Dd asked her age while trick or treating last night

[Dawnlight]

Halloween is a tradition for children to trick or treat. Christmas is a tradition to give presents to family. My 65 year old parents still get presents too. So that isn't the same at all.

Guess I better inform my neighbors who hand out adult alcoholic treats to chaperoning kids that they are not abiding by Halloween tradition. Come on, just because you think it's one thing (kids trick or treating), doesn't make it so. I know lots of people who have Halloween parties, Zombie marches, and other fun things to celebrate.

There are some major Halloween Grinches around, that's for sure.

 

[mamamary]

Does he? I know I have been out of high school for 10 years but where I lived once you hit 18 you could all yourself out, sign your own permission slips (they only handed them out for those of us that were still 17) sign themselves out of school and leave at any time that they wanted to, etc.

No, parents still need to sign you out here and send in a note (we have a pad of attendance notes that are given out at the beginning of the year so everyone uses the same form) if you are absent or late even if you are 18. We never had to call in but we do get a recorded call the evening of the child's absence reminding you to send in the attendance note the next time your child comes to school.

 

[ronandannette]

Halloween appears to now be an opportunity for people to show their judgmental natures.

We had over 300 trick or treaters (as we do every year) so spend a lot of money on candy. It's one of our favorite nights of the year. You come to our door in costume, you get candy and a "Happy Halloween".

People really just need to lighten up.

Oh for Pete's sake - judgemental? What exactly were you looking for when you started the thread? You gave 2 primary pieces of information: #1 that your 16 y.o. DD and her 18 y.o. boyfriend dressed in costume and went trick-or-treating. #2 At one house they were asked their ages and the person didn't give the BF candy, admonishing that he was (in that person's opinion) too old for what is quite typically seen as a child's activity. You had to know people would be commenting on both those points and that opinions would fall all over the place - which they have.

 

[AustinTink]

My teenager had a party at our house with 20 friends. They ate pizza, watched scary movies, played in our arcade, had a costume contest and........went trick-or-treating! It was a greta night.

 

[mamamary]

Oh for Pete's sake - judgemental? What exactly were you looking for when you started the thread? You gave 2 primary pieces of information: #1 that your 16 y.o. DD and her 18 y.o. boyfriend dressed in costume and went trick-or-treating. #2 At one house they were asked their ages and the person didn't give the BF candy, admonishing that he was (in that person's opinion) too old for what is quite typically seen as a child's activity. You had to know people would be commenting on both those points and that opinions would fall all over the place - which they have.

Hey I'm the OP. You are NOT quoting me so please lighten up about it. I have no problem with people giving their opinions so I'm not sure what you are getting at. It's all good with me.

 

[ronandannette]

Hey I'm the OP. You are NOT quoting me so please lighten up about it. I have no problem with people giving their opinions so I'm not sure what you are getting at. It's all good with me.

Um...I didn't quote you.

 

[mamamary]

Um...I didn't quote you.

You seem to have quoted mom2rtk and talked about her starting the thread yada yada. I am the OP. Maybe I'm confused??????

 

[mom2rtk]

Oh for Pete's sake - judgemental? What exactly were you looking for when you started the thread? You gave 2 primary pieces of information: #1 that your 16 y.o. DD and her 18 y.o. boyfriend dressed in costume and went trick-or-treating. #2 At one house they were asked their ages and the person didn't give the BF candy, admonishing that he was (in that person's opinion) too old for what is quite typically seen as a child's activity. You had to know people would be commenting on both those points and that opinions would fall all over the place - which they have.

I didn't start the thread.

 

[mamamary]

I didn't start the thread.

I know. I think she is getting us confused.

 

[gwynne]

Um...I didn't quote you.

Maybe look at who started the thread, post #1?
It's Monday.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Do people realize that when you are giving out candy to all those cute younger toddlers and preschoolers that seem to be the preferred demographic, that you are actually giving candy to the parents? I have younger kids and they don't eat their Halloween candy, maybe they get a few pieces, but I end up eating the bulk of it. All of the parents I know who have younger kids do the same thing, no one wants their 2 year olds eating a basket of candy. So in reality is it extraordinarily hypocritical to deny teens candy, when basically you are just providing candy to all your adult neighbors.

 

[ronandannette]

You seem to have quoted mom2rtk and talked about her starting the thread yada yada. I am the OP. Maybe I'm confused??????

I know. I think she is getting us confused.

