The last year I went was freshmen year of HS, and even then I felt old.  However my friends went the following year without me (so like 16)

I don't mind older kids coming to my door as long as they are nice and respectful!  If you search you'll find my discussion on older "adults" I had that were not respectful.  I personally think once you hit 14 or 15, the trick or treating should stop and the halloween parties should begin.

As for the babies, many people do this.  It is there way of showing off their baby to the neighborhood and a lot of times the neighbors enjoy it b/c they want to see your baby in a costume.  Generally though, ppl only go to a few houses down each way and don't do a full out hour of trick or treating for the baby.

I agree! I think any children older than 14 should not be trick or treating and start having parties.  When my son was a baby, I would dress him up and put him in the stroller and just take him out for walks.  People would try togive me candy and I wouldn't accept, my response was "No thank you, he can't enjoy yet, but he'll be back!".  Most people laughed and understood.  Where I live now we have a town Halloween Parade which is great.  The babies always look so cute. People even dress their dogs.  It's a great evening and little to no candy is involved. 

My child is a Senior in high school.  Last year she and her friends dressed up to go trick or treating.  We live in a fairly small town.  They wanted to dress up, have fun, and get candy.  No pranks.  She said people were rude to them because they were not little kids. 

While I understand the little kids are so cute, these bigger kids were just having some good clean fun.  And basically they just wanted free candy.  Is there a harm in that?  I know older kids tend to pull pranks and I can understand people's reactions because of this but the good kids get blamed too.

 We say kids grow up too fast now days and then we turn around and dont like it when they do try to be kids. 

It's weird. As I'd don't know what you'd call me but not the type who would care one way of the other when I see big kids/older kids - 14 and up let's say especially not in a real costume it irks me. I pleasantly give them candy and sometimes am glad to get rid of it but ....

I ditto all the above thoughts. Kids just want to have fun. I usually notice that the younger kids go out between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Then, the older kids start out after 7:00. If someone doesn't want the older kids at their door, then I guess that's a good time to turn out the lights.

However, I love seeing the older kids out there having a good time. Most of the teens are not trying to do bad things and probably don't realize older adults think they are too old to be trick-or-treating.

I remember when I was in about 5th or 6th grade (back in the mid-70's). My friends and I went trick-or-treating every year. That year was just a continuation of our fun. Anyway, we went to this one house and a lady started yelling at us. She kept saying stuff like 'who do we think we are' and telling us we were too old to be out trick-or-treating. I was barely into Junior High... but believe me... that was the last time I ever went out trick-or-treating.

So, let the kids have fun!!! There's no need to be rude to them.

My problem with the everyday older kids (not talking about the the rude ones I mentioned above) is that i would be at the door, 17 years old, handing out candy to ppl that looked 17,18,19.  In those cases, I thought it was weird.

Kudos to the kids of all ages who wear great costumes. If teens (or any age) feel they want to go door-to-door... then the least they can do is dress up, right?

That would be kind of awkward to be handing out candy to your peers when you are a teen.

In the area where I live they have two types of alternative ways to hand out candy. Each can be used if parents don't feel it's safe to go to unknown doors. Also, we live in snow country, so we could easily be having a blizzard or have a foot of snow on the ground which makes door-to-door difficult:

1) The kids walk around to all the downtown businesses who hand out candy from 5:00 til ?.  

-and-

2) They have tailgate parties, where the cars park in a circle with all the trunks facing each other & opened. The parents walk around with the kids to each car to get their candy. Most of the families who participate already know each other.

 

I don't like older kids trick or treating. I have a son who is 18 and he stopped at 15 or so. My older son likes to dress up and go to parties but would never go trick or treating.

I just think going door to door begging for candy when you're practically an adult is weird. I stopped going at about 15 or so. I open my door and have these 6'2" kids with deep voices saying  "Trick or Treat" and I just think, is free candy THAT appealing?

I don't turn anyone away but  I prefer to see the little kids who get all excited and who want to show off their costumes. They make me smile.

My mom dressed up until she became ill at 60 years old! She would go with us to be sure all was well and people would try to give her candy because she was only a little over five feet tall and they thought she was a kid. lol lol. She was something. She didn't take the candy.

These days, around here, less people are going door to door and more are going to mall parties and other  things. It's cold here usually (snow most of the time although this year may be warm for a change) and door to door can be dangerous. Not in my neighborhood per se but in general.

If they have a costume on, I'm fine with doling out the candy. I have noticed, though, that there are some teens who'll just show up with a bag and expect free candy. Um...if you're too mature to do the costume thing, you're probably old enough to get a part time job or mow a lawn or shovel snow and buy your own candy!.

