ? ”
“If you like doing this for the kids, I never hate it, because I know I’m definitely (above the top) in other areas. Just… I feel like that’s a bit too much for me.”
Many parents in the comments felt the same way.
“You’re not alone. I’ve made it a personal goal to not get caught up in this shit in the future. Materialism is not what makes memories,” one fumed. “My kid will be happy without any of this crap. I don’t want to tell him what he needs and what he can have all the time.”
“All it takes is to spend more money so we can post on Instagram that we did it,” another wrote.
“Personally, I think you can still create memorable moments without buying trash that would be thrown away anyway. We’re going to go or treat,” another parent declared.
People will leave boo baskets on doorsteps with notes that say, “You’ve been booed!” Then there are instructions on what to do next, which includes paying it forward and “booing” the other person. Facebook/Courtney Plaka
However, some say it will be difficult to break away from the new trend.
If you receive a boo basket (referred to as “getting booed”), you are obligated to assemble your own gift basket and give it to someone else.
“Anyone who breaks the chain because they can’t afford to retaliate or don’t have the time (or any other reason) must feel like shit,” someone pointed out.
This puts both financial and time pressure on already stressed parents struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs.
“While it certainly sounds like fun and I’m not opposed to spreading some Christmas cheer to other kids, in my mind putting together a boo basket is one of the already endless Halloween activities.” It’s just one more task to complete on a to-do list,” one mother wrote on parents.com.
“Right now I’m going to go to the dollar store and make boo buckets to compete with what the kids received that night.”
This places not only time constraints but also financial obligations on parents. TikTok/Astoldby Michelle
However, not everyone hates the idea. One mother told Today.com she has bittersweet feelings about this new tradition.
“My kids are enjoying Boo Basket, so I’m enjoying Boo Basket,” said Rachel Zawada of Charlestown, Massachusetts, while running errands for the fall school festival. “But it feels like we’ve added one more thing to our ever-growing October to-do list.”
Chrissy Wade Roach of Penfield, New York, loves tradition and told TODAY: “Boobasket is just one example of how communities come together. Plus, I love a good theme!”
