For me, I think that ALL holidays have become more amazing -times ten- since I have had children. Back in the day, when I was a kid, I looked forward to dressing up, haunted houses, scary movies, going house to house with my friends, and eating BUTT LOADS of candy!
My dad was usually the one who took my siblings and I (and usually all our little friends) around the neighborhood. My mom stayed home and passed out the candy- full sized candy bars that were the talk of the neighborhood at Halloween time.
My dad always dressed up those nights. Usually as a "nerd"- where he would button his shirt wrong, wear floods, white socks and loafers and tie his tie too long, then zip it into his fly. It was embarrassing, but, admittedly, hilarious.
Now a days, though, when I picture Halloween, it's as much the cutely carved pumpkins, adorable home made costumes, weekends spent at the Gardener Historic Village for "Witches Night Out" here in Utah, and taking my kids to Martha Stewart-esq parties. All in all, as a mom, when I picture Halloween, I picture this:
Generally speaking, we always think of KIDS.
But what about Teens?
I think the last year I actually went Trick or Treating was when I was 14. I was a bat for my costume, and I only went up the street and back again because I was recovering from Chickenpox and didn't have the strength to actually stalk the neighborhood the way I had in previous years. When I was 15, though, I attended my first real Halloween party, with music, dancing, and boys.
I personally know several people, though, who will NEVER, under any circumstances, give candy to teenagers who are out trick or treating. They feel that the holiday is for children, and that it's selfish and petty for teenagers to be out begging for candy. 
Me, though, I am on the opposite side. I mean, to a degree, anyway. Anyone who comes to my door wearing a costume on Halloween night gets a piece of candy. I don't care if they're 2 or 20. I don't care if they're a dad taking their kids trick or treating or a group of high school girls hoping for a chocolate stash to sacrifice once a month to their fairly new friend "aunt flow".I will NOT give any candy to teens who show up wearing normal clothes, though. If you're going to go trick or treating, dress up. I admire that. I admire big kids taking their younger siblings out even more, and I think they deserve a treat for that effort.
I also remember being that trick or treating teen. I didn't mean anyone any harm. I was just a kid looking for some fun and some candy. It doesn't hurt anyone to give a fun sized snickers to a kid old enough to babysit, and shutting a door in their face doesn't really teach them a lesson in manners or propriety, it just makes you look like a jerk, and they go on to the next house to get their candy there.
Besides, I'd rather hand out a few pieces of cheap candy to a bunch of kids with bottomless bellies and forget about it than wake up to a house covered in eggs and toilet paper.
How about you? What do YOU think about Teens trick or treating? Do you mind at all? Do you give them candy or tell them no? How old is "too old?"*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Brae, I couldnt agree more. I trick or treated as a teen, in fact quite memorably me and a large group of my highschool friends dressed up junior year, lending the boys are most skanktacular outfits to wear and the boys lending us thier 8 sizes too large pants and we walked around with the boys as our ladies of the night and us thier pimps. maybe not the classiest of groups but it was ablast and the people throwing the change out thier car windows at the gus as we walked down new bingham was priceless. FUN AND HOLIDAYS ARE FOR ALL AGES. You know that the bag of candy that the little kids hold out for the infant silings is really going to the parents anyway but who cares as long as they are polite. My dad always had his trick or treat tax for taking us around before we were old enough to go on our own and always "taxed" us of most of the good candy, lol. The only time i wont give to teens is if they are rude. I had a kid last year maybe
ReplyDelete15 yrs old who almost knocked small kids off of our porch as he ran thru them reached into the bowl and took like an arm full of candy and ran off and then did it 3 more times. teens like that, hell no
I think that it is great for teens to trick or treat. I think the first and last year I trick or treated (my mom didn't really do trick or treating) was right before my 14th birthday. I loved it. I really get into Halloween. I think we are one of the only families where all of us dress up. I try and find something that we can all be a part of. I usually let my kids pick what they want to be and we go off of that. Chase will be Luke this year because he LOVES!!! Star Wars (or as he says, "Star Whores"). I really get into it. However, I do have a hard time when people plan the celebrations around older kids instead of the younger ones. I think the fact that we live in Germany makes it a bit harder on me. The base picks whatever day they want to do the trick or treating and it doesn't matter what day Halloween is on. This year they planned it on a Sat evening. I play for a soccer team and we have a game during the trick-or-treating time. Maybe I am selfish, but I am not giving up my soccer game time. My husband could take the kids himself, but I want to watch them do that. Watching them have so much fun is one of the joys that I get from the holiday. I was going to rely on the church party. It made me a little upset when they decided to plan it on a Tuesday night instead of mutual. The trunk or treating won't even start until 7pm. Hello, that is my kids' bed time. I really don't want them all hyped up on sugar and late to bed on a school night. It frustrates me that they planned it like that to accommodate the teens. I am all about older kids dressing up and having haunted houses and older kid Halloween parties, but come on, planning a kids party that late on a school night is just annoying. I have no idea how I am going to do trick or treating with my kids this year. :(
ReplyDeleteA little off topic I know, but I am really annoyed by it.
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I'm with you. If teen wants to trick-or-treat, no problems here. The more candy I can give away, the better!
ReplyDeleteWhy ask teens to grow up even faster than they need to? I have no problem with any kid of any age coming to trick or treat as long as they have a costume! The more the merrier!
ReplyDeleteSarah @ made in usa challenge