What Should Be The Cut-Off Age For Trick-Or-Treaters?

[arwalden]

What's the deal with all these TEENAGERS who think it's okay to just grab a pillowcase or a plastic grocery bag... make NO EFFORT to even PRETEND to have a costume... then go door-to-door demanding free goodies?

There were times when I wanted to have a little sign on my walkway that says "Kids Under 12 Only... You must be no taller than this sign". (Much like the "kids-only" signs for the kiddie rides at theme parks.)

~Allen*

(*well on his way to being his street's official "grumpy-old-man")

[KitchenWitch]

1. I think 14-15

My son went out last night (as an Emo). He is 14.

I think the trick or treating for him was more an opportunity to socialize with his friends than anything.

[Shell Beau]

2. 13. Although I guess it depends on the maturity of the kid.

[terrya]

3. 10.

After that, you're close to being a teenager.

Trick or treating, to me, is for kids aged 5 - 10. After that, again IMO, you're too damn old.

[Richardo]

23. 12. My pissy post from yesterday...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4231299&mesg_id=4231299

[kick-ass-bob]

25. no love for the 36 and under crowd??

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4235435&mesg_id=4235766

:P

[johnnie]

4. I think it should be between the ages of 3-12 maybe

Sure it is cute to see these tiny 1-2 year olds, but they aren't eating that candy and they have no idea what the hell is going on. Most of them look like they are uncomfortable and tired.

I think 12 is a good age to stop with the trick or treating. Hell, I was already starting my first rock band by that age, I had other things on my mind other than candy.

[GirlinContempt]

5. I don't really care how old the person is

if they're dressed up, they get candy. If not, no candy.

[liontamer]

37. why should age matter?

If i agree to give away candy to anyone who knocks on my door and asks for it, then I'm not going to be all agist about it.

[Divameow77]

6. I would say 12

even though it is hard for the pre-teen & teenage kids to have a fun Halloween if they have no party to go to.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. I think if you can go without parental supervision, you are too old.

My teens went to a party last night until 9:30. I took the 9yo around because I don't want her going alone. I don't know all my neighbors any longer and won't take the chance.

[Mutley]

8. I don't think there should be a limit.

I think the kids over 12 should wait until after 8pm so the little kids have a chance. But after 8, most people are trying to get rid of their left over candy anyway.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. I can remember trick or treating in high school. But we dressed up and

weren't so rude as to bring pillow cases. The candy was cool, but by that age we were mainly interested in showing off our costumes to anyone who would look.

[Mizmoon]

11. I went in high school and filled up two pillowcases!

and I ate every last piece of candy I got and never gained an ounce.

Last night I intentionally bought candy I didn't like and I still gained a pound just by looking at them as I handed them out.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Well, I was able to gain weight in high school but the problem is way

worse now.

And I hear ya about trying to avoid them by getting ones you didn't like. Smart move on your part. Sadly for me, I have yet to eat some flavored sugar that I didn't like. Diabetes here I come. :(

[Left Is Write]

44. When I was a child, we carried pillow cases.

We didn't have special pumpkin buckets or anything like that. Lots of kids carried pillowcases. I don't think it's rude - it's just a receptacle.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

10. I liked to trick-or-treat till i was like 16 or 17....

but I at least wore a costume. I mean, I would do it just for a little to get some goodies...hehe

could i still get some candy? ;)

[MissMillie]

12. No age limit, but a costume is a must

and I don't mean just a rubber mask that you wear over your face while you wear your usual jeans & T-shirt. I mean the costume should smack of effort.

[uppityperson]

26. I agree, good costume gets treats. Any age. Anyone.

I'm not a halloweenist-agist-sizist but definetly a costumist. You don't put out the effort, no treats. I don't care how young or old you are. If you want your kids to get treats, they have to work for it. If you want to work for it, you get treats, no matter the age. I love halloween.

[Greyhound]

13. After 80 it takes too long to walk up the driveways and its not a

good idea to eat that much candy.

[Blue Diadem]

14. Height doesn't work..there are always those who are shorter or taller

for their age.

As far as a limit on age I don't have one. If I have a lot of candy I give to parents if they come to the door with the kids. I've even passed out dog treats to the dogs who accompany their owners.

We also have a mentally challenged man(maybe 30 yrs old now) in our area who goes to the houses of people he knows and he chats and gets candy. I thought it was cute last night as he came up to say hi and I told him to pick out what he wanted from the candy bowl. As a teenaged trick or treater was walking up to the porch he asked her what her family was giving out and she said donuts and invited him to stop by before they ran out.

It's all about making kids/people smile even if for a night. I'd rather give the older ones candy, costume or not, than have them get involved with damaging stuff.

[barb162]

15. about 11

at least it was for me. Around that age, trick or treating seems to be for the "little kids"

[LostinVA]

16. 12, MAYBE 13

[peekaloo]

17. Have a minimum age.

I had parents HOLDING BABIES who were collecting candy for "the child". I stalled a couple of times asking what could the child handle, what with no teeth and all. :eyes:

If the teenagers are polite I have no problem with 'em. But parents using small babies irks me.

