<p>lol Hunt…I guess that works.</p>
<p>I still feel for the big kids. Maybe because my boys were such goofballs and kinda young for their age/grade. Giving up trick or treating in middle school would have been so sad for them. Even 9th grade…</p>
<p>As long as trick-or-treaters are well behaved, I don’t care much how old they are. MY fun is passing candy out and seeing everyone - so the more the merrier! Not a fan of anyone - including adults - who just sticks a plastic pumpkin in my face - come on, it’s Halloween, put a smile on your face! </p>
<p>I always try to buy some candy and then some alternative. In the past I’ve bought mini bags of microwave popcorn, mini-playdoh tubs, etc. This year, I bought (Costco) mini decks of cards - there were 60 individual decks in the pack (go fish, crazy 8’s etc.) for under $10. The candy alternatives ALWAYS go quicker than the candy! And, if the weather is cold, I have a crockpot of hot apple cider on hand to offer to the parents in the neighborhood that I know. </p>
<p>LOVE Halloween.</p>
<p>My H posted a bunch of Halloween pics from years past and both college-aged sons adopted one of the pictures as their FB profile. Too cute!</p>
<p>For the past two years S1 (college senior now) has done a 6-hour road trip to UCLA for a Halloween party. Not sure about this year, as I think academics are impacting party-time lately. S2 (freshman) has not yet announced any plans.</p>
<p>S1 never trick-or-treated as a highschooler, but often hosted either a scary movie night or a costume party. S2 trick-or-treated with the same group of friends until 11th grade. The neighborhood was full of older kids and didn’t seem to mind. Our house is fairly isolated and on a busy street, so we’ve never had the joy of trick-or-treaters.</p>
<p>Older D gave up trick or treating in middle school but liked to go over to a friend of the family to hand out candy. In 20 plus years we have never had a single child come to our door. We live semi rural. My youngest is 16 and she loves candy and loves Halloween. She would love to go out trick or treating but was complaining to my H that she has no one willing to go with her. All her friends want to go to parties. She will end up spending the evening at home with us. She has a horse show this weekend so will be busy.
Oldest D is planning on going to a sober halloween party and to a showing of the Rocky Horror movie. I have no clue what my son is doing and I prefer to be left in the dark. I am happy he is not one of the many local kids who like to come home Halloween weekend and go out to UCSB.
Does anyone else have dogs who love to eat the carved pumpkins?</p>
<p>I would like to take this opportunity to go on record as hating Halloween. I’ve never really gotten why it would be fun to ask strangers for candy, no matter what age you are, or why it would be fun to spend $50 so I can be held up for bad candy by my neighbor’s children, most of which will be thrown away the next day. I also don’t like costumes. </p>
<p>This year, I’m watching a movie in the basement with my dogs while my husband gives out the candy.</p>
<p>^^ so… dmd77, you are going as Debbie Downer from Saturday Night Live?? 
(jk)</p>
<p>For those that do get into the Halloween spirit; Old Navy have the dog costumes on sale for $5! I have seen these same costumes online at several pet retailers for up to $30. The picking were slim at my closes Old Navy for the larger dogs, but there were many for the little ones.</p>
<p>Online doesn’t show the entire selection, but here is a sample. I saw a shark and a frog prince; I would have gotten this for our dog if they had her size:
[Clothes</a> for women, men, kids and baby | Old Navy](<a href=“Old Navy”>Old Navy)</p>
<p>Last year, one of the kids who used to babysit my kids came by with her kids.</p>
<p>Man, I felt so old…</p>
<p>Okay, about five years ago I dressed my standard poodle as Zsa Zsa Gabor. I died her pink and put a pink feather boa around her neck. Exactly one person commented, and he was so drunk he thought he was hallucinating. </p>
<p>Maybe I just live in the wrong neighborhood.</p>
<p>*Exactly one person commented, and he was so drunk he thought he was hallucinating. *
hilarious.
;)</p>
<p>I am going out tomorrow ( sat) w a costume & I wanted to give it a test run today.
I am going as a * punk rocker* a la Johnny Ramone
dark tight ripped jeans, Doc Martens, Lou Reed black tshirt, black leather moto jacket w/studs. heavy black eye makeup , chain belt around my boots, heavy grommet belt worn low. ( fake) nostril piercing- fingerless gloves w studs- I looked( & felt) pretty tough. ( for someone that is 53 yrs old & 5’2")
Maybe ONE person thought it was a costume & that was an very elderly woman in Fred Meyer who caught my eye and grinned.
My H said, it was because I was in Fremont & they see people dressed like that all the time!</p>
<p>D2 told us she was going to a Halloween party tomorrow last weekend. As we are in a foreign country, we didn’t know where to buy costumes. We asked her what she would like to dress up as. She said Madonna. We had fun looking for puffy lace skirt, lacey leggings, jewelry, and big hair bow, and she already had cut off leather gloves.</p>
<p>The drinking age is 18 here. We received an email from the headmaster about the party - not sponsored by the school, it is sponsored by 2 alcohol companies, and speak with your kid about drinking responsibly(gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious). D2 asked what kind of ticket she should get - for $25 it’s all you could drink, and $30 with Tiquila. I told her that $25 wrist band would be sufficient since she wouldn’t be drinking. H will be standing guard outside of the club while she is at the party.</p>
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<p>At my door, you are REQUIRED to say “trick or treat”. ** Especially ** the teens. If you want my candy you have to play the game!! If I open the door and don’t hear a “trick or treat”, I am known to just stand and stare blankly, until I hear the magic words.</p>
<p>I don’t mind the younger teens. At least they aren’t out getting into trouble and there isn’t much for the 12-15 year old “set” to do.</p>
<p>It’s so simple- I start the candy routine pretty early- like 5 o’ clock when the little kids come out .I buy a reasonable amount of candy that usually runs out by 8. When the candy runs out ,the light goes out including the lights on the stairway ,and that usually ends the doorbell ringers .Everyone gets candy who comes when the lights are on, but THEY MUST BE IN COSTUME !!! I am a sucker for those brave 2-3 year olds - they don’t have to say anything, they are just so adorable !</p>
<p>I’m glad you started this thread. I never realized people would object to teens trick or treating. Makes me realize what they may encounter tomorrow night, so I will give any teen that comes to my door in costume and polite, extra candy and an encouragement that they continue to enjoy their youth just a little longer.</p>
<p>I didn’t allow my kids go trick or treating by the time they got to HS, something that is frowned on anyway around here (although every year there are some that do it). It had nothing to do with seeing it as begging, I just don’t think it’s a good idea from a security point of view for people to get into the habit of opening their door to masked, adult sized individuals.</p>
<p>^^
For that matter, is it a good idea to teach little kids to knock on strangers’ doors and beg for candy? Sure, we understand the distinction between Halloween and the other 364 nights a year, but do they?</p>
<p>My son has been working in a bar while he was in college and while job hunting. He was dreading going in last night because the women all dress so slutty for Halloween - including a few older ones who probably should not. He was talking about one that came dressed in a little bo peep costume, or as he termed it “little ho peep”.</p>
<p>Trick or treat is one aspect of American culture I never got. We are usually so polite, but for one night a year it is ok to beg for candies. Getting dressed up and have some fun at a party, I get that. But going from house to house to beg for candies… We used to throw away most of candies when kids were little, or we put them back out on our porch for older kids to help themselves.</p>
<p>LasMa, Probably not. We always had at least one adult go along with the kids, for safety, even in a good neighborhood.</p>