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

[stubbornhubby]

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

I feel so sad for those of you who don't have a good halloween experience. We have a pre-arranged route with neighbours and friends who are expecting us ( we have a party so there are approx 12 children plus adults!)and it is lovely. The children politely chorus thank you and we do get teenagers at our door but only until about 8.30 and they have all made an effort to dress up and are invariably polite.

Totally agree with you Arwen. I have been told off and need to go out more and have life last year by mumsnetters who obviously have issues with Halloween
We enjoy Halloween in our neighborhood. We go out with little ones around 5.30-6.00. Only knock on door of a few house up, and a few house down. Kids enjoy answering doors afterwards. Everyone gets dressed up. And its lovely to see grown up having fun,too.

Oh gosh! I don't know but I hate to have teenagers banging the door down trick or treating around. It is just plain aggressive.

In the UK any age is too old. Hate this American tradition,but our Rottweiler lying in the porch tends to put people off....[hgrin]. However, I melt at the little ones.

We only take dd and her friends to the pumpkin houses too. I think that should apply.If the teens are dressed then fine but jeans and a mask dont count but i always give them some sweets and have a joke with them about crap costumes etc.We normally dress up too so its funny when they come to my house and Elvira answers the door.

My dd is 13 and says she feels too old this year. I think it is a shame as I would rather teenagers do this than hang around parks smoking and drinking.

However was always frowned upon by local primary school as promoting "the work of the devil"..... slyly removes pumpkin from window just incase any of the governors are watching.:)

Midmlandsmumof4 - as a number of Scots and Irish have xplained, this is not simply an imported Amercian tradition. That might be the case in England - but in Scotland (which is also part of the UK) and Ireland, it is a long-standing tradition (which is in fact where the Americans probably got it!)

I hated trick or treating and thought it was an american thing.
Even when we moved to Scotland - once two boys (max 8yrs) came to the door and I told them I didn't have any sweets and gave them a lecture on commercialisation and the American influence...they said can we still do our trick? And promptly recited a poem. After that every year I turned the front lights off and took the batteries out of the door bell.
My DD1 begged to be allowed to go - but I wouldn't let/take her.
Last year she (at 8yo)was invited to a party and to go guising with some friends - DD2 (2.5) was invited too (DD1s friends also have a wee sister)...I couldn't say no and went along too.
It completely changed my mind. Guising is a long standing Scottish tradition. In American it was probably started by Scots immigrants.
It was a lovely community thing - they only went to doors with lanterns/decorations. They were invited in and told jokes, sang and told a story (all rehearsed before). Families (different generations) were gathered in the houses to see the costumes and the 'tricks'. They finished at 8pm.
There were other groups out - some younger teenagers (max 14)- all had made an effort and were practising their 'tricks' in the street.
A world away from the teenagers who go round to my parent's house in England and expect money...
So trick or treating in England - any age is too old. Guising in Scotland - any age.
Still have issues with all the plastic tat and commercialisation aspects though...

I agree with you about the commercialisation Lusi (with the excpetion of the availability of easily-carvable pumpkins [hwink])- I always make a point of making ds' costume or pulling it together from bits and pieces. I did get am Harry Potter cloak one year - but that was becasue he was obsessed with HP and wore the cloak a lot - not just at Halloween.

Far more in keeping with the (historic) tradition of guising.

We have moved to south of England from Scotland and both dds ( aged 10 and 12) are devastated that 'guising' here does not involve singing songs or telling jokes. My eldest dd has been on the internet and the phone to her Scottish friends today witnessing them get excited about their 'turns' for tomorrow. For the first time she has picked up that we really do have very different cultures within the UK. We only hope that trick or treating is fun as they are going to get dressed up to answer the door tomorrow night - we don't know anyone to go guising any more!

We used to get teenagers who would stick on a scare mask and expect money. I hated that and found it really intimidating.

We've moved now (much nice area dontchaknow) and now we get groups of youngsters with parents, which I have no problem with at all. I'm planning on taking my DSs out tonight, with a few friends hopefully, just to each others houses!

I think it's ok if the teenagers have obviously made an effort - are having fun, and don't expect anything other than some sweets. It's the ones that turn up with a cheap mask from the co-op that piss me off. Feel like telling them they haven't earned any sweets!! (But then I'm scared they'd smash my pumpkin).

kids doing trick or treating in the traditional manner, up to about 16 I'd have said....

However the louts who come down our road looking for money (we have 10-15 groups on Halloween and it goes on up to 10pm, eggs thrown at the house etc) should be banned This is the peril of living on what is seen locally as a 'posh' road.

I love Halloween but we have to put lanterns etc at the back of the house and pretend to be out on Halloween

Usually I purchase some sweets but this year I forgot. (Too busy at work).

It's 7.20 pm in Sydney, a beautiful evening, the birds are twittering getting ready to settle down for the evening.

The first group of littlies (with parents in tow) came about an hour ago. I gave them money.

Now I have closed the door and we are pretending we aren't home.

So far another two lots have knocked and gone away. It will be light for another hour so I guess we will have lots more.]hblush]

[hblush]

I can still take the dogs for a walk because we have a back gate leading on to a reserve with lots of trees and parks

I have to say I am NOT a fan, however DD15, aka Catwoman, has just returned from ToT with three friends. Here in Oz its all a bit half arsed - we dont really know what we're meant to be doing so the kids just bang on everyone's door. Incredibly they got a great reception at every house, and if the people didnt have lollies they fossicked around and gave them packets of crackers or the like.

Couple of years ago the twin DDs went - I drove around ever so slowly behind them to make sure they were safe.

So how old is too old? DD has been excited for weeks and had so much fun putting together her outfit. But I wouldn't think she would go next year at age 16.

activate Wed 27-Oct-10 11:11:46
bloody hell it's like teenagers have no right to exist or have any fun

I'd say if they put in the effort to dress up then any age is ok

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I don't mind teens having fun but when their idea of fun is chucking eggs at my house then it is not funny at all. Where we live we get them throwing missiles from the back of our house and one broke our window which could have seriously hurt my eldest lad had he not been at work.

My 8 year old likes to dress up and his 17 year old sister takes him out. I welcome teens who take younger siblings out but not one who intimidate people.

Used to go out as a child in Scotland over 30 years ago with a carved turnip and a list of jokes, songs or poems and you didn't get anything unless you performed, regardless of the effort you made with your costume! I don't really mind what age they are when they turn up as long as they have made an effort and don't expect money. When I lived on Birmingham a few years ago we would get teens with bin bags on knocking at the door up to two weeks before and asking for a pound each! Started taking our dog to the door after the first argument about why I wouldn't hand over the cash!

How young is too young! Just had a couple of ten ish year old girls knocking at the door, one had a costume, one didn't. All on their own. Parents obviously wouldn't have a clue where they are. Scary in an unhalloweeny way.

When they reach high school. It is cute seeing primary school kids TTing, they are lovely round here, but to see teens about 14/15 mabey 16 is far too old to be doing that.

Dd has gone do few local houses she's 7 ,ds2 has took her he is not dresse. Up and not expecting anything just thatds3 is tired so can't take. Her

we bit had one at all think because we live down dark lane just bit to spooky for some me thinks

When they start hitting their early teens it can become a little awkward, expecially in this day and age when they grow up so quickly!