..,dreading answering the door for Halloween? UPDATE IN OP

[PneumaticTransit]

Last year was my first year with trick-or-treaters. I was so excited!

However, every time I answered the door it was "kids" waaaay too old to be trick or treating (12 y/o+) and 3/4 of them weren't even wearing costumes. It was a real buzz kill to my favorite holiday.

I didn't turn anyone away, honestly I was afraid they might vandalize my house or car. I was starting to get a little angry. Honestly, one "kid" had real facial hair... he was about 16 or 17. Most of them looked liked they just got home from school (heh... or work) and grabbed a pillowcase. Most of them didn't even bother to say, "Trick or treat."

I don't live in a poor section of town where I assume this happens more often as people cannot afford costumes and such.

Out of 50 doorbell rings, maybe 10 of them were little kids in costumes. I even ended up running out of candy and made a mad dash to the store to get more.

So this year after I run out, that is it. My light will be off. You can tell your little princess/spiderman that captain of the highschool football team got their Snickers bar.


UPDATE:
Halloween night went well this year. I didn't have anyone without some sort of costume. Everyone was very polite. It was 100% better than last year!

I think it was due to an increased police patrol in our developement. (It's right next to a highschool which doesn't help matters).
I saw a cruiser pass our house several times throughout the evening and it must of really discouraged the rowdy teens we had running around last year.
I had enough candy for everyone who came to my door, and turned out the lights around 9:00 PM.

Crisis averted!

 

[noseybuddy]

Oh I am, so this year I am not giving out candy for the first time. My kids are teens and won't even be around. Closing up the house, might head out to the mall.

 

[MickeysMommy]

I do not like Halloween...sorry

 

[DawnCt1]

I like giving out the candy. My only worry is that I will have too much left over or I will run out. I can never get it right. It changes year to year. I don't care how old the "kids" are. What difference does it make if they are 7 or 17? They still like candy.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

If they're older teenagers and not wearing a costume - anything, even a sheet over the head would do - I won't give them candy. I tell them to come back with a costume!

 

[Cantw8]

I also could care less how old the kids are. In my neighborhood, the kids get candy and the parents that are taking them around, get beers and wine coolers.

 

[darrose]

Just turn off your fronts lights and you should be fine when you run out of candy.
I feel its ok for teens to trick or treat and as long as they are in costume I will continue to welcome teens at my door.

You also cant gage a childs age by height, facial hair, etc. Unless you know the kids well you might be surprised the age of those kids you were upset with.

 

[taximomfor4]

I always grab a big handful of candy, then drop a couple of items into each pillow case. That way, if it is just one of my dh's students running house to house, terrorizing children whenever possible etc, I can PRETEND to drop a few in each pillowcase.

Last year, one of dh's students came back like 4 times. He finally went through our kids candy, picked out a bunch that none of us like, and put them aside. Whenever those kids came back, they got re-treated.

Beth

 

[luvwinnie]

I am at work til 6 and I do NOT want to be getting up for the door, plus my dog goes nuts when bell rings so we disconnect the bells and put out a big bowl of candy saying "Please take 2 each." Usually works ok...but last year someone took my bowl!

 

[noseybuddy]

I am at work til 6 and I do NOT want to be getting up for the door, plus my dog goes nuts when bell rings so we disconnect the bells and put out a big bowl of candy saying "Please take 2 each." Usually works ok...but last year someone took my bowl!

I thought about putting a bowl of candy out, but you always get the wise guy who takes more than they should. I hate that.

 

[Keli]

I don't see anything wrong with older teens trick or treating. Of course that's easy fore me to say since I can't get a kid one to come way out in the boonies to my house to trick or treat anyway. I really don't feel like I'd care though even if it did mean I was giving out a lot more candy. It just seems like we want our kids to grow up too quickly these days and I'm all for them staying children longer.

 

[N.Bailey]

My kids are 13 and 14 and this is the 3rd year they've not wanted to go out. A lot of their friends still do though. In all honesty, I don't mind giving to older kids. I know when mine were little, we'd toss so much every year because it was way too much for them anyway.

They enjoy dressing up and giving the candy out though and they have a good time when the older kids knock. We live in a small town, so we pretty much know all the older kids anyway. I still didn't mind the older kids coming when my own were little either, so it's not really that I've changed my mind.

 

[HunnyPots]

I have no problem with teens trick or treating; my two will be out there tonight with lots of friends doing the same thing. All in full costume. Honestly, Halloween is a great time for everybody to feel like a kid again! And trick or treating is a pretty wholesome activity; much better than a bunch of bored teens going around tp'ing houses or egging cars, etc.

 

[JVL1018]

Last year I opened the door to 2 teenage boys barely in costumes(I think they may have had some face paint on). I gave them candy, grudgingly. My daughter, dressed as Jasmine came up behind me and they said WOW! It's Jasmine! You look SO pretty!
I then felt so bad for being annoyed by them. Now I just think, oh so what-these are good kids-big deal- they trick or treat for some candy past the age wheni think they should.

 

[LauraR]

I like giving out the candy. My only worry is that I will have too much left over or I will run out. I can never get it right. It changes year to year. I don't care how old the "kids" are. What difference does it make if they are 7 or 17? They still like candy.

I'm with you. Any kid who's polite gets candy, even if they are in high school. Now if college students start coming by, I MIGHT have to draw the line!

 

[Tantor]

I don't mind them at any age as long as they make an effort to at least put on a mask or something. I find by 7:30 - 8 ish it's mostly big kids anyways so I shut off my lights.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Ooohhhh, my DD is 11 and is going this year. In fact, everyone in her 6th grade class is going. This is sad to know so many people don't approve of this. Now I'm going to be paranoid because she is a VERY TALL 11 yr old, 5'7" I'm afraid someone is going to give her crap.

Guess I'll fill my pockets with eggs in case I have to bomb a house

 

[darrose]

Good point about the time. In my community official trick or treat time is 6pm to 8pm.

 

[transparant]

Wow...you're no fun. My 15, 14, & 12 year old still go trick or treating. Of course they wear customes - but they still have a lot of fun. 12 is to young to go trick or treating? Geez. I like the fact that she had fun putting a costume together and is going with a bunch of kids from her class. My 15 yr. old and his best friend worked all weekend on their costumes - my son is going to be a stop sign and his friend is being a speed limit sign.

I don't see what the problem is if they are bigger kids. Like someone else said - they all still like candy, and if they are having fun...who cares

 

[grlpwrd]

Thanks, Dawn and transparant for saying what you did... I feel the same way.

Teens are still kids until they reach the age of majority.