I do agree about the older kids if they are nice.But here there are a lot of older kids that push the younger ones out of the way.I have been offered candy while out with my kid and thank them but say to give it to the little ones.The grown ones are out at 5 with the little ones.My Dad hates to run out after giving to an older kid.The little ones are disappointed.My Dad gives to them all.I agree about too mature for a costume.I stopped at about 13.The little ones really look forward to Halloween,it's like a candy Christmas to them..The babies can't eat the candy.I don't know.I feel it should be for the little ones who are happy to go in costume.Through the years I noticed less and less people giving out candy.My Dad caught 4 older ones going back for more!Good thing he has a good memory.That is just wrong..

I THINK THAT PARENTS SHOULDNT BRING THEIR LITTLE BABIES AS AN EXCUSE TO GET CANDY FOR THEMSELVES. ITS LIKE U KNOW THERES LITTLE KIDS THAT ACTUALLY CAN EAT THE CANDY AND THEY SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERATION

I understand.Like I said they don't dress up at all and many push the little ones aside..And the little ones are afraid (most of them) to say anything.I didn't intend to sound rude..No one ever gets turned away unless there's no more candy.I thnk they should at least dress up.

ALSO MOM I LOVE BEING ALL WEIRD SO HAHA LOL

HEHE HAHA HOOHOO

YEAH I KNOW! BUT YOU DRESS UP AND ARE 14.THIS SHOULD BE YOUR LAST YEAR..

WELL IM NOT STOPPING UNTIL THE FAT LADY SINGS!! LOL J/K

WELL I'M THE FAT LADY SO LALALALA

OK OK

rulistenin I like the business idea.  I always thought I'd take my kid to the mall trick or treat when they are really young but they usually do that on another day besides Halloween.

I don't know how you guys turn down the candy!  If I am at the door showing off my baby and the neighbor says "here have a piece of candy" I'd take it in a second :-D  I don't think I'd carry a bucket for the baby like some parents do, but i might empty out my purse so I can slyly stash the offerings there ;)  But like I said, when my sister does this this year or when I would do this with my future babies, it would really only be the close neighbors and mostly just to show of the baby, not for the candy.  Many people LOVE to see your baby in costume, my sister has an "open house" type deal just so we can come over and see the little cutie :)

I don't mind how old they are. They could even be adults. What matters to me is that they have fun and are respectful of others. :D Corny but true. lol!

We have some older kids in our neighborhood who still go....I figure if they take the time to dress up, I will give them candy!!!!!

I have never denied candy to anyone, but I think over the age of thirteen is too old.  And I HATE it when people carry their babies and go trick or treating with just them!  You know you're just giving it to the adults.  Now, if the baby is going with an older sibling....I can understand it.

I don't think most adults do this for the candy, I think they bring their baby around b/c they want to show them off.  For example, you will usually not see an adult with a baby and a pillow case for candy - usually they will have a tiny cute pumpkin bucket.  It's about showing off the baby, not the candy.

Some of you are thinking of it as a negative thing, but consider that the parent is just proud and thinks their baby is so cute in his little costume.  I love seeing the little babies :)

I think "kids" should stop trick-or-treating when they look like adults.  Sometimes this happens at 14 or maybe not until 16 or 17.  Even the older children should dress up if they are going house to house.  In my neighborhood, most people will turn away people who aren't in costume.  We do, however, offer treats to the adults who are with their children or even the older kids taking their siblings out.  Once the teenager acts like, or wants to be treated like an adult, he or she shouldn't go trick-or treating.

If they dress up ok.. A lot of them don't..No one is denied treats ay my Dad unless there are none left..

I feel like you do about the babies.They can't eat most of the candy and the parents are taking it..Some don't even dress them up.I don't know..I think you don't have to wait for Halloween to show off your baby.No one gets turned away at my Dad's due to age.If there are other family members with the baby,I agree..

As long as the kids are nice and respectful, they can be an asset.  The good kids help watch out for the younger kids who are out alone.  A little candy is a small price to pay for the extra sets of eyes.

I say 39 years old is too old...hahhaha...I'm 38 so I'll get to go this year..LOL!! JUST JOKING!!

I think when kids turn 16 they shouldn't do it anymore because they are old enough to drive. The 15 year olds are still having to have a parent with them when they drive....so to me they are still considered young enough to do "kid" things like going Trick or Treating.

redfireant said…

I say 39 years old is too old...hahhaha...I'm 38 so I'll get to go this year..LOL!! JUST JOKING!!

I think when kids turn 16 they shouldn't do it anymore because they are old enough to drive. The 15 year olds are still having to have a parent with them when they drive....so to me they are still considered young enough to do "kid" things like going Trick or Treating.

---

Good point about the driving age.

(BTW: I think you should go this year......... ;->  I just remembered that when my friends & I were in our younger teens we thought we were too mature to do 'silly' things. Then, when we got to our late teens & 20's... and even to this day, lol lol, we started doing 'silly' things that would have embarrassed the younger 'mature sect'. LOL)