by Mama Pig
When you have as many children as I do, you start to think about holidays months in advance. Somehow though, Halloween has very quietly come around without me noticing. We usually have our costumes picked out in August and purchased by September. Where in the world did the last two months go?
For C this will be a piece of cake. He is obsessed with super heroes and has an array of costumes to choose from. The problem will be which one he wishes to be that night. Little E is getting a hand me down from W. A good friend made W her first Halloween costume, and being the now reformed pack rat, I saved it. It is the others that I am worried about.
This brings to mind the question: how old is too old to trick or treat? I am in the camp that thinks as long as you make an effort to put some sort of costume together, I will happily give you candy whether you are six or sixteen. I have some friends that feel quite strongly there should be some sort of cut off and are enforcing it with their older children. I am pretty confident that J1 and W will be enjoying the night with a group of friends, going around gathering candy. I think at that age it is more about being out and about than it is about getting the candy.
What is your child going to be for Halloween? Is there a cut off for your kids or do you think as long as they are in the spirit of the day they should be allowed to enjoy?
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Comments (111)
I think if someone wants to trick or treat they should be allowed too. Sometimes, kids don't get invited to Halloween parties and they feel left out if they aren't allowed to go trick or treating.
I'm 13 and I'm still going trick or treating! :] So is my older brother who is 15!
I have 3 kids, they are going to be a John Deere Farmer (or Old McDonald), and a ducky, and a lamb. Worked out well that my 3 year old really wanted to be a John Deere Farmer, and my 2 year old LOVES duckies. I figure I get to decide for my 5 month old. :) I kind of agree, as long as the kids have some sort of a costume and aren't just going door to door in regular clothes, than it's fun, and there are worse things theycould be doing besides trick-or-treating.
Hrm. Well, I personally never liked trick-or-treating and my parents dragged me out when I was younger (probably because that's the "normal" thing to do). I never learned to like it. My friend also dragged me out two years ago (I was 16) to go trick-or-treating with her -- we were stalked by her parents (who don't seem to trust us walking around our own neighborhood). Oh, and a teacher from our school tagged along for kicks (though he wasn't our teacher).
... I agree, though. If someone bothers to put together an actual costume (and actually SAY "trick-or-treat"), then I don't see why they can't go trick-or-treating. I know that for me and my friend that year, it was more about hanging out than getting candy, anyway. I guess it'd be kind of weird when the person is over 25, though.
I go trick-or-treating like every other year, but I am 15. I love it when I am out with friends. It's not like we are doing anything stupid.... :D
i love trick-or-treating!
its really fun. theres no really "too old-for-treat-or-treating RULE" n imight wear a captain girl kinda thing like in a ship boarding
We wont be going treat or treating. I have thought about dressing the boys up as the three little pigs and going to some of the local carnivals but we haven't decided yet. I'll give candy to anyone, kid or adult that is in costume. I don't worry too much about age.
you're never too old to go trick-or-treating!
I'm 19 and still plan on going this year.
when I have kids, I'm going to bring my own bag and pretend that I have another one at home so I get candy without having to steal my kids' haha
I've promoted the day as a time to be neighborly. We make up some dough for doughnuts, cut them out and leave them to rise. Then we go visit a few neighbors and when we get back we fry the doughnuts and eat them and talk about the visits. I think limiting your visits to a few neighbors homes and talking about being friendly to your neighbors helps to take the emphasis off of getting a truckload of candy and put it in a better place. Then having something planned to do at home when the visiting is over helps too, putting the idea firmly in mind that it will be fun to get back home.
As far as costumes go, I had six kids who had very little help dressing up. After a point they dressed each other and themselves. They came up with lots of great ideas, such as wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase to be a businessman, all sorts of clowns, a pioneer, queens, princesses who made their own crowns with cardboard and aluminum foil, pioneer gals and guys,old men, old ladies, bumble bees, cats, birds, butterflys who fashioned their own tails and wings. My kids were proud of themselves for coming up with their own ideas for dressing up. We developed a box of dress up clothes and it was favorite part of the toys all year round too.
Any age is fine for dressing up if kids are not greedy and nasty. I think what people object to is the ugliness of selfish older kids who push the younger ones out of the way. That is rotten no matter when or where that happens.
I trick or treated until I was 22, my last year in college. It's about having fun and being youthful and whimsical. I still considered myself a kid then, so for me it still felt ok. I think the absolute cutoff should be when you're an "adult" (ie, not living off parents, have your own place, etc) I would find it creepy if a 40 year old guy came to my door on Halloween.
I think people here generally agree that there is no age limit, except maybe when you could pass as a creep in your middle ages. I also agree about the effort put into dressing up.
I will be honest. I did not like trick or treating as a kid either! I found it tiring and boring, and I hated my costumes! I always claimed I felt sick on Halloween night, and then just gave out candy at my grandmother's house. (Though at 11 years old, I did develop an annoyance to boys who just wore a black hoodie and a mask...)
So at age 14, I began trick or treating with two friends, and pretty soon it became a thing I looked forward to every year. I guess 'cause it was more than just dressing up and seeing the reaction of candy-givers and walking long, long blocks. I'm 19 now, and I'm a kid at heart! A lot of people my age are too "cool" to trick or treat, but who cares? It's not against the law, and we're not scaring any body (I hope). My parents do ask why I want to go, and my mom does ask if I'm too old for it, and all I say is "free candy!". I'm not lying to get out, but if your kids were in their teens and claiming to get candy, I guarantee it's also a social thing, but trust your kids, like mine do, and we won't do things, like steal other kids' candy.