[El Fuego]

19. I don't care how old they are, it's all good fun

I'm stuck with four bags of candy because I only had one trick or treater. And I don't even like candy! x(

If an 80 year old came around with a costume on, I'd have been happy to give them candy!

[paul_fromatlanta]

35. I agree- if they want the candy or don't have money for candy

or just want to socialize it's fine with me- I afford 10 cents worth of candy.

Besides it's better than most of the other things teens wandering the streets at night might be doing.

Besides, our neighborhood is next to a poor neighborhood and a lot of the kids and teens came over just for nicer candy - I couldn't turn them away.

[kick-ass-bob]

20. 37.

WHAT?

:grr:

[skygazer]

21. I don't have any limits

I'd prefer to see them wearing a costume but I'd rather see them at my door trick or treating with or without costume than off egging houses or raising hell.

You know, there's something inside a teenager (or an adult for that matter) that wants to hang onto that little kid feeling for as long as possible. How much would it suck to be 12 years old and feel like you couldn't be a kid anymore? That's not right.

I can almost see refusing a kid without a costume but not really. It's only one night of the year. Let 'em be kids.

[Patiod]

22. Grade school or elementary school

we were just talking about a friend's kid who is 13 and still goes, but he's in Catholic School, and that's still considered "grade school". I think a lot of public school kids cut out trick-or-treating after elementary school (or middle school?).

[EstimatedProphet]

24. 50

But once they're over 21 you have to give them something other than candy.

[distantearlywarning]

27. I don't care how old they are, but the lack of the costume pisses me off.

I think that 15 year olds going door to door in jeans and sweatshirts demanding loads of free candy is an excellent representation of how this culture both encourages shameless greed and manages to miss the point of/destroy/commercialize every single thing in the world that might actually be some fun.

I'm thinking about posting a sign next year that says "No Costume, No Candy, No Exceptions". So I guess I'm joining you as an official grumpy-old-woman.

[TimeChaser]

28. None! But the costume's a must.

I was trick or treating all throughout highschool. I would have done it again this year if I was at home with my friends. But a costume should be required to get candy. That's my rule

[AllegroRondo]

32. I agree

we had several kids who were high school age, but looked like they put a lot of work into their costumes. Including a guy dressed as a Catholic school girl, complete with wig, lipstick, and stuffed bra. Hilarious, and worthy of candy.

[LostinVA]

34. Okay, the kid would have gotten candy from me....

[sundog]

29. anyone who vandalizes personal/private property gets rewarded at my house

age is irrelevant

[ComerPerro]

30. Whenever. I stopped when I was 10, but people I talk to seem suprised

when I tell them that.

Apparently a lot of people continuted Trick-or-Treating into High School.

Personally, I just started thinking it was lame when I was 10.

That could be because I was in sixth grade, though. Most of the people I knew were 12

And I didn't have a good time on the Halloween the year before.

[AirmensMom]

31. It's not the age, it's the costume.

I went with my kids when I was in my 30s and they were teenagers. It was fun to dress up with them and people insisted on giving me candy. I love it when the teenagers dress up and come to the door. They tend to have very imaginative costumes. But I don't like it when they don't wear a costume. Most of our kids have grown up and moved away, so it's not such a problem anymore. Between that and the hurricane, we only got about 3 kids last night.

[Enraged_Ape]

33. We had several teenage losers last night

I can only hope that they were stoned out of their minds and just had a huge attack of the munchies, and so they couldn't help humiliating themselves.

There is NOTHING more pathetic than going around begging for miniature packets of SweeTarts while all your classmates are going to parties, getting high, having wild orgies, etc.

I say the cut-off is 12. I think I stopped at 11, when I found that staying home watching Charlie's Angels was more exciting than freezing my a$$ off asking for candy that I didn't need and didn't really want.

[LanternWaste]

36. I've typeset a placard

I've typeset a placard that is placed on the front door every year at Haloween which reads, "You must be at least this short to receive candy", followed by a dashed lined that stands app. 4'5" above the porch floor. Looks a lot like the signs you'd read at an amusement park with height requirements for particular rides.

IMO, once you're in high school, it's time to begin to think about giving reather than getting.

Lot's of mean glares from parents, teens and adults (adults trick or treating w/o children? WTF?), but much more candies for the children.

(And yes, I do make exceptions for exceptionally "short-challenged" kids...)


Edited for spelling: That whole "I after E" thing, yaknow....

[arwalden]

38. Perfect!

:thumbsup:

[tigereye]

39. ah I don't care

I tease the big ones without costumes and ask what they are. I am amused by the big ones who dress up in bizarre masks. I think it's fun. It's all about being big "kids." In my neighborhood, half the fun is seeing the neighbor's girls ( there are a lot of them from 14 to 24) dressed to the nines. It's more of them liking to dress up than getting candy and it's a neighborhood thing with everyone out on their porches chatting and getting acquainted. I like seeing the babies, the toddlers, the teens, the grownups! I usually put on some silly get-up too! :)

[tazkcmo]

40. First trimester

[XNASA]

41. Age to cut-off their *what*?

[arwalden]

46. Uh... Their hair?

You nut!

