At what age do your kids stop "doing" Halloween?

[Tree House Academy]

My oldest son is 11 and I have told him that he is too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating. He thinks I am unfair because his little brother will get candy and he won't (whoopee...LOL). I just think there comes a time when dressing up for trick-or-treating is too childish. My son thinks I am crazy. So...what says the hive? How do you deal with this in your home (obviously, if you celebrate Halloween, that is)?

[gingersmom]

My son is 11 and I told him this is his last year. He was not happy to hear this.

His 13 year old sister (turning 14 the week after Halloween) is going trick or treating with him also. Last hurrah for both of them.

 

They get very excited about collecting the candy. My son will eat at most 2 pieces and my daughter 0 pieces. I have very odd children.

[Karen in CO]

Never.

In my neighborhood, we have a group of teens that trick-or-treat together with coordinated costumes. One year they came dressed as Morning - a tube of toothpaste, an alarm clock, an toothbrush, a coffee cup, toast with jelly. They are awesome. The only time I don't like teens trick-or-treating is when they don't bother to dress-up. We have some that just come with pillowcases and no costume.

 

So please, let him enjoy for as long as he wants.

[Joker]

Mine can dress up and ''trick or treat" as long as they want. In my neighborhood we all went well into high school.

[RoughCollie]

My kids stopped trick-or-treating when they chose to. I think each of them was 13 the last year they celebrated Halloween.

[Jennifer in MI]

My 12 year old is dressing as Slash this year. He's worked really hard on his costume!!! I don't have a problem with it. We have a close-knit neighborhood and all the kids go trick or treating. My now 14 year old decided last year that he'd rather stay home with me and hand out the candy. I was fine with that!!!

[NanceXToo]

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him.

 

Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old?

 

I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready?

 

ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

[Chris in VA]

Mine stopped trick or treating around 12, but continued to dress up for Halloween parties.

[Gwenhwyfar]

most of the teens that i know all still go out ~ our kids will be. (12&13)

 

frankly, i don't care how old you are knocking on my door - as long as you are dressed up. show me the costumes! :D

[hsmom3tn]

The last time my son dressed up and trick-or-treated, he was 11. Last year he stayed home and gave out candy while I took the girls around the neighborhood.

 

This year, the girls have decided that they want to just stay home and hand out candy, too.

[Gwenhwyfar]

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him.

 

Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old?

 

I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready?

 

ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

 

great post. :iagree:

 

OP, your son is only 11 - that's still very much a kid. let him go! ;)

[wapiti]

Plenty of teenagers around here still trick or treat. I get annoyed with the ones not in costume and the ones who steal unattended bowls of candy when you're out with your little ones.:glare: But it's fun to see some of our babysitters around etc. :)

 

11 too old? Not here!

[muffinmom]

this is funny to me...in our neighborhood most of the adults dress up--everyone makes a fun time of it! I don't see anything at all childish about it. it's just fun.

[NanceXToo]

I feel like starting a "Let Tree House Academy's Son Trick Or Treat!" petition LOL.

 

(I'm rooting for you, kid!!!)

[Carpe Diem]

I was just telling my p.s. teacher co-worker another reason that I discovered why I am glad to h.s.

 

The reason was that my children are not so quick to grow up evidenced by the fact that my 13-year-old doesn't think she is too old to trick-or-treat.

 

A friend with children in the p.s. said her youngest stopped at nine because it wasn't cool in her crowd of friends.

 

I figure if we don't want our children to grow up too fast why should we balk when they want to engage in a perfectly age appropriate activity.

 

We also live in a college town where there is plenty of older people enjoying the festivities via putting on Halloween parties etc. So, maybe that is why I don't see it as a problem. As long as there are real costumes (homemade are the best) and that said costumes aren't disgusting then I am fine with it.

[LibraryLover]

My 11 year old is one happy child these days as she excitedly plans her costume. (Last year she was the ocean, and wore a (fake) seaweed laurel in her hair, and attached small fish beanie babies, plastic starfish, & shells to a flowing blue dress. It was too darling). She has listed ideas and props -needs on her white board. She is so adorable& creative that I can barely stand it. It would break my heart to tell her no way as she shows such innocence & excitement. We live in a great area for Halloween. People decorate their homes, sit on their porches, do all those fun and neighborly things I enjoy so much. A lot of the parents dress up as well, and so do older sibs who often take their sibs out.

Edited September 30, 2010 by LibraryLover

[QueenCat]

8th grade seems to be the norm around here. After that, it's Halloween parties.

[muffinmom]

I was just telling my p.s. teacher co-worker another reason that I discovered why I am glad to h.s.

 

The reason was that my children are not so quick to grow up evidenced by the fact that my 13-year-old doesn't think she is too old to trick-or-treat.

