How old is TOO old to go trick-or-treating?

[stubbornhubby]

that's it really, how old is too old?

the reason I asked this: my DS is 13 - and he wants to go out T&T with some friends on sunday.

we have said 'no' - he's too old.

He can't understand why anyone would find him menacing.. but this thread reinforces my view and he's not going..

Actually, there is one innovation from the States which I like: pumpkins [hsmile]

I've just finsihed carving ds' pumpkin lantern for his school Haolloween Part (for which he will get a prize for participating [hhmm])

It took me 15 minutes.

When I was wee, my mum had to carve the lantern out of a solid neep/turnip(the purple ones for the English)[hshock]. It would take her hours (which of course as a kid, I never fully appreciated [hblush])

DS1 is 13 and I expect he will be going out with his little brother. Blimey! He's still got teddy bears and as far as I'm concerned he's still a child. He would be too embarrassed to go out without the excuse of looking after DS2.

Why does MN hate teenagers so much ?

it's not just MN

I take it the people who question my "it should be banned" haven't suffered harrasment(aka hate crime) I will be sitting on tenderhooks on the 31st waiting to see what damage is down.
so yes it should be banned.

Stubbornhubby - my DD age 14 will be going to a Halloween party AND trick & treating with her friends as usual. Certainly not too old for that or for chuppa chips [hwink] Dress style is now vampire/gothic/Twilight inspired and they truly ham it up for houses they visit especially if a little one answers [hsmile]

DS 11 and mates also going (accompanied by yours truly, also in full old hag regalia)

It's a very safe trick & treating area though. Everyone does it and very few problems

Go on, change your mind and say yes !

any age is too old. This is out and out begging.

I am not worried about him!... on the contrary.

the thing is; I think that him and his three mates are too old and menacing for T&T.

No, they wouldn't mean to be menacing... but they're too old... they wouild NOT look cute, by any stretch of the imagination

it's not begging fgs, it's a reciprocal, lovely community event

if people are being harrassed by individuals, that isn't as a consequence of Halloween and happens the rest of the time anyway

most kids T or Ting have a parent there or thereabouts anyway

I get groups of 15/16 yo. Last year I had some who looked to be in their 20s, one of them had a beard.

I think its sad that teenagers aren't allowed to join in with community stuff anymore.

I'm quite happy for groups of teens to trick or treat

100? Woulkd be a bit freaked out by a corpse trick or treating, but no-one else.

Why would people feel more intimidated by a 14/15/16 year old than a 8/9/10 YO.
I think those that do should address their own bigotry!

We never let ours trick or treat, even when living in the states. Basically, we felt that spending 364 days a year telling them "don't take candy from strangers" and then turning them loose to do just that one night a year was sending them a bit of a mixed message. They don't seem any worse off from having missed out.

It depends on a few things, I think. How well do you and your DC know your neighbours? How physically big is your DC? How loud and deep is their voice? What's the average age of the group?

I'll happily dish out sweeties to great hulking lads who are shaving regularly but I'm also mindful that for those living alone, especially the elderly, DS and his mates dressed in masks and demanding sweeties in gravelly voices might be a little intimidating so I stopped him going when his balls dropped [hgrin]

Girls can probably get away with it for a lot longer, possibly until they let themselves go become mums themselves [henvy]

Oh yes rule round here - pumpkin in window/on doorstep means open for T&T

We only do houses that advertise in this way

Here's what I did when I got fed up with the number of teenagers knocking on my door...when I opened the door to anyone who I felt was 'too old', I said 'trick or treat' before they had a chance to, and presented them with two boxes. One had cold spaghetti in it, the other had sweets, and they had to choose which box to stick their hand into. The following year, I didn't get quite so many teenagers knocking on my door but still got plenty of little 'uns (which I don't mind).

hmm. Depnds what they do for their money. Dd1 went out with pals last year when they were all 13. They made up a good song and their outfits were tip top.

I'm usually a 'strictly on the day' person too dandy but I'll relax that to include the Saturday this year as I suspect that parents would prefer to have their dc out then rather than the night before they go back to school after half term.

I'm not always a complete witch [hgrin]!

Another Scottish fan of guising here. When I was wee, loads of the families in the village made a real effort for guisers. They set up massive spreads to pick your goodies from, dooking for apples, and other games. You'd do your party piece and spend a fair bit of time having a bit of a party in each of these houses And stop briefly in the front rooms of others along the way. Parents usually went with you (up to a certain age) so there were no stranger danger worries. When we first went out alone we were restricted to certain streets, and had to be back by a set time so we could be driven to gran's house and show her (and sometimes her neighbours) our costumes/talents.

Once a teenager, I preferred to do the carol singing village tour - instead of shitty monkey nuts and apples, we'd get mulled wine and whisky.

Actually, I might have to go to the shops before then. Some greedy pig has scoffed half the sweets I'd squirrelled away for Halloween [hhmm].

I'm sorry you're harassed 2shoes,that's awful,but those who are harassing you don't give a toss about the law,and aren't going to stop if trick or treating is banned.