Should guising/trick or treating have an upper age limit..?

I wouldn’t even open my door to teens who are not dressed up on Halloween unless they were with their parents.

I think nowadays based on kids behaviour they should need to be supervised by adults whatever age they are.

I live in a flat building and thankfully didn’t get anyone knocking 😆 but I did hear teens screeching obnoxiously on the street my bedroom window faces.

My ‘too old teenager’ went out last night with her friend. There was a no parents house party but they chose to trick or treat.

She said, “Christmas, birthdays, Easter, all can be ruined by mean or struggling parents. But Halloween any child can knock and ask and be given sweets”. Let’s all be as kind as my teenager, who is lovely, says something nice about the house, and actually gave some of her stash to a house that had run out!

Thought this was interesting, if they are well behaved and having fun why not? If they are rude and aggressive then obviously not

Some children look older. Some have additional needs so mentally more like a younger child. We had older kids visiting, they had costumes on and were polite. I said to some older ones they could take a few each as I had loads left later on and they were genuinely happy. I thought it was quite sweet that a group of 13? Year old lads wanted to trick or treat. I also offered sweets to older teens accompanying toddlers and they were happy to be included.

That's a situation I'd have called the police about. 🤬

I don't see why there should be an age limit.

What's the harm in polite teens trick or treating?

It's for children, they are still children. As long as behaviour is good, I don't see why there has to be an upper age limit for play.

Teenagers can be a PITA at Halloween. A bunch of them were hanging around our churchyard in costumes, being disrespectful by walking over the graves and terrifying the choir group who rehearse in there on a Friday night (most of whom are over 70) as they came out.
Meanwhile another group found out where the vicar lives and were banging on her door and going up to her front window in horrible masks. She was on her own and felt really threatened.
By all means eat sweets, but please keep things respectful and safe for everyone.

I'm in Vancouver, Canada. Here little kids are usually out with their parents trick or treating 7-8:30pm or so. Lights off at your home means you're done giving out candy.
I don't think you can have a legal age limit... if young people / teens want to dress up and have some fun that's fine. I take exception with the pushing. I had my littles out last night and three teens did push by us going up stairs to one home, got their candy then hurried down pushing by us again. I said, Hey, these kids are 2 & 4. Response was, I feel ya.
🙄

I kinda wanted to trip them.

I don’t see the harm. We had older kids knock on last night. All Polite enough and looked like they were having fun. It’s only a lolly or a pack of haribo. Plenty to go round. It’s nice to see them still enjoy themselves.

My lad is in year 8 and he decided this was his last year. I have to say I begrudge giving sweets to 16 year olds! I had this one lad who was dressed up but taking his younger siblings out. He wouldn’t take any sweets bless him. He was about 15. I thought that was quite sweet.

I had older teens come round last night and they were all really polite and said thank you so no problem with that, but honestly yes, I do think they were a little too old to be asking for sweets on the doorstep. The boys who came round absolutely towered over me and looked quite intimidating, even though they were fine. I'd never refuse to hand out sweets to a nice teenager, but I do think 15 + is too old.

It's great to hear the young teens are still having fun with it!

funnily enough, they're not all sweet stealing thugs!! 🤗

Groups of teens descending on our street after years of being known as a good street to visit, is basically why no one here puts anything out now.

Excellent!!

My daughters are 14 and went trick or treating, in fact one of my girls has been making her costume for 9 months. It's nice that they still find enjoyment from Halloween like this, most of their peers are more mature but tbh last night we had lots of teens 14+ but all of them had made an effort. I didnt see any pushing or shoving younger kids out the way, they was all very polite.

I think if they’re out with younger kids (siblings/cousins) it’s okay but groups of teens is too intimidating.

Locally the teenagers are out for trouble. Older children only seem to go if with primary aged siblings.

However we do have some 18 plus year olds who go all out amazing costumes but they wonder around the streets giving out candy themselves.

We have seen children I knew in year 8 steal
pumpkins and whole bowls of sweets their mothers and fathers would of all said not my Lindsay. But she was I saw her and her mates.

Mean Bat!!'

Hope he still enjoyed the evening with his sibs!!

Yep, exactly. Long may they enjoy themselves!!

Oh right.

Who died & made her God?

@AmberRose86 the age isn't the issue, it's the behaviour! Any ring door bell anyone can use to name & shame.

I’m in Scotland and my daughter and her friends make up some sort of song and dance routine every year. It’s lovely and innocent and I won’t put a stop to it until they decide the time has passed. Time enough to be grown up, might as well wear a fun outfit and sing in the streets with your friends while you can.

That's the thing. Guessing someone's age is just that, a guess.

Unless someone asks for ages or demands to see proof of age, they are almost certainly going to guess incorrectly at times.

Those taking Halloween so seriously that they have all of these rules about something that should be fun and instead results in lecturing children about their age probably shouldn't bother in the first place. It's so mean spirited.

My 15 year old DSS chose to hang out with his little siblings to go trick or treating, which I thought was really sweet. He dressed up with them and we all went around the local houses.
One lady answered the door and gave the little ones sweets, then told DSS he’s too old and shouldn’t be doing it. So wouldn’t give him a sweet.
put a real dampener on things as he was then sheepish about asking anyone else. It was one sweet so no idea why she made such an issue.
he is tall so I wonder if she thought he was an adult but I wish she hadn’t been mean and given him a lecture

My 13 year old DSS loved trick or treating. He and his best friend both look much older as they are very tall. But they are young kids still really. They took loads of care planning an outfit and love going to see all the decorations people had put out.

As long as they are respectful and sensible I don't mind what age they are!

I live in an estate where Halloween is popular with families. There is a lovely atmosphere with kids knocking on doors, and people dressing up at home giving out candies. DC1 is 14yo and hasn’t gone since she’s in secondary. I think she felt embarrassed and childish doing it. This year, she took her little sister and also made a big effort doing face make up and sewed a mask. I think they are too old when they have outgrown it. As long as they are polite and have made an effort with dressing up, I don’t see a problem.