How Old is Too Old to Trick or Treat?

**dz_blonde_girl** · 10-22-2002, 07:32 AM

Last year we had about 5 kids under the age of 12 as Trick or Treaters. I didn't have a problem with them. It was the older kids. Most of our "customers" were like 15!

On Disney Channel there's a piece where a girl says one year her dad gave Hot Dogs for Trick or Treat. I'm thinking about getting some .44 packs of weiners a WM and offering cold hot dogs to those kids this year. Many of them didn't even have a costume on. I won't mind cleaning up the inevitable TP this will probably result in.

What do you guys think? How old is too old?

**captclearance** · 10-22-2002, 08:30 AM

I think over 12 is too old, if you are old enough to get a job and buy candy, then you are too old to trick or treat !!! I am irritated by infants trick or treating at the door..... If they are too young to eat candy, why are they trick or treating ??????

**Rhonda** · 10-22-2002, 09:23 AM

I think over 12 is too old also....this should really be for the little ones... My two are 13 and 15 this year and I plan to get them a little candy of their own and then take them to dinner or a movie this year...

**heaven** · 10-22-2002, 11:41 AM

Okay i have to be the voice of distention yet again. I personally don't see a problem with older children trick or treating,

if they want to dress up i will give them candy for it. JMO

**mylittle4** · 10-22-2002, 12:14 PM

heaven- I feel the same way. If they dress up I don't see a problem with it. i still dress up to take my kids trick or treating.

**bamamomto4** · 10-22-2002, 12:22 PM

Ashley stopped trick or treating at age 10,which was her choice.

I on the other hand could care less how old a person is.If they can get dressed and look a fool..I'll hand them some candy LOL!!
We live out in the boonies and never get trick or treaters.

I remember when Ashley was old enough to trick or treat,she was prob 3 or 4...I seen several people we knew that had babies under a year old out trick or treating.Knowing good and well the baby won't be eating the candy.

Katie and Jackson have never been.Katie has a hard time chewing hard or chewy candy,so why even take her....!!!?!?!?!
Jackson is the same way...he can't eat hard candy,so we just don't go.
If the church has a party,we'll go to that and let the kids have fun,but we're not going trick or treating.
Our next door neighbor usually will make the kids a lil goodie bag...

**Patchworkgirl** · 10-22-2002, 12:47 PM

I agree with Heaven and MYLITTLE4. If they want to dress up, and they are respectful, then what is the harm in it? My 2 girls trick or treated with all their friends until about age 16. They had a blast!! My son, however, doesn't have any interest and he's 14.

**rhiana** · 10-22-2002, 12:56 PM

I think it's ok for them to trick or treat as long as they dress up. If they are older and don't dress up I wouldn't give them anything. Just tell them your candy is only for people with costumes on. I wouldn't give them cold hot dogs. That might be a little too much, how about asking your dentist for some of the toothbrushes, floss etc. that they give away to their patients. They get these free so usually don't mind giving a bag or two to you if you explain why. Then give out toothbrushes to the older kids, tell them you know that they're too old for candy but you have a treat for them anyway.

**heaven** · 10-22-2002, 01:24 PM

i still dress up too. I have been a dead prom queen for years *except last when i was the bride*. I just have too much fun with it.

**Dixie** · 10-22-2002, 01:54 PM

I think 13 should be the cutoff age for trick or treating. My youngest son is 14, but two years ago, at the age of 12, several people made rude comments. He is tall for his age, but that's not his fault. I agree with Lori, that babies trick or treating is stupid! I used to live in town and had several 3 month old babies, "trick or treating". Yeah right, I just handed the candy over to the mom, since she was going to eat it anyway.lol

**rhiana** · 10-22-2002, 02:10 PM

Just wanted to put a note in about babies trick or treating. We took our daughter trick or treating when she was only a a year old. She was definitely not going to be allowed to eat the candy but she cried and cried when she saw her cousins dressing up and going out in cute little animal costumes without her. She may have been too young to eat candy but she was not too young too know when she was being left out. We couldn't keep up with her cousins that night and a lot of people probably thought I was just taking her out to get candy for myself but she really wanted to dress up and go out and she had a blast, she didn't even care about the candy she got, she just loved knocking on the doors and haveing everybody smile and coo about how cute she was.

**heaven** · 10-22-2002, 03:09 PM

that is such a cute story, My children had to go with the older children too, for several reasons, one being i couldn't leave them home alone. and it is really fun just to dress them up and have them look cute.

**Dixie** · 10-22-2002, 06:33 PM

Sorry ladies,I didn't mean to offend anyone. Please accept my sincere apologies.

**heaven** · 10-22-2002, 07:05 PM

don't worry about it. I just was stating that my children had to go because there was no one to leave them with. You didn't offend me.

**dz_blonde_girl** · 10-23-2002, 07:38 AM

I guess you are right about the older kids, as long as they dress up. There are much worse things they could be doing. I live in a small town and most of the kids are pretty great. There are community sponsered Halloween parties for the older kids, but I don't think there is anything going on Halloween night.

I love to look at the cute babies all dressed up. I'll give mom a candy bar if she wants to tote 'em out. The weather on Halloween is usually pretty yucky here, so we don't see many babies.

Thanks for the feedback! Maybe thes pregnancy hormones are causing me to want to hog all the chocolate for myself!