Trick or Treating & Teens

Anyone who comes to my door in costume gets candy, whether they're 6 weeks, six years, or six decades old.

I think it depends on the neighborhood. We have a huge community with tons of kids. My daughter is 16 and won't be going this year. But went last year with all her friends in the neighborhood. They all dressed up with very cute costumes and had a great time. If she hadn't taken the time to come up with an actual costume and just wanted to walk house to house as she is I would have said no.

I've lived in my neighborhood for 30 years and have taken kids to other neighborhoods and I've never seen the mob mentality that you're describing. I suspect that what you describe is a myth.

I see nothing wrong with a teen, in costume, and with a good manner, continuing to trick or treat. It's the spirit of Halloween that is exciting and fun for all ages. I wouldn't let the misbehaving few spoil the holiday for the rest of the kids.

Heck, if I could trick-or-treat forever, I'd be happy, and I'm 44. I don't mind teens, as long as they TRY to look like they dressed up. Teens ARE kids. If no one's wearing a costume, then no candy. The friends I had wouldn't do the stuff you mention and we were a mixed bag of girls and guys. Maybe I'm a pollyanna, but I think it's sad to assume that they'll turn into a bunch of troublemakers because they are young people together.

The only times it bothers me is when the come in regular clothes (no costume) and are kind of rude, like "give me my candy!" But, if they are in costume and are polite, they dont bother me one bit. Once the kids without costumes start coming I usually just turn our lights out. Happy Halloween!

My own last year trick or treating was my freshman year of high school. My friends and I just had so much fun with it and we were always respectful. Starting in our sophomore year we started having Halloween parties that consisted of pizza, candy, costumes, and scary movies. We passed out candy at whoever's parents house we had the party at that year too. We loved seeing all of the little kids at the door. Actually, before the party started we always started out the evening in my neighborhood because my kid brother is 10 years younger, so we'd take him around for my mom so we could also show off our own costumes. Yes, we were geeks. But it was fun.

I would have no problem with my girls continuing to trick or treat through middle school. I don't mind teens coming to the door as long as they made the effort to dress in a costume. No costume, no candy. :-)

I don't mind the teens, as long as they are not being rude and obnoxious! Around here 13 is the age they generally stop trick or treating, my kids included. There is a particular area all the teenagers tend to congregate in, it's the "rich" part of town, where the houses are tricked out and the treats consist of full size candy bars and sodas. There's a good police presence there so I don't worry about letting my kids hang out for a few hours. They have fun walking around with their friends and have never gotten into any trouble :)

I think 13 is the last year..

I do not mind the teens.. I like that they are acting young at this age..
I think it is a tough age.. they feel younger but want to act older.. if they are still into Trick and Treating.. I would encourage it.

I remember our daughters last year to trick or treat was her freshman year in high school. she had just turned 13.. She went to a Halloween Party and then they went out Trick or Treating.. They then donated all of the candy. (well most of it.. hee, hee.)

After that year.. she went to the parties in costumes. but no more trick or treating.

I don't care what your age is. Just please don't come to my door in a black hoodie & call it a costume. And, please be nice & use your manners.

If they are in costume and respectful I see no harm in it. It's keeping them out of trouble and gives them a bit of fun too. Everyone deserves a bit of chocolate on Halloween !

I go with the costume rule, too. I've never been "tricked" and the only shenanigans I've heard about in our neighborhood would be the older kids hiding and scaring younger kids. Luckily, the younger kiddos are always escorted by adults who usually see what is coming and are there quickly to let the kids know that everything is okay and it's all part of the fun of the holiday.

That said, I HATE the van loads of kids being bused into our neighborhood. What really gets under my skin is when the parent has their OWN trick or treat bag!!! Yes, it happens!! I'm thick skinned enough to say "kids only" and then close the door. Last year, my teenage dgtr and one of her friends wanted to answer the door for us and they were giving candy to adults, as a result we ran out. I guess I probably hated that because I enjoy sifting through the leftovers...haha! But really, I go and spend $$ on candy for kids or even teenagers who are creative enough to dress up, NOT their parents!

My rule is if the teens are in a costume..(and I don't mean painted hair and street clothes) must be an actual costume, they get candy. They won't get candy if I see them push passed the little ones. I will call them out on it. As well as call them out on it when we are out with our kids.

