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

Ring doorbell sorts it if you don’t want to give to teens.

Personally I think primary age is the cut off. And they should be in costumes.

Twee messages on FB groups about teenagers pushes me the other way. I find it weird people think I should be grateful that someone else’s teen isn’t on their iPad.

46 and Scottish here, so yes, guising was very much a thing when I was young (and for my parents, and my grandparents... Halloween has been 'a thing' in Scotland / Ireland for forever).

However, even when I was a child, there was an unspoken rule that about 12-ish / going from primary to secondary was when it came to an end.

(Also, guising required some form of transaction - you had to tell a joke / sing a song / do a wee dance for your sweeties. I can't imagine any teenager doing that without dying of CRINGE.)

It is a big deal on my estate too. Adults with the children also usually dress up. People drive to it. Strict 5-8 pm policy. Last year a woman questioned how old my son was (12). Then said that ok and gave him a sweet. He was embarrassed. It was mentioned on the fb page she was doing this and all other comments were appalled she had done this. As all the teens are polite and
doing something community based and fun. What do people actually want from teens? Theres now very little for them to do without cost and halloween is a free event anyone can enjoy. Why be a petty fun sponge?

This year he got significantly less than the 9 year old as some households gave to one and not the other. He said he wasnt bothered but I could tell the shine has gone. I find it so tough encouraging my teens out of the house, and im actually irritated people are so mean and petty about handing over a penny sweet.

I very deliberately leave some sweets in the cupboard for the older kids that come over around 8pm.

Childhood doesn't last forever and kids are expected to grow up quickly so I'm happy to accommodate a night of childhood fun.

In the festive tradition

Absolutely no age limit. 14 or 41, if you are wanting to go and dress up and behave well, whatever, have a sweet. Anyone who tuts at my literal children for wanting to trick or treat because they’ve decided they look too old should probably just opt out of the whole thing tbh (which is fine).

I don’t care how old they are as long as they make an effort, we’ve had teens turn up not even dressed up! I stop answering the door at 8 which is when most of the chancers come out but before that I’ll give everyone a sweet

My 14 year old went out with three friends last night. They were all dressed up in inflatable dinosaur costumes and delighted any younger kids who saw them. They had their pictures taken repeatedly 🤣

Digital ID

Make them show a passport or birth certificate

My daughter went out last night with some friends. She turns 13 in a few weeks and the friends were 13-16. They dressed up and were polite and we live in Scotland so they are expected to perform for their sweets. They love it. I’m happy to have anyone come to my door with the excitement they bring and I’m delighted my daughter wants to hang onto her childhood a bit longer.

Would you rather the teenagers are encouraged to stay inside gaming or stand around vaping in the park?

DD went out last night with her friends, with me trailing after them. Two of them are nearly 14. They were polite , well behaved , only took one sweet and let the little ones go first. They’re already talking about next year. In many ways they’re still kids even if they’re as tall as me.

We always have a few older teens coming up, usually without an outfit or minimum effort. But as long as they are polite and take a couple of sweets like the other kids I don't mind.

Kids pushing around and trying to intimidate the younger ones are the issue, whatever their age. We also have some of those each year, and they aren't usually the older ones, more 13ish and "too cool" for trick or treating.

i'm 18 and i love halloween and trick or treating!! im autistic and halloween is a special interest of mine. i went trick or treating last night with my parents and 12 year old sister. i think if older kids/teens are being kind, respectful and sensible, then there is no issue with them having fun on halloween! but obviously anyone who is rude, mean, or is behaving badly should be told off, because they can ruin the fun for everyone else

Or maybe parents of 14 or 15 year olds think it’s ok if their child still wants to do childish things? And, as long as they behave well, the parents are fine with it.

(And I disagree with you btw. Kids of this age don’t look like fully grown adults.)

