The Halloween Age Debate

Each year, those handing out candy are seeing older and older kids come
knocking on their doors – often later at night, after the younger kids
have already been by. This crowd is typically pre-teens or teens, and
often without adult accompaniment. This on occasion leaves parents
wondering how old is too old for Halloween.

Each year, those handing out candy are seeing older and older kids come
knocking on their doors – often later at night, after the younger kids
have already been by. This crowd is typically pre-teens or teens, and
often without adult accompaniment. This on occasion leaves parents
wondering how old is too old for Halloween.

The age debate

Seeing preschool and elementary-aged kids on Halloween is often a cute
sight. They are dressed in adorable little costumes, and are obviously
caught up in the excitement of the holiday. They often have mom or dad
along with them, both to keep an eye on them and to snap the occasional
picture. The older kids, on the other hand, are another thing entirely.
They may or may not be in costume – or their version of a "costume" is
to smear some fake blood on. Often without parental supervision, they
roam the streets as a group late into the night.

Some parents may argue that there is no problem with this and the teens
are merely having fun. However, it bears remembering that the teenager
years are often a time of experimentation – and running around the
streets at night unsupervised can lead to all sorts of activities. Even
if drugs, alcohol, and sex aren't concerns, the fact of the matter is
that few of these kids are going to look both ways when crossing the
street or be wary of unsavory characters that might be lurking in the
shadows. And it doesn't take much for the "mob mentality" to tempt even
good kids to do something that they normally wouldn't do on Halloween night.

All in all, Halloween is a time for fun, costumes and lasting memories.
If you warn them of the dangers and ensure that they are highly visible,
with glow sticks and other similar reflectors, is often a good idea to
allow your children to trick-or-treat at any age.

Choosing alternatives

Should you rather, alternatives to trick-or-treating do exist!

Does your child still want to dress up? Have him or her dress up and be
in charge of handing out the candy to visitors coming to the door. You
can then let him or her have the leftover candy at the end of the night
(just make sure you have a bag left over).

Or, how about hosting your own Halloween party for your teen and his or
her friends? They can then still get to hang out, dress in costumes, and
eat themselves silly on candy – all in the safety of your own home. Your
teenager may even enjoy decorating the house with a spooky theme. If
having a dozen teens running around doesn't appeal to you, then you
could also consider harvest parties at local churches, or doing another
family activity like visiting haunted houses or hayrides.

While there is not an age limit on trick-or-treating, alternatives do
exist and they allow Halloween to be a fun holiday for all ages. All you
have to do is find some age appropriate activities that everyone can
participate in