Last, I have to say, I live on the east side of my town, and in an area where there are lots of little kids with two high schools pretty close to eachother. So, if you can see where I'm coming from, it does get dangerous. Couple of years ago, I got jumped by two guys when I was in a group of about 7 people (boys too). There are always roman candles, fireworks and crackers going off on streets, at people, in alleys, and at houses. There will always be some kids who want to pick on others.
One more note! *watch "Mean Girls" about Halloween.. because it is true. (sadly)
I think people of any age can celebrate the holiday by dressing up if they wish (although I think slutty costumes are just distasteful) but I tend to think that the candy-gathering/trick-or-treating should be left to the elementary and maybe middle-school aged children. It just seems weird to have a teenager show up at your door asking for candy. Unless maybe they're with their younger siblings.
I went until I realized all the people around me where like...4. Haha. I was 16 when i stopped going, mostly because I felt like I was too old and plus, I didn't really want to be eating all that candy anyway. Kids can decide when to stop going. If they still feel comfortable going out, then I see no problem letting them.
My daughter is going to be a bunny rabbit. When she's actually old enough to go around the neighborhood, it'll be like I'm trick or treating again. There's no way she'll be able to eat that candy alone, ya know. ;)
When they don't find it fun any more then they're too old.
I've lived quite a few places and found the age varies by location. Some places I've lived it was uncool for middle schoolers to trick or treat. I live in a small town in west Michigan where high school kids still trick or treat. We lived ten minutes away from where we are now and high school kids never went trick or treating.
I say let them do what they're comfortable with. If kids their age are still doing it where you live, let them go.
I trick-or-treated when I was 16. XDDD In more recent years, I haven't found anyone to go with! It's quite sad, really.
My son (3) is going to be Buzz Lightyear and my daughter (18 mos) is going to be a fairy. It doesn't really matter to me what age trick-or-treaters are...as long as they are in costume!
I went last year at 18 - I was a pregnant cheerleader. Many people disapproved. (But I wasn't ACTUALLY pregnant, they just couldn't see that).
I want to go again this year, but my boyfriend can't go, so I'm going to a party instead.
I'm in the camp that's willing to hand candy over to anyone, but I know a lot of people have a problem with teenagers (13+) trick or treating. *shrug*
I came from a small rural VT town and there were no such things as Halloween parties or anything. So in general people went trick or treating up into their late teens. I myself went trick or treating till I was 18, stopped after I went away to college. I had two younger siblings so once I got my license my parents had me drive them around as coming from rural VT houses weren't close enough to really walk to. So I figured if I was out I might as well be getting candy too, and I know a lot of other older teens that did the same thing. It gave us all something to do and kept people out of trouble. As far as a cut off I think if you are out of college and don't have kids of your own then that's old enough. If you're older and have kids who you are taking out, I don't see anything wrong with dressing up when you take them out. But ya the thought of like a 30 year old out trick or treating without any kids, does seem on the creepy side.
My kids are going to dress up as fairies. I get extremely annoyed with the older teens running around and pushing their way through the little kids while trick-or-treating. Starting around the age of 14 or so, I will discourage trick-or-treating... but I will help them throw an awesome Halloween party for their friends!
My son wants to go as Spongebob, and my daughter will be Batgirl. :o)
I don't think it matters. I even give candy to the older kids without costumes, which I know a lot of people don't do, but not everyone can afford a pricey costume and the holiday is all about having fun anyway. As long as they don't show up smelling like booze they're getting a fistful of Snickers!
Looks like your pack-ratting came in handy. Channel that inner rat...save stuff...you'll need it later...you know you will...
My son is going to be a TMNT (Raphael) and my baby girl is going to be a bunny for her first halloween.
I think as long as they're in the spirit it shouldnt matter the age.
I'll be 20, but I still go trick-or-treating, LOL! Except my friends and I don't ask for candy. We say, "trick-or-can!" and ask for canned goods for the local food bank. We bring along our wagons and fill them up and donate it all. People almost always give us candy too!
I love Halloween. Its my favorite holiday. I stopped trick or treating when I was about 15-16 however, I have younger siblings [my little sister is ten years younger than me (9) and my little brother is 13)] and I always take them [or just my sister] trick or treating or my mom so she can stay home and pass out candy. Now that I have a step daughter and am pregnant with my first I'll be taking her [and the baby next year] with my sister along. I always dress up and sometimes they still give me candy.
We never really trick-or-treated when I was younger, but we did give out candy. It was weird when I was in high school, and there would be people older than I am who would come by for candy...and they weren't with little kids.
my friends..at the age of 20 still dress up just to go out and have fun and perhaps see the other crazy costumes people come up with in the village..personally i havent done it since i was 10..i guess it all depends on what your kids would be goin out for..at a certain age..alot of kids just start doin the whole shaving cream/egging...that tends to be the teen idea of trick or treating..at least around here..so it would depend..simple-minded, just wanna have fun kind of trick or treating? or let's go egg someone's house, fill the park slides and write all over people's cars with shaving cream kind of trick or treating?
i would think theres never really an age limit on dressing up and goin out just for fun..but then again..if you hit about 30..and you dont have a kid with you..it seems a bit creepy..