Too old? Trick or treating

[Looneymahooney]

Quick question.

My 13-year-old daughter would like us to go trick or treating tomorrow. By us, I mean me and my 4 month old.

Are we out of the age brackets for trick or treating?

But not all teens are respectful. Where I used to live you'd get groups of teens asking for money rather than sweets, and they weren't even dressed up. It was horrid.

I'd much rather teens were out trick or treating with their family than hanging around the streets x
They grow up far too fast so be happy they want to spend their time with you x

My 14 year old is going, he isn't a MN teenager, he's polite and courteous, wearing a full costume and loves Halloween. I'd happily receive him at my door! Costumes and manners (and knock only on decorated/lot houses), if you have those go at 21 for all I care!

My autistic DD is nearly 16 and is so excited about trick or treating. It’s all she’s talked about for weeks. I hope people answer the door to her and will be kind. I will also be going as not keen on her out in the dark without me. Bit worried as she is dressing up as one of her favourite characters from a cartoon but won’t look that Halloween-y. But she’s spent ages making her costume too. Fingers crossed!

Usually older kids around here tend to be shepherding around younger siblings but I always make sure that they get something too. Been there, got the wham bar!

Wow. Where did you live? I have never heard of that as a Halloween tradition before. I’d have sent them away with a flea in their ear! (But I am a former teacher, hard to scare, and can be very belligerent. Fortunately, not everyone is like me).

I hope you don't think my 14yo is too old. I mean he looks like an adult, but is mentally about 7 or 8, if that helps. If course you'd never know by looking at him, but you'd think him "grabby"

You have totally missed where I said if they are respectful and dressed up!! If they aren't, no one is making you give them anything!! My point is what is wrong with letting teenagers enjoy themselves and join in with the celebrations of the 'holiday'.

I personally think it's fine, however my neighbour always refuses to give sweets to the older teens, always tell them they are too old.

She always side eyes me when I happily give them something from our cauldron tub, I think she sees it as me encouraging them, they are just kids trick or treating. I certainly don't put an age restriction on my gate!

No age limit in my opinion, unless you are a fully grown adults trick or treating, then that would be weird 😆

Quite possibly, along with with other teens, but I wouldn’t be rude to him or them and still hand out the sweets.

It seems that teens not going trick or treating for an hour in the entire has been conflated with a loss of their childhood or if they are not trick or treating they are hanging around street corners getting into trouble. I somehow doubt the latter group would be politely T or T in the true spirit of things, if they would otherwise be causing trouble.

One of my teens will be dressing up and going to their friend’s house for an evening of Halloween films and too many sweets.
The other is having friends over for similar as well as a Halloween themed treasure hunt for sweets in the house.

I think not past primary age tbh. Although my view is slightly tempered by my teenage DS being the size of a full grown man-I've told him that he can't go knocking on people's doors anymore as he looks like an adult despite only being 14.

Aww take her! We had a lovely boy stop by our house yesterday admiring our pumpkins, and he said "I think I'm too old to go trick or treating, I'm 13 now!" I told him he'd be more than welcome to stop by!

I think the age range has changed in recent years. Saw an old post on here from about 10 years ago and most people thought 12 / secondary school was too old for it. I saw quite a lot of older teens out last year and had mixed feelings. Some of my older neighbours only do it for the little kids who go early and will take their sweets and decorations in after about 6:30pm

This was in central Birmingham. Definitely not a Halloween tradition, just some CF teens!

Ds is 13 and isn't going out, he says he's too old now and so are his friends.

I think it's really lovely to have a nice interaction with the big teens on the doorstep on Halloween. The girls are always dressed up, they look so shyly pleased when they get compliments on their costumes. The boys never make so much effort, but always laugh if they get a compliment!
The world is tough for teens, and adults can be unkind and judgmental, I really love the positivity that Halloween can bring.
My 13yo and her friend are going as Elphaba and 'Dead' Galinda. RIP the carpets in her bedroom when she gets out the face paint 😩😩

Also telling teens that knock on the door 'no, you're too old' is so cruel, I feel really sad thinking about it

Isn't it? Utterly joyless misery guts.

I live on a big Halloween road and literally have never had anything other than lovely kids for the last 9 years we’ve lived here. The teens’ dressing up efforts are fab - they look amazing and seeing them is part of the fun of the night for me.

13? No I'm sorry I'd close the door on any teenager who knocked on our door.

14? That's appalling and you'd get the door closed on you round here

@WithASpider 15??? That's absolutely disgraceful

My eldest is 13 next week. He's going with 2 kids same age, a girl a year older, and my youngest who is nearly 11

I’m not a fan of Trick or Treating but I’d say 13/14/15 year olds are fine to do it with a parent or group that includes little ones. A group of teens alone I’d feel differently about.

I think it is okay but I have twin 15 year olds who haven't been since they were about 10 to be honest. They tend to go out with their friends to parties to celebrate Halloween and dress up there which is what they did last weekend. My 12 year old son is at a friend's house too but if he didn't have plans, he'd probably join me and his 9 and 6 year old sisters. I think they'd never go with like a group of teens but with little siblings it's okay.

I know four teenage girls who went last year and pretty much everybody was fine apart from one lady who yelled at them to not even come near the door!