Our dogsitters were a trio of teen brothers --13, 14, 16 – who lived down the street – the year our lab was dying, she couldn’t get up to answer the door but watched from the entry. When her sitters came, in costume, she started thumping her tail on the floor and struggled to stand. So they took off their costumes, and sat on the floor with her for about 10 minutes and then caught up with their friends. She died in her sleep peacefully a few weeks later, but I was always grateful to those teenagers for being out on Halloween
Some teenagers don’t come in costume, and I give them a friendly hard time. Some do, and I give them a hard time. (Parents! Stripper is not a great look for your 15 y.o.!! Nor is hideous serial killer!!! ) But I still give them candy As long as they are careful of the little ones, and friendly to me, I’m ready to worry about something else.
I’ve declared a moratorium on handing out candy to trick or treaters. I’ve never enjoyed it but did it for all the years my kids participated. Now that they live elsewhere I’m taking a break until such time as I have a grandchild. Sometimes I go to the movies, one time I had a rehearsal on Halloween night, which was a great excuse, and this year we’re having a block party in the middle of the street so no knocking on individual doors.
I’m kind of depressed reading this. We will be away for Halloween for the first time in 32 years. Our house sitter is just not that in to it so I will have to get a bowl of candy to put out on the stoop. I have other neighbors who do this and they always have candy left over since we have the sweetest, most polite, honest bunch of kids in the entire country. I love the teens even more than the little ones, especially when they lift off their mask and ask if I remember them. I’m a firm believer in the sort of good will Halloween spreads in our community. With over 100-150 coming by it can be expensive but it’s worth every penny.
When I was a kid my mom made home made donuts to give out on Halloween. She would start making them between 4 and 5 pm and give them out until they were gone. One year she gave out over 300, in a small town where there couldn’t have been 300 trick or treaters, even counting teens and parents. When she had my sister and me hand over our candy to start giving out, the town knew there were no more donuts and stopped coming for 3rds and 4ths.
^^^^Listen, I’m 56 years old, but I would seriously have to give some thoughts to dressing up and knocking on doors if they had treats like your mom!!! (so sweet!)
What a (mostly) great thread. My mom LOVED Halloween and used to dress up to take us out when we were kids. Other neighborhood kids would join us because she was so much fun, and the parents certainly appreciated her keeping an eye on them. She would make batches and batches of her famous chocolate chip cookies and put them in little Halloween bags and leave them on the porch while we went out. After we were grown she would still dress up and hand out candy. I have several pictures of her in some of her more outlandish outfits.
Her mother had a dog later in life who “dressed up” every Halloween. Since my grandmother was an artist, he always looked quite spectacular.
I do understand that in some neighborhoods teens might be a “red light” - or some groups of kids might make you less delighted. But if they come with the excited, happy, friendly 5 year old mentality - you’re getting candy from me!
Last year when my teenage group came back from trick-or-treating, it was still fairly early and they dumped all their candy into my giveaway basket to give out to more kids. It definitely wasn’t about the candy for them.
For me Halloween is in part about communities and neighborliness. I love that I live in an neighborhood known for being generous and safe for trick or treaters. (Well, we could use more street lights, and more even sidewalks, but that’s another story.) I love that my neighbors take time to notice costumes, wave to the accompanying parents waiting on the sidewalk, and are genuinely having fun treating their little (or not so little!) visitors. During their trick or treating days, my children were always cheerfully welcomed. Now that they’re past it, it’s my neighborly duty to do the same for the next generation – a duty I totally enjoy.
Our son build blanket forts with his friends and watched their childhood Disney movies all the way though this past summer (post senior year). Usually we talk about how teens are growing up too fast and acting too old so why push them in that direction when they get nostalgic about kid stud when they are in that in between ages place? Also, S was tall early so was likely one of those looking older than his age.
I would gladly welcome all the partially costumed teenagers who wanted to treat or treat at my home! We used to get 75-100 kids each year; now that we’ve moved to a more spread out neighborhood, we have had exactly 0 in 5 years! We also were the house that gave big candy bars and my DH still insists on buying a small supply “just in case”
Another fan of teen trick or treaters here ! Two of mine did it and the youngest had her friends come to our neighborhood to go out. The last several years , they went as a theme in the group. Last year it was Monsters Inc, other years , super heroes , Disney princesses , Alice in Wonderland …
I am not a big fan of Halloween , but I do give out good candy. It’s funny , there is one family in our neighborhood that annoys me because they come to the door repeatedly and the mother allows it…twice is annoying , but a third time is a bit selfish IMO ( they are out with Mom , not alone ) I hand them the candy instead of letting them plunge into the bowl because they take fistfuls and often time complain that they don’t like that one, so want to go back for more…I think I will buy one kind of candy this year
The teens are polite , always.
My D’s high school had a service club that would have its members going out trick or treating in different neighborhoods for canned food to donate to the food pantry. They pushed a shopping cart and dressed up. They didn’t accept candy, just stuff for the food pantry. That is another option for the teens that like to go out for reasons other than the candy.
Count me in with the people who welcome teenaged trick or treaters. Unless they are rude, and that has never happened, they are most welcome here. I encourage kids to be kids as long as possible. What would you prefer they be doing that night?
Here is my late-teen trick or treat story:
Doorbell rings. Two girls, say16-18 years old, in regular clothes, hand on hip, rolling their eyes, and snapping their gum say “trick or treat” in a detached, annoyed voice. I say, aren’t you too old to be trick or treating? They say, “the candy is not for me…it’s for my baby.”