We don't do halloween but i have teenagers with SEN. Tbh i find it disheartening when people think they should be excluded to give priority to young children. I think it should be for everyone who wants to do it, providing they behave themselves.

Teens are still kids really. Let them outgrow it naturally. I wouldn’t be a fan of age limits. Obviously bad behaviour shouldn’t be allowed, but otherwise what’s the harm?

I was walking behind a group of lads a few weeks ago. Tall, 16 or 17 year olds maybe. They were earnestly discussing their favourite jelly baby flavour 😁

Bad behaviour is bad behaviour. Pushing kids is cunty at any age.

We T&T and then come home and send kids to answer the door.

Most teens CBA to knock and those that do tens to react better to a child and be far more polite than they are to adults.

I sort of have a soft spot for the teens. It's one of the few child things they still want to do while pretending their too cool to do the same thing as little kids.

We had them empty the bucket we left out last year but by then the little ones had already been round and its none of my business who takes it, as long as it goes. Taking the whole thing in one go is just how some kids enjoy it 🤷‍♀️ once it's gone, it's gone.

Youd have to be very naive to think teens aren't going to do that 🤣

As far as I'm concerned, I'm putting out free sweets that I want gone, I don't care who takes it and definitely CBA to get wound up about it.

I understand what you mean when it’s unpleasant children (of any age) that steal whole bowls of sweets, are rude and use it as an excuse to intimidate but my almost 16 year old went out trick or treating last night, we spent ages on his costume and make up and he’d been planning his costume for weeks. He was really excited to go, he’s a great lad and he’s been awfully bullied for many years so has missed out on normal stuff you’d do with friends for years. I wasn’t going to tell him he’s ‘too old’ when he was perfectly polite and eager to go. He’s autistic but the friends he went out with aren’t, just kids who still happen to behave like kids which I think is great considering what some of the alternatives can be.

We had some lovely polite teens last night. My son and his friends haven't been out for the past few years, but the last year they dressed up, they all left home with a bucket of sweets each and handed them out to younger kids in the streets rather than knocking doors - entirely their own idea.

I don’t really care if teenagers come trick or treating as long as they’re polite. We had 2 groups of them last night and they all said thank you etc so no issues with it, all just innocent fun as long as they stick to knocking on doors with lights on and decorations.
Eldest DD went trick or treating with a friend last year when she was 13, this year they said it was too embarrassing so I think they reach a natural age when they know they’re too old!

We had some horrible teenagers knock last night, not dressed up, just holding our pillow cases, and mocked our children (who had given them the sweets!) as they walked off. Then while we were out we saw another gang of teenagers completely ransack the sweets we left out, and stole the bowl.

It’s a shame for the well behaved teenagers but I just think if they are old enough not to be supervised by adults then they shouldn’t be out trick or treating because some of them clearly can’t behave themselves.

I think some people are just a bit miserable. You’re right that if older kids nick all the sweets then they should be put in the public stocks but if they’re being polite and behaving then where’s the harm? My daughter loves Halloween (odd as I’ve never made a big thing of it). She and her friends perfect their costumes while the younger ones trick or treat them go out a bit later when the little ones have all gone home. They’re polite, they’re not greedy and their faces look like 6 year olds’ when they get back. She’s 14. I’m quite happy for her to continue to do this for the next year or two.

I think most kids naturally outgrow it.

My younger child stopped at 13. My older child has SEND and is 15 and still gets really excited about going so I accompany him. He loves dressing up and always says thank you and wishes people a happy Halloween. I think it'll only be another year or two before he decides he doesn't want to do it any more. He just needs a little bit more time to grow up compared to other kids.

Everyone has always been really lovely to him and nobody has batted an eyelid about his age.

I think it's badly behaved kids of whatever age that spoil it for others.

We do little sweet bags, but keep some individual Haribo packets on hand.

Any older kids - especially those that aren’t wearing costumes get the Haribo packs.

If they are accompanying a younger child and are wearing a costume they get a bag :)