<p>I’m with Weenie. I’ll give candy to anyone in a costume. Last year I gave candy to a 30 year old who was trick or treating because his friends dared him to. (He was dressed up.) The college kids in our town often go trick or treating.</p>
<p>I cut my own kids off after 8th grade. We have a great haunted house around here that older kids can volunteer to work at. My rule was, if you are taller than my 6 ft. husband you are old enough to buy your own candy…of course, adults with their little kids are different. In fact, my girlfriends and I used to take our kids and instead of a candy bag we would carry an empty wine glass…you get the idea :)</p>
<p>My daughter organized a Trick or Treat for Cans for Beta Club - the kids all dress up (you can only participate if you’re in costume), and they ask for canned food donations for the school’s food drive.</p>
<p>this will be the 2nd year - they collected a lot of food last year. :)</p>
<p>Both my S’s stopped trick or treating at age 13. It was not a big deal to them. They have friends who have continued to trick or treat. </p>
<p>I personally don’t like big groups of very large teenagers showing up on my doorstep after dark. We’ve had a some to be rude about the amount of candy they are given or come back a second time trying to get more.
Also there have been incidents in the past of older teenagers “holding up” younger ones (middle school age) who are out without parents and taking all their candy or just scaring them for fun. Teenagers in scary costumes can be very intimidating to small kids (and parents) walking up and down neighborhood streets.</p>
<p>I’m not saying teens shouldn’t celebrate. My college soph, S will be going out tonight as half of the Super Mario Bros. but he’s going to a college event, not knocking on doors asking for candy. I just feel older teens should celebrate by going to age appropriate gatherings or events. JMO…to each his own.</p>
<p>One of my priority wishes is to get into costume, and go trick-or-treating, like, on some random evening in July or August. Just for fun. </p>
<p>But I haven’t been able to convince any of my friends to go with me…</p>
<p>I think my kids probably stopped trick or treating when they were around 13 or 14 but we often get kids coming to the door who are older. I never mind this as I think that Halloween is a fun holiday that everyone can enjoy. What I do mind is when I hear stories of older kids stealing little kids’ candy, or when I see pumpkins smashed the next day. Somehow I don’t think it’s 8 and 9 year olds throwing pumpkins in the street! </p>
<p>My Ds still enjoy Halloween. My oldest is a teacher so her kids probably are very excited today. D2 is in NYC so loves going to the annual parade in the Village, along with most of the rest of NYU. D3’s college had their famous Halloween party last Friday night and today lots of kids attend classes in costume. D4 has several friends coming over tonight and they will all be in costume as they hand out candy. It’s 64 degrees in Toronto today, the warmest and driest Halloween we’ve had here in a long time. The kids won’t need to be bundled up in winter clothes underneath their costumes. My husband always hopes for a small crowd (we usually get around 100-150 kids) so that he can eat what’s left over. :)</p>
<p>NEVER too old – as long as you’re in a costume!</p>
<p>I’m presently sitting in my office in corporate America in a dirndl and pigtails.</p>
<p>I walk around with a bag of candy and I’m giving it, not taking it, at each office. So far, the reaction has been very positive, although that may have something to do with my peanut butter cups.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m 31. Shut up.</p>
<p>A lot of teenagers in my parents’ neighborhood don’t even make any effort. Not even a dime store mask or an eye patch. That’s not trick-or-treating; it’s begging.</p>
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<p>Does this suggestion tend to result in frequent eggings/tp’ing of your home this time o’ the year? ;)</p>
<p>Nope–much too polite a town. We know must of’em, anyway.</p>
<p>My 13 yr. old is going out with a group of friends. He’s dressed like a golfer…polo shirt tucked in, hat, glove and khakis. He really thinks its a costume even though he dresses like that every saturday and sunday…what a nut.</p>
<p>You won’t believe me but my doorbell just rang and the witches were about 80 years old! That’s right, senior citizens went out with girl scouts. I love the idea! By the way, my 16 years old D is going trickortreating with her friends, and last year she went with her 19 years old BF. My S stopped by sixth grade, but he enjoyed giving out candy to the little kids.</p>
<p>I’ll give candy to any trick-or-treaters but save the cheaper stuff (like Twizzlers) for the older kids. Cute little kids get the good stuff. I say once you’re past Bar Mitzvah age you shouldn’t be going out for yourself. At least with my son now in college I won’t recognize his classmates anymore!</p>
<p>My 12 year old is definitely going out tonight. She is going with friends in a neighborhood where she will know most of the other kids. I am sure it is going to come up that they want to go parentless. I haven’t decided yet how I feel about it. Actually I know how I feel about it but don’t know if I am reasonable.</p>
<p>I have got the * perfect* costume
I was going to go out as a pirate- repeating my auction outfit of a few weeks ago, but my D took the scarf that I was going to use as a sash ( well- it is hers)</p>
<p>So I dressed up just a little oddly- put my hair halfway up with hairpins ( since it ends up that way anyway) and perched my cat eye reading glasses on my nose- I am a nutty librarian!
