how old is too old for trick or treating

[estellacruella]

My 11 year old son wants to go trick or treating tonight he loves halloween and has his costume all ready. if he does go this would be his last year as i feel he is getting too old for it. my husband thinks he is too old since he started high school in august
Do you think 11 is too old to go out round the doors or should it be ok for him too go tonight
TIA

What's the reason so many don't like giving to teens? Is it because you think they are too old for treats or that you find groups of teens intimidating & think they are up to no good?
If it's because you think they are too old, how do you feel about parents with very young kids. We had a few families with young toddlers & babies. The kids clearly aren't eating the sweeties it's for the parents. I love Halloween & anyone who goes out in the dark & wet is welcome to what I've got. I'm just pondering after the endless Halloween Theads

Funnily enough I've just given to the Amazon man

I think it depends where you live I guess. Where we used to live it was mainly old people who turned their lights off for the evening so DS never went but in our village this year it’s awesome! DS (13) has gone out with his friends and we’ve been able to stay at home and answer the door. Everyone has been super polite and we know almost everyone who’s been to the door anyway. The dog is loving saying hello to everyone! There are no intimidating teenagers here. I’ve just nipped out and my only concern is that most of the older children are dressed in dark clothing and there’s a distinct lack of pavements in our village. Obviously, I drove super carefully!

Ah well I’m Scottish and we actually go guising, trick or treat is American which the “rules “of are obviously not Scottish in origin.

Allow him to be a child as long as possible. And I don't think their is an age limit.

We don’t go guising any more though - the kids now call it trick or treating or just Halloween. Guising and neep lanterns are a thing of the past.

11 was DD's last year. It would have been 12 but she tested positive for covid on halloween last year!

11 is fine - it will more than likely be the last time he wants to do it.

I think it depends on the age of the teens. Younger teens - no problem - when they get to 15/16 and older then I don’t like it, and didn’t let mine go out at that age. It’s really for kids, not adults or young adults.

Not doing guising this year. Might take youngest ones out next year. 4am start today.

I think once they’re in secondary school that should be it really. Having little children dressed up staying trick or treat is very sweet - teens begging for sweets at your door isn’t cute, sorry.

Just had 3 teen lads (maybe 14/15 ish) turn up. One in mask and a bit of a costume. Two others not, Made the other two tell a joke to earn their sweets! To be fair they did, and with good nature. They were polite too.

I made secondary school the cut off for mine, because at that age some of DS’s friends were taller than me and a group of them might be pretty intimidating. But I gave plenty of notice and the choice of answering the door and taking a sweet for each one they gave out (younger siblings still got to trick or treat so it seemed fair) or cinema for a Halloween film with sweets and popcorn. If your DS is expecting trick or treat, I’d give him one last go and plan an alternative early next year.

That’s the trick part of trick or treat

Fortunately I haven't ever had that happen here. The trick part is to tell a joke or similar, so more Trick AND treat, rather than or.

I’ve enjoyed the tweens/teens as much as the little ones. Let them enjoy childhood for a little longer.

See i feel really differently. I have teens, I love having teens around the house. I enjoy the banter with the few teens that have been to our door. I find they have a great energy & are way more entertaining than the little kids & I really like to think of them out having fun &getting a few sweets rather than being at home scrolling Tik Tok because somehow even though they are still kids they are considered too old to join in the fun.

My 11 yr old came out with me and his younger siblings tonight. He was dressed up too.

We did see a group of teenagers going round - I’d guess around 13 - 14 yrs old - which I was fine with until I realised that they’d emptied the entire tub of sweets I’d left outside our door. Rather than just taking one or two each.

I wouldn't want a group of older teens at my door, especially with masks on, I'd find it intimidating. Group of 11 to 13 year olds, or a 14 year old or older taking younger children around, fine.

I don't think trick or treating is suitable for preschool age children or babies either.

DS2 is 13. He’s been doing door duty while I’ve taken his much younger sibling out. if he’d wanted to dress up, I’d have sent him out with DS3. But he wasn’t bothered.

Tbh, he feels too old for it. And recognises that a bunch of teenage boys dressed up at the door might feel a bit threatening to some people, rather than cute. DS and his friends are mostly much taller than me these days.

he did say that he got a group of kids about his age at the door and thought it was a bit weird.

I’m not really bothered how old the people at my door are tbh. I’ll give out sweets to anyone who knocks. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some 11 year olds are still childlike. Others may not be!

I hung my witch hat on the front door and answered to 4 sets of under 8s this evening. They were all accompanied by adults and were very cute.

Then I saw a group of three roaming adolescent trick or treaters, one of whom was talking loudly about having 'a boner.'
I took in the hat and turned off my front lights!

Why not pre-school? My two year old nephew went out tonight. He went to do two doors dressed as a pumpkin with his mam and decided he'd had enough because he was so excited to get home and eat the chocolate he'd been given from those two doors. He's had lovely night.

Pre schools are the best!! So cute, and lovely to see that age again after years of older children and teenagers 😊

This is completely adorable. ☺️

15yr old (yr 11) DD took her 11yr old (yr 6) brother out and she was very respectful - I wandered behind them for a bit as I was going to the village shop - she hung back to let her little brother do it on his own, complimented the children answering the door on their costumes, told Halloween jokes to anybody who answered. She waited to be offered a sweet, took only one and said happy Halloween and thank you.

I don't love Halloween tbh but I do know from teaching at dd's school that other year 11s are in a field getting pissed right now and planning to raid any buckets left out. I am happy to see older children out enjoying themselves and being polite and kind to the smaller ones they see.

I just had a group of older teens and they were lovely and took quite a bit off my hands which has stopped me scoffing them later.

I think anything 18 and under is fine.

Meanie