The teens in my area usually come later than the little kids. And the ones who are out there with the little ones seem to be very mindful of them. Helping them to get to the front of the crowd at the door, etc. I don't mind them as long as they are polite.

I see no problem with it as long the teens are courteous and in costume. I would never say no if my kids were begging me to go even at 16. I guess it is because in our neighborhood there is such a huge mix of high schoolers, middle schoolers, and younger children with their parents. Never any trouble that you are describing, just everyone celebrating this fun holiday tradition.

The neighborhood is very safe, lots of police patroling, and a lot of houses go all out with haunted mazes in their front yards, most of which are geared toward older kids anyway. They have the rest of their lives to act like adults and do 'adult' things. Why rush it?

I'll tell you what bothers me more is the mom holding her infant all dressed up coming to the door with a sack and saying trick or treat 'for the baby'. Come on now, just wait one more year, I mean is the baby really gonna be eating that candy?

My son is 16, & he hasn't gone in years. Instead, he volunteers at the school's TrunkRTreat. & up until last year, he had annual parties....which have also come to an end.

Last week, both of my sons (16 & 25) asked me to start having Chili Dinners like we used to do. Can't wait for the 1st one! It won't be Halloween, but more of a Fall Gathering. :)

I imagine it's a social thing. A night of hanging out with their friends, sans parents. It sounds like you are concerned about the hijinx that can erupt under group mentality. Either you trust your kids to make good decisions and let them go or you have them stay home and pass out candy. At 13 I stayed home, but dressed up to help my mom pass out the candy to trick or treaters.

I have no problem when teens come to my door if they are dressed in a costume. It's when they show up in regular clothes and say they are "dressed as a teenager" that bugs me. That's on my list with the parents who trick or treat for their supposedly sick child, but that is a rant for another day.

I love dressing up and will give out candy to any kid who wears a costume.

I think teens are just big kids. It doesn't bother me at all to see teens trick-or-treating. I usually give them extra candy and tell them to have a great night. Never a problem.

When my girls are older, it would depend on the area, the group they want to go with, and we'd have a talk about appropriate behavior. If there were other parties to go to, I'd prefer to send them there.

I'd say by high school, kids who go out are mostly looking for trouble.

If you have a good kid and they are just interested in candy, then I say it's ok. It's when you start to dress in dark clothes and wear hoodies and don't care about candy when it becomes more about mischief than candy.

As long as my daughter wants to and keeps making her own, quite amazing actually, costumes, then I have no problem with her trick-or-treating no matter her age. This year (she's 10) she's making a clown on stilts costume. She made her own stilts and learned to walk on them, now she's making the clown costume to go over them. Her dad completely gets into Halloween, too.

I agree I don't care for older kids that go around without a costume, but if they take the time to put together a costume, I don't think there's an age limit.

I don't open my door past 7 pm. I figure that kids are trick-or-treating before 7 and after 7, I am putting my own kids to sleep.

I stopped the year the people at the houses said "Aren't you a little old to be out?" I was 13.

The funny thing is, that year we got TONS of candy because we went late at the end of the trick or treating hours and everyone wanted to get rid of all their candy. So they would say "Aren't you a little old to be out?" while dumping the entire bowl of candy in our bags!

I think sending your teens to a party at church is a great idea. Keeps them out of trouble and I'm sure they'll have a great time!

From what I've seen, the teens around here tend to have parties rather than go out trick-or-treating. In our neighborhood, we have one street where the neighbors apply for a block party permit and close the street to traffic. Mostly it's younger (grade school) kids out trick-or-treating with parents, but you do see kids in the 13-14 age range also. They're always fine in terms of behavior, especially since there are SO many parents standing around.

I agree with you, mob mentality can definitely take over at that age, and it's probably better not to put teens in that situation if there's a better alternative available.