( sorry if I am feeding a stereotype all you librarians-)
but in any case- since my reading glasses are part of my outfit- maybe I can keep track of them for more than a week- Im thinking of making it a daily deal :D</p>
<p>I admit my upper limit has expanded as I’ve seen how much fun d. and friends have doing it in high school. Anyone who comes in a costume, even a half hearted one, and says the magic words is welcome. </p>
<p>Here’s what bothers me: parents who drive their kids and kids who don’t seem to know what to say (trick or treat OR thank you). Take advantage of the opportunity to walk. The rules are very simple: you knocked on the door, you initiate the exchange. The payoff is pretty good. </p>
<p>I live on a street with a lot of houses, known for its Halloween spirit. I would never drive my kid to another neighborhood just because the haul was better or the layout meant you’d hit more houses in a shorter time.</p>
<p>I carved a pumpkin all alone this afternoon…It was kinda sad!!! </p>
<p>So I made it have a sad/scary face.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>Thank you all for this thread. Halloween has always been a very big holiday in our house and its so lonely this year with my son off at college. He too stopped trick or treating at around 12 or 13. weenie, I don’t know if I could carve a pumpkin all alone without tears streaming down my face…but maybe I will in a bit. 18 years ago, I was in labor on Halloween. Nothing like being in labor in a hospital elevator with a nurse dressed as a black cat. Eek. Maybe that is why my labor was so long…he wasn’t born until Nov 1 at 6:30 pm! Such memories!</p>
<p>I give candy to anyone in a costume, I also give grief to anyone over a certain height!</p>
<p>The trick or treaters have arrived. This year they seem to be clueless babies way too young to know what’s going on. I think the Moms and Dads are going to be eating the candy! I feel like I should be giving out teething biscuits!</p>
<p>When I was growing up, kids went trick or treating right after school during daylight hours. Some of my friends in other parts of the country say their neighborhoods still do that. But where I live now, the action doesn’t start until 6 or 7 o clock at night. It’s pretty intense for a little while then dies down around 8 or 8:30 pm. Up until that point, it’s all young kids. The older ones tend to go out later, but many houses shut their lights off by then, so we don’t get that many of the older kids, although the ones we get who come by earlier get the candy along with everyone else. My own kids went out through middle school or thereabouts. I don’t love the much older kids coming to the door, especially later on at night. Call me paranoid, but there have been years when it’s just me at home, and I don’t like opening the door to strangers who are taller than me!!</p>
<p>We probably get around 100 kids who come by in all, although it varies with the year and the weather. Kids tend to come to our neighborhood from other areas, since unlike many of the homes around here, we’re off the main roads. Tonight is warm and gorgeous, so I’m expecting a full turn out. How many trick or treaters do you all get?</p>