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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teenagers trick or treating?

60 replies

Lifeisshort123 · 31/10/2016 19:17

AIBU to think that it's rude for 12-16yr olds to be going trick or treating with groups friends and no younger children?
I've just has two 14/15yr old boys knock on my door and obviously it could be worse as they knocked at 7:10. However, they both arrived ringing my door bell over and over and left with the sweets without even saying thank you. My DD (now 14) hasn't been trick or treating since she was 10. Am I being unreasonable to think that 14/15yr olds shouldn't go as they weren't dressed up and clearly were there just for the sweets.

OP posts:

Cheesetoasties11 · 31/10/2016 21:07

YABU as long as they aren't pricks rude

Like the one charming group of lads who threw an egg at my MIL one year who was unwell and had forgotten to buy sweets.

PeachBellini123 · 31/10/2016 21:09

Cheesetoasties11 that's beyond horrible.

Had a couple of teenagers trick or treat earlier, they may have been around 16 or just tall for their age. Perfectly polite and I had to insist they take more than one sweet each.

reup · 31/10/2016 21:13

My 13yr old went with his little brother, he's very polite though and had a costume. My younger son said he's going to go when he's an adult as he loves it so much!

imnervous · 31/10/2016 21:14

I don't like groups of older children trick or treating. I hate the constant banging on the door ( particularly if I've blown the pumpkin candle out!)

My eldest (13) came out with me when I took his 7 year old brother out T&T earlier but stood back with me. A lot of people insisted on giving him sweets though! Think they felt sorry for him

anyoldname76 · 31/10/2016 21:16

weve had teenagers here tonight, i dont see the problem as long as they are dressed up and polite, like i would expect from younger children as well.

they are still children after all.

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 31/10/2016 21:17

Awwwww. Don't be so mean. I teach secondary school and the kids (right up to Y10 so 14/15yo) were so excited about trick or treating. I left late tonight so saw groups of them wandering round the nearby streets and chuckled at their outfits. I'm sure I'll hear about their hoards tomorrow.

WhataHexIgotinto · 31/10/2016 21:17

Bunch of teenagers round here dressed in my favourite ever costumes - all dressed as the kids on their BMX's and a french bulldog sitting in the basket of one of the bikes, dressed in a wee white hoodie. Bloody brilliant.

WhataHexIgotinto · 31/10/2016 21:20

Sorry - dressed as the kids from ET.

CalleighDoodle · 31/10/2016 21:21

I teach in a secondary school. Teens love sweets. There was a lot of excitement about halloween today in classes. Nothing wrong with teens going trick or treating. But the ones in the op were rude.

RiverTam · 31/10/2016 21:23

The teens we had this evening were all costumed up and looked amazing, in fact. I wouldn't be impressed by anyone pitching up not in costume, that's surely part and parcel of it?! I would give them sweets but I would comment, that's for sure!

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 31/10/2016 21:24

Yes, sorry, my post was directed at some of the previous posters, not the OP. They shouldn't have rang the bell so much and they should have said thank you, but I don't see a problem with school aged children trick or treating - and I agree their costumes are often the best!

PhotosGinAndALongLieIn · 31/10/2016 21:28

I don't mind how old they are. If they have made the effort to dress up and are polite they can have a sweet.

Ohb0llocks · 31/10/2016 21:30

I had an older lad come trick or treating with who I presume was his little sister. Lovely lad, told me and DS where all the best houses were, and he was dressed as a 'cereal killer' which made me

Arfarfanarf · 31/10/2016 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Arfarfanarf · 31/10/2016 21:34

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Snowflakes1122 · 31/10/2016 21:37

Yabu. have seen many teens out tonight, just having a laugh with their friends causing no bother.

I would find it odd if they weren't dressed up though.

Reindeerlily · 31/10/2016 21:41

I had some banter with a gang of teens that knocked on my door. They knocked loads so I knocked from the inside! I asked why they hadn't dressed up so they said they were zombies!! The girls had cat ear headbands.
They made me laugh, I wouldn't not give them sweets. They were all polite and thanked me and said how cute my little boy was.

VixenLupin · 31/10/2016 21:43

We had quite a few tonight. They were all dressed up and they were all polite. That's all I ask of anyone that knocks, whatever their age.

littlepeas · 31/10/2016 21:48

There were quite a few groups of teens out tonight - our road seems to be a bit of a hotspot, with lots of houses decorated. Last year there was a gang of them on the green opposite our house and dh hid in the bushes and made stupid wooooo noises and then jumped out on them and made them run off screaming (big kid). I think as long as it remains funny/silly it is fine, if they start being menacing and ruining for the little ones/intimidating people then it is not fine. It is all about the manner in which it is done.

Slowtrain2dawn · 31/10/2016 21:51

My son and his friends, all 12, one just turned 13 went trick or treating tonight with my husband trailing behind. 2 or 3 households said "aren't you a bit old to be doing this?" One asked if they had a parent with them- not sure why? when my son pointed out DH she said "oh ok".
I think it's really sad. They're still kids! They were all polite and still enjoy dressing up.
So... yanbu to expect children to be polite but yabu to say teens can't T or T.
Sadly that's the last year for my son because of these attitudes.
We will continue to decorate the house and let him answer the door and give out sweets next year.

MalignantTomber · 31/10/2016 21:52

I had a group of about a dozen teens arrive not long after I'd gotten home with my two younger DCs. They were all polite, and even waited politely while I dug put an extra bag of sweets.

I'd rather they were trick or treating than out getting drunk on the estate.

It's good clean fun, should there really be an age limit on it?

pictish · 31/10/2016 21:52

Hmm...my ds1 wanted to go guising tonight with his two friends. I said no as he's 15 and is too old for it imo. They are all man sized now and I worry they might appear threatening (even though they're not).

I happened to be at the same event as his friends' mums and we were all saying no for the same reason by text at the same time.

I think past 13 is too old.

pictish · 31/10/2016 21:54

Or it was for my ds anyway. His voice broke and he sprouted and thickened out after that. He has a deep voice and is bigger than his dad.

MrsMook · 31/10/2016 21:56

My children were borrowed by a 17 year old looking for an excuse to go. I tagged along too in costume- my first ever go at over double her age

Polite, costumed teenagers in small groups only going to houses displaying signs of interest seems fine to me.

NameChange23 · 31/10/2016 21:56

My neighbour's children were trick or treating until they left for University. It wasn't fun, they were very loud and rowdy, banged on doors for ages and as if the houses were on fire and were certainly intimidating. I hated them coming to the door even when I was friends with their mum.

I think that anyone over 12 shouldn't be asking for sweets... they should be having Halloween parties

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