Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

When did your DC grow out of trick or treating?

84 replies

BillHadersNewWife · 28/10/2019 08:45

Please...please no snide comments about how your DC never have because it's "begging" or whatever! Both my DDs have loved it for years...now the youngest has decided to hang up her treat bag aged 11.

The older DD is also not doing it this year...but she's 15 and that's normal. Is 11 quite young to stop? I don't mind...it's up to her..but part of me worries she might think "Oh I should have gone!" when we're answering the door to all the kids...but that in itself might be fun mightn't it?

OP posts:

Snuffkindle · 28/10/2019 10:27

It's a tricky one. My two have loved it so much. My eldest is now 15 and 13 was his last year. He decided himself and he is happy about it but misses the sweets. My youngest is 13 now. I was hoping he wouldn't want to go this year, but he does apparently.

hungryhippie · 28/10/2019 10:27

I think 11 is the average age.
I wouldn't stop a child who wanted to carry on though, same as I wouldn't turn away teenagers at the door.

MillicentMartha · 28/10/2019 10:28

Mine stopped at secondary school age, so they were 12 by Halloween. They would have carried on a bit longer, but I didn’t like the teenagers coming here so felt it was time to stop. We carried on with giving out sweets and decorated with carved pumpkins and only shut up house last year when the youngest was 16.

Walnutwhipster · 28/10/2019 10:28

We still carve a pumpkin but now she gives out sweets to all our little visitors.

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 28/10/2019 10:32

No. My neighbours are not intimidated by groups of 10 year olds guising. They did the same themselves as children. The elderly residents in particular love to see them.

Dandelion1993 · 28/10/2019 10:36

It depends on the child and if they want to do it.

My dd is 6 and I ask her every year if she wants to go but she doesn't.

my2bundles · 28/10/2019 10:36

There's a huge difference between a group of 10 year olds who should have adult supervision while knocking on doors in the dark, and groups of unsupervised teenagers in frightening masks where you carnt see their faces knocking on doors in the dark.

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 28/10/2019 10:39

For goodness sake groups of 10 year olds do not need supervising while guising.

Once kids are about 6 or 7 they go round themselves. It's Halloween, everyone is keeping an eye out their windows. It's fine.

CarolDanvers · 28/10/2019 10:40

Loads of secondary school kids go round here, fab costumes too. Last year was reluctantly the last time for my eldest ds - 15, but dd will go again this year - 13. She won't be alone in her age group.

my2bundles · 28/10/2019 10:42

Sorry no its not fine. It's dark, unless they are only going to a select pre planned number of houses on the same street it's certainly not fine to allow 6 and 7 or even 10 year olds to go without adult supervision.

my2bundles · 28/10/2019 10:44

Arnold unless you are in America whichas is completely different to in tne uk. In tne uk it would be completely irresponsible and stupid to allow 6 year olds to go alone.

mrsm43s · 28/10/2019 10:44

No. My neighbours are not intimidated by groups of 10 year olds guising. They did the same themselves as children. The elderly residents in particular love to see them.

I don't think anyone has said that 10 is too old? I think the general consensus is that Primary age is OK, but Secondary age 11/12+ is too old. This is because by Yr 7 many children have adult sized bodies, and once in scary costumes and make-up can appear intimidating, even though they are probably quite lovely youngsters.

Is it not also the general rule that parents of Primary children are out supervising T or T, and it is the Secondary age kids, who have already had their turn, who are at home, getting into the spirit of it, and handing out the sweets?

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 28/10/2019 10:44

Of course it's fine. We've been doing it for generations.

Mumsnet is really weird sometimes.

Confusedbeetle · 28/10/2019 10:46

when and more to the point why, did they start?

CarolDanvers · 28/10/2019 10:47

I think the general consensus is that Primary age is OK, but Secondary age 11/12+ is too old.

No it isn't . Quite a few posters have said their older kids still go and it's fine. That's just what you and some others think. Not a general consensus.

ArnoldWhatshisknickers · 28/10/2019 10:47

I'm in Scotland. I'd have thought that was obvious from use of the words 'guising' and 'galloshuns'.

And I mentioned 10 year olds because a previous poster suggested residents would be 'intimidated' by groups of pre-teens and because 10 year olds so obviously fall into the gap between 'needs supervision' and 'is a teenager'.

frogsoup · 28/10/2019 10:48

Most yr 7s absolutely do not have adult sized bodies!!! Even the more developed girls still clearly look 11 or 12. The boys are mostly still tiny.

Charm23 · 28/10/2019 10:51

I love Halloween. As long as the kids dress up I don't mind if they're a bit older (13-15yrs) but last year had a small group knock and half of them didn't even have a costume on! Cheeky!
Mostly little kids with their parents in our area now which is lovely but at our old house the area was very quiet and had a lot of elderly people so we never got knocked on. Currently pregnant with our first and can't wait to take them trick or treating!

SunshineAngel · 28/10/2019 10:52

I only ever did it once, and that was when I was 14.

My mum was absolutely against it when we were younger - though she always bought sweets for anyone who knocked, so I just had to watch while she gave sweets away to everyone else and not to us.. which was a bit mean I thought.

But then the year I went, my friend's mum asked whether we could possibly take her younger siblings (4 and 10 at the time) and we said yes.. and I just thought you know what, I want to experience this at least once in my life, so I'm joining in.

My mum never knew about it and still doesn't, as she thought I was just at my friend's party. She wouldn't have let me but, old as I might have been, I had such an enjoyable evening - and got an absolute pile of sweets!

I think it's different for each child, but by the time they get truly too old, they won't want to do it anyway. I think I was pushing my luck at 14, but we didn't look that old - it wasn't like how 14yos look today!

TokyoSushi · 28/10/2019 10:53

DD - Yr 2, loves it
DS - Yr 4, getting to the point where hes over it

I agree, Year 6 is the last one.

SheruMoo · 28/10/2019 10:55

When they're ready. 16 year old DSS is done. This is the first year DSD, 12, wont be going and I can tell she's sad. I don't mind teens participating. I'm not intimidated by rowdy groups of teen boys in the least.

namechangenumber2 · 28/10/2019 10:58

DS1 stopped when he was about 10.

DS2 is now 10 ( nearly 11) and would like to go this year but non of his friends are, so he's going to dress up to scare the children who knock at the door

mrsm43s · 28/10/2019 11:01

Most yr 7s absolutely do not have adult sized bodies!!! Even the more developed girls still clearly look 11 or 12. The boys are mostly still tiny.

My daughter reached her adult height and build in yr 7, and my son was 5'6'' (but is still growing 2 years later!). They were in line with their peers. So yes, they do. When dressed in a scary costume with makeup, it's very hard to distinguish between a 12 year old and an adult.

CarolDanvers · 28/10/2019 11:03

My daughter reached her adult height and build in yr 7, and my son was 5'6'' (but is still growing 2 years later!). They were in line with their peers. So yes, they do.

Some do. Most don't. I've been very surprised by the tininess of DD's year 7 cohort. A significant number of them barely look as though they should be out of year 4 even, especially the boys at her partner schools. Lots of them are minute, shooting up towards the end of year 8.

Swishyswash · 28/10/2019 11:06

My 17 DS would still go if he could.
At 6'5" I think he's a bit too intimidating!

Flip

1 2 3 4