14 is too old to out on Halloween, isn't it?

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

My DS isn't thrilled that I think he's too old to go out. He could probably get away with it if he was small for his age but he is at least 5' 9" and his voice is really deep, nearly Vin Diesel deep. If you're in Dublin, what's the cut off age in your area?

[Skittlesandbeer]

Couldn’t be further than Dublin (Australia!), so feel free to ignore me. Halloween where I am is HUGE. As an example, I gave out 6kg of sweets last year, one per child.

14 would surpass the average age of trick or treater by at least 3 years. Unless he is accompanying small siblings or a gang of younger kids. No doubt you’ll have neighbours he could convince to ‘hire’ him, if he’s that keen!

2 years ago the doorbell rang HOURS after the fun had died down, it was 3x 14-15yos, trying their luck without even bothering with costumes! I said ‘come back Saturday to do jobs, if you need money for sweets at your age!’.

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

Yes, my feeling is that once they've left primary school it's all over. Last year was his first year in secondary but he was away so it didn't arise. I grew up in Dublin but I'm so old that I can't remember what age I stopped going out, and it's hard to judge from the callers that we get because we live on a gated road in an area that is more old people than families so we hardly get anyone knocking at the door, maybe six to eight kids. One year we didn't get anyone as all the kids on the road were either away or were spending the evening at friends' houses.

6kg I remember one of the mums at school telling me that she gets loads and loads of kids calling, they live in quite a big estate with lots of young families. So she send her DC out to visit the top end of the estate and the called in to home before going out to do the rest of the estate and she recycled their sweets because she had run out. TBH I don't think kids like the cheap sweets all that much anyway, it's more the thrill of being out in the dark and being a bit scared by the costumes. I often end up throwing out the leftover Halloween stuff at around Christmas time.

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

DD (still at primary) wants to be Donald Trump this year. Now that's properly scary IMO.

[0hT00dles]

We had a few older ones knock on the door last year - and we’re in Dublin too. Generally, I’d say about 12.

The older ones were completely alone and just after the sweets. Didn’t bother dress up. I was happy to oblige as I had sweets left, but around our area, after 7 and people don’t answer the door as we’re all at the community fireworks.

So it’s the older ones who knock after 8:30. And that’s bedtime here😂 and for our neighbours putting kids to bed.

Can he take a child out?! Use it as his cover! Or you could promise him sweets to not go! I stopped at 12 but that was 20 years ago! 😱

[Gingerivy]

Meh. We have in past had kids that were 14-16yo trick or treating at our door. If they're out trick or treating instead of out getting into a bunch of trouble, just dressing in costume and having a laugh with their friends, it doesn't bother me a bit. To be fair, they usually had some very entertaining costumes.

[OzymandiasFanClub]

He's getting a bit old to trick or treat- perhaps make this his last year. My DSs are 11 and 16. We all dress up and go for a "Ghost walk"- just tour round the houses looking at pumpkins/decorations but not knocking on doors. Then we walk round the unlit parts of the park in self induced terror!!!
We have sweets/ cakes etc at home

[TheBeatGoesOnandOn]

Not unless he was accompanying a younger sibling.

Could he have a little party - popcorn, music, some nice sweets and a ph-13 horror with friends?

[UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername]

It's for primary kids really, I'd say. We usually end up with some teenage chancers knocking later on, and will laughingly give them stuff if they've made any sort of token attempt at dressing up. As long as they're pleasant about it.

[TheBeatGoesOnandOn]

PG not PH.

His skin would peel off.

[EleanorLavish]

My eldest will be 14, but luckily has siblings to accompany as he would be devastated not to do it!
Are there any neighbourhood kids he could take? Or get him to dress up and answer the door?