 

A friend with children in the p.s. said her youngest stopped at nine because it wasn't cool in her crowd of friends.

 

I figure if we don't want our children to grow up too fast why should we balk when they want to engage in a perfectly age appropriate activity.

 

We also live in a college town where there is plenty of older people enjoying the festivities via putting on Halloween parties etc. So, maybe that is why I don't see it as a problem. As long as there are real costumes (homemade are the best) and that said costumes aren't disgusting then I am fine with it.

 

 

:iagree:

[Samiam]

I agree that to let the child decide when they don't want to do it. Halloween is for every age!

[Wheres Toto]

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him.

 

Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old?

 

I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready?

 

ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

:iagree: I LOVE Halloween. I can't wait until we have more space and I can decorate full out and have a party every year.

 

My oldest is 16 and still goes out with her friends every year. I take the littles to our local Trunk or Treat since unless it's a weekend no one ever seems to be home during the daylight hours and our neighborhood has absolutely no street lights so I don't want to try and keep track of them in the dark quite yet.

[DawnM]

Well, my 12 and 10 year olds told me they don't want to go to Halloween this year!

 

Last year we had another event that night so we didn't have any Trick or Treating, so I guess they stopped last year, but not because I made them.

 

I told them they can go out this year if they want to, but only the 6 year old seems to want to.

 

Dawn

[Carrie12345]

Not only do many of the teens around here TOT, but they get to do so more than once, since our development sets their own "official" date for Trick or Trunk, and then they go out into the towns on 10/31.

 

I don't let my kids double dip like that :tongue_smilie:, but they can TOT for as long as they like, so long as they dress up.

[NanceXToo]

What does "trunk" mean?? I never heard that saying!

[Guest]

I don't care how old trick-or-treaters are... babies, children, teenagers... whatever. I will give them all candy. It's for fun, so as long as it's still fun for them (and they aren't causing trouble), they should be able to go.

 

My children (ages 9,7,4) are so excited, as they haven't been due to food allergies... which they have now outgrown (or were desensitized to).

[Wheres Toto]

What does "trunk" mean?? I never heard that saying!

 

A lot of towns or organizations do a Trunk or Treat where a bunch of people get together in a parking lot, decorate their cars and the kids go trick or treating from car to car (out of the trunks usually). It's considered safer than having the kids go from house to house in the dark. In our town, people sign up ahead of time, the town provides candy, they have a haunted house, snacks and cider, and it's quite a party. Many people get very elaborate decorating their cars - the fire department sets up a building facade, there's lots of dry ice smoke, a lot of pick-ups and trailers with full displays like you would see in someone's yard.

[NanceXToo]

Oh, wow. That sounds pretty neat! I never heard of that!

 

Here, we have town wide trick or treating on a certain day, and it's not always ON Halloween which is weird! And it's limited hours- usually people can trick or treat at local businesses from 4 PM to 6 PM, and then they can trick or treat at peoples' houses from 6 PM to 8 PM.

 

People often sit outside on their porches or stoops giving out candy, everyone decorates their houses and yards, it's a lot of fun. And often the malls will have a "safe trick or treat" night, but I usually skip that because the crowds are nuts, and trying to get into those small shops, forget it!

 

Although, I remember growing up in NY, we'd go trick or treating from the minute we got home from school until probably 9 or 10 PM LOL (at the houses that were still lit up of course)... and always ON Halloween. It's sure different here in PA but still fun!

[Daisy]

I have no problem giving an 11yo candy, so I guess I have no problem with my 11yo t-o-ting. Actually I give candy to the teenagers as long as they are in costume. Heck, I'll give candy to the moms and dads if they are in costume.

 

Come one, come all.

[Tree House Academy]

I guess i should clarify that we do not live in a neighborhood and the trick-or-treating here sucks. I don't mind my ds dressing up and going to a costume party or whatever. I am also not talking specifically about dressing up on Halloween (I know adults even do this and it IS fun), I mean going around from house to house begging for candy while dressed up.

 

Oh..and no petitions. I wasn't asking for help deciding whether he should go (he's NOT going)..I was just wondering what the "rule" was for your family/area.

 

If I had my way, we wouldn't even do Halloween. The expense of buying a costume you are going to wear once was always so silly to me.

[Unicorn.]

I feel like starting a "Let Tree House Academy's Son Trick Or Treat!" petition LOL.

 

(I'm rooting for you, kid!!!)

 

:iagree: I vote, let him go!!! :D

[Daisy]

 

If I had my way, we wouldn't even do Halloween. The expense of buying a costume you are going to wear once was always so silly to me.

 

We've never bought a custom. We've always had our kids make their own.