I think, if they are into the spirit of it and not just looking for free stuff, there may be some room for leeway. Kids who just show up in a mask and with a huge pillowcase really tick me off. Kids who get into it, show some creativity, and have incredible manners, and who aren't elbowing the little kids are fine with me. I think it matters A LOT who they are with and what their goals are. If it's to have fun, great. If it's to make mischief because the basics of the holiday are beyond them, then no, it's time to stay home. I also think they can get into an activity like your church program and make it fun for other kids, or help out with disabled kids who can't get around, or think about alternatives beyond candy for those kids with diabetes issues or obesity problems, it's a positive thing. If they've helped to decorate the house or helped the single mom down the road carve some fun pumpkins for her kids, it's positive. They can also have a Halloween party at your home which you can supervise, or they can volunteer at a senior center Halloween party. If it's all about roaming the streets and feeling entitled to handouts, then they're too old or too selfish for my taste.

My last time to trick or treet was the year I turned 12. I let my kids go until they were 15 or 16 only because that was the "norm" for our neighborhood.

Or church sponcers a "Trunk or Treat". The parents park in a row in the church parking lot. The kids all come around to each trunk and trick or treat at each car. We also have games and prizes and usually a pot luck dinner. That way there is no worry about what the kids get and those parents that want to do home made treats can do so and know their treats will be accepted and enjoyed. There will be hot dogs and bobbing for apples and candy apples and cup cakes.

I had some friends that were on patrol (police) and they had to make arrests because of the "mob mentality" and the damage they caused.

At our church's "Trunk or Treat, everyone has a nice SAFE time. Good luck to you and yours.

I LOVE Halloween night and all the children that come to my house. I expect a huge turnout this year, one of the largest ever because the children in the neighborhood are all a little older and enjoying this season. Also as a substitute teacher, I know all these kids and they make my house a "must stop" because I do get special goodies for my elementary students.

That said, I am not crazy about the teens (older than 13) coming around because they are usually in big groups with pillowcases and they will just grab handfullls of candy. I don't want them wiping out my stash for my students. I usually have a separate bowl for the older kids because they are old enough to know this is a child's fun night. The treats I give them are just smaller (not the real size candy bars).

Another thing sort of off topic is that vans come to our neighborhood and drop off dozens of children who do not live here. Call me meanspirited but I have a special treat bowl for them too.... I am sorry if they get upset that they don't get the big candy bar or glow necklace/bracelet but I make sure the children in MY neighborhood are taken care of first.

This has gotten out of hand the last couple of years. I am accustomed to about 250 children I personally know or know parents and then suddenly as soon as it is good and dark.. there are about 150 not from our neighborhood who will knock on doors even if lights are out.

There are MANY options for children to go to shopping centers, churches, etc if they do not have a good community to trick or treat in and not invade a neighborhood.

My daughter (17) will help me for a while and then go to bed because it is a school night and she is very disciplined as far as her school and finishing up this year with excellent grades.

I agree with you and would probably even let them each invite a friend to come along. Another thought for teens is a party but actual trick or treating is for kids (not teens).

I don't like it when teens come to my door, ESPECIALLY when they have on a mask, and that's it. Really? For you, 1 piece of candy. Seriously.
If they come to my door and they are dressed up right they may get 2 pieces of candy! LOL!
Maybe I am a Halloween "Scrooge", I don't mean to be, but I get a little torked when I open the door to a teen, not gonna lie.
L.

I was just having this conversation with my neighbor last night. My daughter is 12 (7th grade) and I put the ball in her court this year. She has opted to stay home and help dad hand out candy. I too get a little annoyed at the 16 year olds that throw on a mask and go trick-or-treating. I think by 7th or 8th grade, they are getting a little old for that.

Over the age of 13 I put a stop to it (although both my boys stopped at 11). I think trick or treating is for little kids. And do NOT get me started on the adults that come to my neighborhood (and DON'T live there) with an infant (we're talking under a year old) and go to every house trick or treating ... REALLY?!?!?! Don't be so damn cheap.

I don't approve of older teens trick or treating and I REALLY don't approve of adults trick or treating for themselves. When I went with my kids I NEVER took my own bag/bucket/whatever and got my own candy.

We trick or treated well into highschool. Went to college, and grad school. Came back to NYC, and started an annual tradition of going to the village parade at the cubby hole with friends, family and acquaintences, in costume, nonetheless. Who said Halloween is just for kids.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Depends on the area. My SD did trick or treating on a street that's called "Scary Perry" and it's geared to be a block party, basically. I'm not bothered by teens trick or treating as long as they are in costume and respectful. Friend of ours makes them to a trick if they have no costume or they earn no treat. We stopped around 13 but I tried my luck at 15. The last year I went was because I was taking my sister around and got called out by an older HS student. Didn't go again after that.

