<p>I admit it…my son is a 16 year old high school junior and he still trick or treats. He is going out with our 11 year old daughter (the 14 year old has to dance at a football game). The 16 year old and the 11 year old both have red hair. Our daughter is going to be a “traditional” leprechaun, and the 16 year old is going to be a punk older brother leprechaun. (I’m making both costumes…the punk one will be the most fun.)</p>
<p>Do you mind it when “big kids” come to the door? I always think it’s fine as long as they’re in costume.</p>
<p>But I give candy to everyone…high school boys not in costume carrying grocery bags, Mexican grandmas who just hold out their hands and then eat the candy right away…whatever.</p>
<p>My 16 year old still goes out in costume. It’s a big deal because it’s a rare chance to reconnect with her town friends (She’s in a Catholic school in another county.) The cops kind of assume the H.S. kids are up to no good and constantly check their bags for eggs and such. I think D secretly loves to be viewed as a juvenile delinquent for the night.</p>
<p>My d almost always has a dance class on Halloween night, but the teacher, who is usually your stereotypical ballet drill sergeant, lets the kids turn the class into a costume party. The costumes are very elaborate, and the kids take a full ballet class in them, which is quite a sight. They break early for treats, and end the whole thing by doing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”</p>
<p>I never mind older kids coming to the door for treats, costumes or not. We usually wind up with way too much candy. (I could live without the Silly String all over the mailbox, though.)</p>
<p>I recall my kids trick or treating up through about sixth or seventh grade. They did not trick or treat in HS. Actually, like frazzled, they also tended to have something like a dance class that night anyway. I personally think HS is too old for trick or treating. However, a HS sibling accompanying a younger sibling (vs. a parent doing that job) is different and nice that he’ll do that with little sis.</p>
<p>Yes! My 17-year-old daughter and her friends have been planning for months to go as The Spice Girls. My daughter is going to be Scary. My son, on the other hand, at 15, has no interest.</p>
<p>By the way, in my post, I was only referring to trick or treating, not costumes or celebrating. For instance, when my D was a freshman in college at age 17, she wore a costume on Halloween for a costume “parade” in Greenwich Village. I think that is too old to trick or treat but not too old for costume parties and such.</p>
<p>My high school Ds trick or treat for Unicef! The last couple of years they’ve collected hundreds of dollars on their rounds, and had a complete blast dressing up and wandering the neighborhoods. I recommend it for kids who know they’re too old, but still want to participate.</p>
<p>Halloween is for everyone, but I think HS is too old for trick or treating. HS kids without costumes do bug me; I’ll admit it. That’s not trick or treating; it’s just a candy collection. I’ll give to kids with costumes, but I still think it’s not for that age group–when I was in HS, you’d’ve been the biggest dork in town if you trick or treated, but I think the raise in age reflects a raise in consumerism. (I feel a little bah humbug saying so, but there it is.)</p>
<p>OTOH, an older bro dressing up in tandem with his younger sister is a definite exception–totally different from a gang of football players donning their uniforms as “costumes” for handouts.</p>
<p>Good for you and your child still doing T or T for Unicef. We did this for many years, though my shy kids were not thrilled asking for the money! Any kid who comes to my door wanting Unicef money gets lots of acclaim, and coins, as it is good early training in thinking of the greater good. </p>
<p>My mom had some tradition from her childhood expecting a trick, or show of some sort in exchange for candy. Most kids stare at her if nuts when she asks. But one year when she was visiting, she asked for a ‘trick’ from some far too old college students (they were apologetic, as they knew they were too old, but longed to T or T), and they had a great time singing a duet for her. Got bored with their other rounds and came back, sang for her again, more extensively. </p>
<p>I enjoy when any come to the door in good fun, of whatever age. Not so happy when on occasion, older kids come with a sense of entitlement and not so much fun, as well as lacking appropriate costuming. I encourage my exchange students to costume, go to a few friendly neighborhood houses to experience this very American tradition.</p>