Both of you are CORRECT. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[mamamary]

Do people realize that when you are giving out candy to all those cute younger toddlers and preschoolers that seem to be the preferred demographic, that you are actually giving candy to the parents? I have younger kids and they don't eat their Halloween candy, maybe they get a few pieces, but I end up eating the bulk of it. All of the parents I know who have younger kids do the same thing, no one wants their 2 year olds eating a basket of candy. So in reality is it extraordinarily hypocritical to deny teens candy, when basically you are just providing candy to all your adult neighbors.

And on that note I am off to the dentist for a cleaning. We had pretty much only one bag of candy left and it was Snickers. I ate way too many. On to the next holiday!! Good chatting with everyone on this thread!

 

[kamik86]

Guess I better inform my neighbors who hand out adult alcoholic treats to chaperoning kids that they are not abiding by Halloween tradition. Come on, just because you think it's one thing (kids trick or treating), doesn't make it so. I know lots of people who have Halloween parties, Zombie marches, and other fun things to celebrate.

There are some major Halloween Grinches around, that's for sure.

Well I said trick or treating was traditionally for children. NOt all of halloween. The parties and all the other things make sense. Fully expect most teens would want to be at one of the parties over trick or treating anyway.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Guess I better inform my neighbors who hand out adult alcoholic treats to chaperoning kids that they are not abiding by Halloween tradition. Come on, just because you think it's one thing (kids trick or treating), doesn't make it so. I know lots of people who have Halloween parties, Zombie marches, and other fun things to celebrate.

There are some major Halloween Grinches around, that's for sure.

All those other things you mention aren't traditions for children though.
Since Christmas was brought up, would you really think it was totally normal for a 16 or 18 year old to celebrate Christmas by writing letters to Santa and going to the mall to tell Santa what they want for Christmas?
There does come an age where you are too old for something.

 

[kamik86]

No, parents still need to sign you out here and send in a note (we have a pad of attendance notes that are given out at the beginning of the year so everyone uses the same form) if you are absent or late even if you are 18. We never had to call in but we do get a recorded call the evening of the child's absence reminding you to send in the attendance note the next time your child comes to school.

Ok maybe things have changed. or that this is just regional. I know this was a bit of a big deal because there was a funeral for a classmate many wanted to attend and the school was even giving parents a hard time about signing kids out unless they did it in person (we were seniors so many of the 16 and 17 year olds drove and even if they didn't we didn't need each kid to be picked up and driven by a parent... there were enough of us that could drive to drive all the others) but the 18 year old had no problem since the school legally had no grounds to stop them from signing out.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Do people realize that when you are giving out candy to all those cute younger toddlers and preschoolers that seem to be the preferred demographic, that you are actually giving candy to the parents? I have younger kids and they don't eat their Halloween candy, maybe they get a few pieces, but I end up eating the bulk of it. All of the parents I know who have younger kids do the same thing, no one wants their 2 year olds eating a basket of candy. So in reality is it extraordinarily hypocritical to deny teens candy, when basically you are just providing candy to all your adult neighbors.

The joy children get from dressing up and receiving lots of candy is really what it's about, not feeding them.

 

[North of Mouse]

Things have sure changed since my children were TOTing! About 12 was the age limit on those that even wanted to go door to door! It would have been embarrassing to them with their peers! The older ones usually just had private parties.

We were at a campground on a trip, and we didn't see any older children - still the cutoff age seemed to be in the 12-14 age group max! To me the 'cuteness' wears off fast in older children. To each their own though, as long as there were no trouble makers. We always gave out treats until they ran out regardless.

 

[Luv2Run]

I'm not sure if it's a regional thing, but my friends and I quit trick-or-treating once our ages started ending in -teen, so age 12 was the last year we went trick-or-treating (I'm 31 now). After that, it was usually just a sleepover at one of our houses.

That being said, I grew up in the Seattle area, and currently live in VA, and the oldest trick-or-treater we got this weekend was about 10 years old. The bulk of the kids were small, probably early-elementary aged. We bought 6lbs of candy and ran out in about an hour and a half, so we had a LOT of kids at our door. Maybe kids are just growing up faster with the advent of smart phones and the digital age, but I don't see many middle-school aged kids out trick-or-treating anymore.

 

[loves to dive]

We only had 10 kids last night and 6 of them were older kids. For the little one's I gave them several candy bars. For the older one's I ask them to do a trick. A song, dance, poem or really yelling Trick or treat. I also told them that the amount of candy they got depended on their "performance". They all really got into it. 5 did a dance routine and one yelled trick or treat. They all were allowed to get a handful of candies. They all went away laughing. I do this every year. It makes them think. Both groups (there was a 2 group and then a 3 group) would huddle (they were all boys) and discuss what they were going to do and then did it.
tigercat

I love this idea and am going to try it next year. Should be fun to see what they come up with.