[Tree House Academy]

People often sit outside on their porches or stoops giving out candy, everyone decorates their houses and yards, it's a lot of fun.

 

See...if it was like that where we live, maybe I would reconsider. When we lived in a subdivision in GA, it was so much more fun. Here, it is awful. We live in the mtns and there are lots of farms. Usually a local "trunk-or-treat" is about all we get...and then it is a competition with every kid in the county!

[Mrs Mungo]

Around here teens still trick-or-treat. I give out handfuls of candy, spider rings, Halloween erasers, things like that. I get Halloween teddy grahams and such for the toddlers.

 

HOWEVER, if teens show up at my door without a costume? I give them a set of vampire teeth (I give away probably 20-30 each year) and make them put them in before giving them candy. No costume, no candy. I've only had one teen ever refuse.

 

I love Halloween, we go all out!

Edited September 30, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[LauraQ]

I loved to trick-or-treat when I was in high school, and so did most of my friends! I'll give out candy generously to anyone in costume who knocks on my door. It's a blast! We even dress up to hand it out! (I give out full-sized candy bars every year) The only thing I won't do is give out candy to older kids (teens) in NO costume who ramble by at 10:30 at night. Not that I'm asleep (I never go to bed before midnight if I can help it) but come on, at least put on some grease paint! I even went trick-or-treating with friends once *after* high school (we were 18-21 or so) because we were poor and hungry. But we dressed up. Most people laughed and gave us candy, and if they didn't we were polite and wished them a Happy Halloween and smiled and moved on, laughing at ourselves the whole time. I don't think I would consider there to be an age limit ;-)

[Carrie12345]

Oh, wow. That sounds pretty neat! I never heard of that!

 

Here, we have town wide trick or treating on a certain day, and it's not always ON Halloween which is weird! And it's limited hours- usually people can trick or treat at local businesses from 4 PM to 6 PM, and then they can trick or treat at peoples' houses from 6 PM to 8 PM.

 

People often sit outside on their porches or stoops giving out candy, everyone decorates their houses and yards, it's a lot of fun. And often the malls will have a "safe trick or treat" night, but I usually skip that because the crowds are nuts, and trying to get into those small shops, forget it!

 

Although, I remember growing up in NY, we'd go trick or treating from the minute we got home from school until probably 9 or 10 PM LOL (at the houses that were still lit up of course)... and always ON Halloween. It's sure different here in PA but still fun!

 

Yeah, our development is huge, and the houses are spread very far apart, with only about 3/4 of them occupied by full-time residents. Plus we have no streetlights or sidewalks, our roads are all lined with drainage gullies, and there's a lot of creepy wildlife out at night.

 

Most of the houses on our main road participate in the usual door-knocking tradition, and the rest of us head down to the lake to set up our own little candy giveaway. Then we follow up with a big dance party and more junk food at the clubhouse.

 

It's fun, but I definitely miss having a traditional Halloween in my home town, where the kids start TOTing on the walk home from school, lol.

[Nestof3]

12 is still so young in my opinion. I just think my kids would know when they wanted to stop.

 

I wanted to add that at 12, he will still be told, "No, you're too young for that" so many times that I would want him to continue to do as much as he can while he is young. It's hard sometimes to be in such a transition -- either too young or too old for the fun.

Edited September 30, 2010 by nestof3

[KidsHappen]

My 17 & 18 yr. olds are still going this year. :001_smile:

 

ETA more info: The kids spending the entire year planning the family's costumes. We always go as a coordinated group: Alice in Wonderland last year, Scooby gang the year before. They are very creative with their costumes frequently making them instead of just buying. We seriously decorate the house and have a party. I have already had many people ask if we are doing the same this year. Then we go to the historical area of downtown on the designated Trick-or-Treat day. Everyone goes all out with decorating (some making haunted houses to walk through) and dresses up. Even the grown ups at each house dress up and give out candy. Last year one group dressed up as KISS and gave a full on concert in their front yard. Another family set up a very large movie screen in the yard and played old, classic B&W movies. I think that many adults just dress up and walk around down town enjoying the festive atmosphere. There are haunted house, corn maizes and pumpkin festivals. It is a very big deal here, maybe even more so than Christmas and definitely my kids favorite holiday. I wouldn't dream of making them give it up until they are ready and luckily it doesn't seem expected here either.

Edited September 30, 2010 by KidsHappen

[Dawn in OH]

I agree that to let the child decide when they don't want to do it. Halloween is for every age!

 

I agree. I still dress up for Halloween. Of course, I'm into Ren faires too. I have no objection to handing candy out to teens as long as they are in costume. No costume, no candy.

 

The more I like your costume, the more candy you get.