<p>In 2006 we went to Italy and we came home with some fabulous masks. Last year the two of them were “Carnivale in Venice”…our son wore white tie and tails, a cape, top hat and mask, and little sis wore a striking black/harlequin-patterned colonial dress, tri-corner hat with pink netting and mask. They looked terrific. I think it’s great that the two of them like to dress up to complement each other. (The year before, the three kids were Goofy, Mickey and Minnie Mouse.)</p>
<p>My kids quit when they reached middle school. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, around here the kids who continue after that aren’t doing it in the “spirit” of things (sorry.) They don’t dress up. They show up with pillow cases, don’t say anything (like “trick or treat”) but just hold out their bags and let you know their frustration if you take too long and waste their valuable candy-grubbing time, and if they like your treat, they come back a second or third time. </p>
<p>Last year, I counted: there was only one kid who said thank you. About half the kids asked “can I have two?” or more - usually with some sort of grin that said they were cute so I should give in, and several kids tried to grab a handful out of the bowl while I was putting something in their bags. I used to give kids a choice, until they started grabbing. (I always give out snack-size candy bars - not full size, but not mini, either. We live in a large subdivision that tends to attract a lot of non-residents because of the opportunity to hit a lot of houses in a minimal amount of time. 100-200 kids is not unusual.) </p>
<p>The greed and rudeness overwhelmed me. I know I sound like a Halloween scrooge, but I’m considering turning off the lights and “not being home” this year. I used to think it was a fun holiday.</p>
<p>Oh, Binx, come to my neighborhood instead (I have to work, so I will be a “lights out” house). We live on Main Street of a small village, and unless the weather is poor, we generally have 250-300 kids, from babies in strollers to HS kids. They are all welcome, and it’s very rare for any “candy-grubbing” to occur. I give out candy by the handful (I usually need about 12-15 bags), and after the trick-or-treating is done, everyone walks to the grocery store for the beginning of the Halloween parade. Once that is done, it’s over to the Lions Club for cider, doughnuts, and a costume pageant with prizes. I often say that I live in the Mayberry of the North (but our barber is named Guy, not Floyd), and Halloween is one of the reasons why.</p>
<p>Last year the boys’ soccer team wore their uniforms and walked the streets on Halloween to make sure all the little kids were safe (our neighborhood is good, but a lot of families from a nearby neighborhood that is not as safe come here to trick-or-treat, which is fine–it’s that older trouble makers sometimes come too). They brought whatever candy they collected to school and took some of it to a tutoring program they volunteer at as a reward to the little kids who they help after school; they also took some to the local food pantry to include in Thanksgiving packages.</p>
<p>Mine did “Halloween for the Hungry” during high school. She and a bunch of her friends would dress up a little - not full-fledged costumes, but enough to be in the spirit. They collected canned food. But almost everyone gave them candy as well!</p>
<p>My S and his friends seem to be talking about costumes–maybe one last neighborhood Halloween fling before going away to college (it is a BIG thing in our community). They also go see Rocky Horror–this year on the weekend before Halloween. It warms my heart because as a young child, he was always creating costumes. His Halloween get-ups were a family enterprise (in cooperation with Goodwill and the hardware store), but my H made more of them than I did.</p>
<p>Sorry–one more trip down memory lane into the land of “lasts” before college! :)</p>
<p>I had both of my S’s give it up after 7th grade. They didn’t really mind although some of their friends continued for a couple more years. </p>
<p>I think there are a lot of people who are scared/intimidated by groups of man-sized teenage boys in costume or not ringing their doorbells and demanding candy. My in-laws love to give candy to the cute little ones but the big ones who could easily push their way into your home, are scary to senior citizens. </p>
<p>I have also seen the big “kids” out roamimg frightening the little trick or treaters. Also since the big guys have no supervision, they are usually the ones breaking pumpkins, throwing candy trash in yards and generally tromping through people’s yards rather than using sidewalks/driveways. </p>
<pre><code>I’m all for Halloween fun but I think teenagers should have their fun at a party or home of friends their own age unless they are going along supervising a younger sibling.
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