[Left Is Write]

42. My parents' rule was that we could not trick-or-treat after elementary

school. 6th grade was my last year of elementary school, so that was it for T-o-T.

[hunter]

43. Why should there be a limit?

And someone in the neighborhood should be keeping an eye on those teens who "make NO EFFORT."

They might be aliens.

[arwalden]

47. Why should they be rewarded for doing nothing more than showing up?

Most of them don't even say "trick-or-treeeeeat" anymore either. Call me old-fashioned. Call me a grump.

<< They might be aliens.>>

From the Simpson's Treehouse of Horror XIV?



That's me on the right.

[AtomicKitten]

45. when you're dead.

I would definitely draw the line at dragging a corpse around to get extra candy, although the costume would be fabulous.

[qnr]

52. Instead of dead, I kind of draw the line at when you're too old to

get around without falling and breaking your hip.

[Book Lover]

48. All comers, no exceptions

I also give candy to the herding adults conned into the supervisory role. What do I care? When else do you get people to give you something just by asking?

Yeah, I guess I'm the soft touch.

[bliss_eternal]

49. If they are in costume, I don't care...

how old they are.

[Left Is Write]

53. I admit I do like to see adults in costume. It's fun.

[bliss_eternal]

56. I LOVE to dress up--

just don't have much of an opportunity to do so. We (dh and I) did dress up for a few years when we accompanied our neices and nephew out trick or treating, they loved it. They really wanted us to go to the doors and collect candy with them, but we wouldn't. We really just wanted a chance to wear costumes and 'play' with them. No need to beg for candy. LOL!

I've given adults that came to the door with their kids candy, especially if they are dressed up too. They are always surprised that I offer it to them! LOL!

[SeanQuinn]

50. 13.

I'm 13, stopped this year.

[Scout1071]

51. 12. Or 13 Max. I got mugged 2 years ago by a group of smart ass

14-15 year olds and I simply won't answer the door anymore for older kids or adults. Basically, I opened the door and stepped out with a bowl of candy and these kids just started grabbing everything they could out of the bowl and pushing me around.

Aside from that I'm feeling bitter today because last night I raced home from a long commute, made an out of the way stop at the store to buy a bunch of candy and nothing. Nada. zero. not one snotty nosed brat in costume. Now I'm sitting here with a huge bowl of chocolate. I work from home many days and I'm patting myself on the back for not having had one today. But now, I'm off to get one.

DAMN THOSE KIDS!

[arwalden]

57. Now now... There you go...

Welcome to grumpyhood! It's not so bad, once you get used to it.

Practice saying these lines:

"Get outta my yard you kids!"
"Hey! Get a haircut!"
"Pull up your pants! I can see your drawers!"
"Turn down that hi-fi!"
"Slow down, dag nabbit!"

[Scout1071]

58. Oh no. I have arrived, haven't I?

A few more that I'm working on:

"No, you kids go right ahead. I'll just stay here and watch the bags." (Insert this phrase anywhere near an amusement park)

"Well, back when I was in school........"

"Will you turn down the stereo, please?"

"Honey, do you know where my ben-gay patches are?"

Damn it! I'm only 34. Just turned 34. It's kicking me in the pants.

[Rowdyboy]

54. My last time was when I was 12....I went up to a door and an older man

said "Boy, you big enough, I oughta give you a piece of cornbread". That pretty much did it for me.

[arwalden]

55. Cornbread? OMG!!! Is That Slang For...

a) a spanking
b) butt-sex
c) cornbread... literally.
d) a piece of my mind
e) none of the above.

[Rowdyboy]

59. I didn't hanf around long enough to find out!

But I think the old geezer was talking about real cornbread (God help me, I hope he was!) It seemed like he was 80 but in reality he was probably no older than I am today!

[Nikia]

60. Not by height

I had reached my adult height of 5'5'' at age 11. I was 4' by age 5. Between those years, I pretty much had a constant growth rate. I tended to be one of the taller kids in my class until I stopped growing and everyone else started growing.
I stopped trick-or-treating after sixth grade. My mother made me stop. I was upset about this. My sister, a year younger, was even more upset because my mother wouldn't let her go that year either. We were even more upset once we found out her intern (college student) was going trick-or-treating with his girl friend who was also in college.

[Blue Diadem]

62. My 6 yr old granddaughter is 4'2" already.

I have a soon to be Dil who is 23 and is only 4'll". Height just shouldn't be used to decide who is eligible to trick or treat.

I remember being accused of being older because of my height when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I don't remember going out after that because I was embarassed.

[Metta]

61. No, we offer candy to many of the parents.

Everyone should make their inner and outer child happy with something sweet once in awhile.