It's All Hallows Eve - the day we feed the dead. You come to my door. I give you food. Simple. It's an OLD tradition and I enjoy it.

I don't care how old you are. I used to live in a neighborhood that was more Dias de los Muertos than Halloween and whole familes, including grandparents, dressed in their best clothes, ashed their faces and went door to door. I loved it.

I stopped trick or treating when I was 12, because I liked handing out the candy better than getting it. So yeh, unless you are rude or creepy, you are welcome to trick or treat at my house until you're 100+ years old.

ETA: Way back when I was 12, it was *assumed* teens would egg your house (or something along those line) if you refused anyone candy (thus, TRICK or treat). Traditionally, it's the wrath of the dead. Realistically, it was the price for refusing to participate in your community's festivities.
That was, of course, when our neighborhoods were our comunities and teens were not assumed to *not* be kids. There weren't fewer bad kids or bad adults then - there were more people outside and interacting with each other. Personally, I have found the teens who ring my doorbell on Halloween to be really, really nice.

ETA 2: Oh - one year, 3 teen boys came to my door 3 times with "disguised" voices after announcing to each other "they have M&Ms!" It was too funny (and yes, I gave them candy each time). I didn't think they were jerks - I thought they were kids who were REALLY excited about M&Ms. : )

My Dad tells a story of when he and 3 other boys put a neighbor's Volkswagon on her porch as her "trick". You bet he was a teen when they did this. It was the 1950s - and so, there you go. They might be arrested now for that. : (

jr high was the end of it for me and my friends.. by then it was more about finding excuses to go out on mischief night (the night before halloween) and how to sneak eggs and toilet paper out of the house... so yeah youre probably right, probably not a good idea.. but then again u said your kids are good kids, me and my friends not so much

Well. my folks put a halt to the trick-or-treating when I was 13. I wasn't really a big loss to me. My question for your kids would be, 'Why do you feel you need to go?' Is it to be social or to genuinely participate in the festivities? (My money is on the socail aspect) We don't have a lot of kids that come to our neighborhood but when we do, the teens that show up have a pretty sour attitude and I can never figure out why they came out if they were going to act so b#%chy ya know?
If they don't have an answer that seems reasonable to you, I would simply give them one more option of going to youth group or staying home.

My older kids are 13 and tall for their age, especially compared to most kids in their school. The rule is I must know where they are, and where they will go with their friends and they have to check in. They do not have a huge group of friends they hang out with so not a problem there. And they MUST wear a costume if they go trick or treating. That is kind of the point after all. I have no problem with teens that t&t as long as they are respectful and watchout for little ones. I once had this kid push past all the little kids on my porch and I told him he had to leave. I don;t think he was looking for trouble but just too pushy to little kids.
Near me, we do not have a lot of stuff going on for Halloween and our church, which is at least 15 miles away, does not host anything. Our town does not even have anything for the older kids, which from what I read on here with others posting is a disappointment.
Oh, and trick or treat is pretty much done by 7 or so. No one comes around much later than that.

I feel like trick-or-treating is a kids holiday and not for teens as much.Dressing up and costume parties--yes but trick-or-treating, no. I don't do trick-or-treating. We go to our church for harvest activities and the kids dress up for that-

My final trick or treating event was in college. My friend and I totally dressed up - we did get weird looks. It was more for the experience than candy! I am so happy that this year I get to dress up on Halloween for work and take my daughter out after :) Only if my costume works as planned.

I was still trick or treating when I was 18 years old. I LOVED it and I love taking my kids now. I don't think we get any trick or treaters here where we live right now, but we won't be home anyway :) Let your kids go, you are only young once!

My kids last year to be allowed to go door-to-door was age 12 -- the only way they go past that is to be taking a younger cousin or such (but they don't get to carry their own bag - we always end up with enough to share).

I get a bit annoyed with both teens (esp late h/s age/size) and the "young parents" carrying around a teeny baby with a bag -- really....ugh!