[jenn&charles]

My daughter went last year when she was 18...I told her...ok, but really it had to be the LAST year, LOL. She was not embarrassed in the least except when we teased her a little. ;) I think it felt to her like the last little shred of being a kid.

My oldest son who was 16 also went last year. They both dressed up and had a great time. They (well actually mostly my 6 foot son) did get a few comments...like "Gee, aren't you a little old for this?" but most people enjoyed commenting on their costumes, etc.

This year only Otter is going to actually Trick-or-Treat. The others will probably dress up though.

Around our neighborhood we've seen plenty of really "big" kids high school age.

I'm going to miss it when Otter is too big!

:001_smile:

My vote is let your 11 yr. old go and have a great time! :D

[LaissezFaire]

I have two 11 year olds and this is their last year. I am toying with the idea of skipping trick or treat anyway. We have a harvest party and I'd rather do that.

[Tree House Academy]

I have two 11 year olds and this is their last year. I am toying with the idea of skipping trick or treat anyway. We have a harvest party and I'd rather do that.

 

This is how I feel exactly. I'd much rather have a party for the kids than do ToT.

[NanceXToo]

I guess i should clarify that we do not live in a neighborhood and the trick-or-treating here sucks.

 

There's no neighboring town you can drive him to where there might be better trick or treating? Or if he has friends who are going trick or treating in your area anyway and THEY don't think it "sucks," and they want to do it, or your younger is going anyway or whatever, then why not let him decide that?

 

Oh..and no petitions. I wasn't asking for help deciding whether he should go (he's NOT going)

 

:(

 

The expense of buying a costume you are going to wear once was always so silly to me.

 

He could make a home-made costume. Or buy a bigger one that could be re used the following year, and/or used throughout the year for dress up clothes. Or you can buy one on clearance AFTER halloween each year and store it til the next halloween.

 

If you're really dead set on putting a stop to it at a certain age, I'd at LEAST wait til he's a teenager. Let him enjoy it at 11 and 12. By 13 he might not care as much anyway.

[BethInNH]

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him.

 

Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old?

 

I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready?

 

ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

 

:iagree:

I can't imagine telling an 11 yo "child" that something is too "childish" for them.:confused:

[Stacia]

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him.

 

Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old?

 

I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready?

 

ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

 

:iagree:

[mcconnellboys]

Ummmm, never? Not yet, anyway (either of them)......

[abbeyej]

Oh, let him go! I'm always thrilled to have older trick-or-treaters, as long as they're in costume and not obnoxious about trying to take half the bowl of candy at one swipe. :) If he wants to dress up, let him! Why on earth should dressing up be restricted to tiny children?!?

[Danestress]

1. You have to actually say "trick or treat."

 

2. You have to say "thank you."

 

3. You take a reasonable portion of candy if they hold the bowl out to you. If they leave a bowl because they are out, you take one piece.

 

4. You dress in a way that would not scare a 5 year old of average sensitivity (ie you are not intentionally gross or scary, but some kids are scared of almost 13 year old boys regardless)

 

5. You stay aware of your own safety and the safety of those around you and you end the evening by 8:30.

 

6. You pass up on houses with the lights off.

 

7. You share your candy with your father.

 

 

If you want to do all those things at 16, fine. Knock yourself out. I would be delighted to have my 16 year old neighbors come under those circumstances.

[Sukale]

My dd is 11 this yr. She still wants to go. I have no plans of ever telling her she is to big to go. The only rule is she has to dress up, not just go with her little sister and get candy. So for us, if you want candy wear a costume, at 2 yrs old or 17 yrs old, and HAVE FUN. The time our kids get to be kids seams to be getting shorter and shorter. There is no way I would take this kid activity away from her.

[Lolly]

As long as they want to dress up, it is fine with me. Mine all still go. The costumes just keep getting better and better.:D

[Wheres Toto]

I always hated the idea of buying a costume to wear once. I was lucky with my oldest in that she always had dance costumes she could wear (she's had 3 or 4 different cowgirl, a 50's poodle skirt, an alien, a stewardess and a car mechanic along others). Athough we have bought a few costumes over the years.

 

With my youngers so far, I've just made their costumes usually with sweats as the base so they can wear them again. 2 years ago they were a turtle (green sweats, foam shell) and rabbit (white sweats, ears and tail). Last year dd wore a dress-up Cinderella dress she already had and ds was a bat (black sweats, black felt wings). This year ds wants to be a ghost and dd wants to be a ghost of a princess so I don't anticipate that being too difficult.

[Pippen]

I'm going to be a big party pooper here. My kids stop with their last year of elementary school. I'm not real encouraging to teens at the door either. It's expensive enough for us with the younger ones--if teens were encouraged to trick-or-treat in our community I'd have to skip to it completely.

 

Does anyone else think those little candy bars are ridiculously priced?