Every parent gets a little sad when their kids say they no longer want to put on a Halloween costume and go out trick-or-treating for Halloween. (There goes childhood!) But if your teenager wants to keep going door-to-door well into high school, is that ok?
A recent well-written plea from a parent, asked neighbors to be tolerant of the tweens and teens who decide to put on any sort of costume (even if it is slightly thrown together) because at this age, kids “too-cool” to trick or treat may not realize what they’re giving up by sitting on the sidelines.
“So here's what I can pass on, if you don't have your own 15-year-old boy.
When a crowd of under-costumed teens shows up on your doorstep, welcome them. It's a big group because they find strength in numbers. They're not wearing costumes because they didn't realize that they'd want to go — nor how badly.
Give them big bars. Don't tell them they're too old. They already know that.
Let them pretend it just isn't so.”
According to Pam Vincent, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Ashford University (), children around the age of twelve may begin to resist Halloween and “feel as though they are on an imaginary stage and that everyone thinks they may look silly in a costume or that they are—gasp!—hanging out with their parents and younger siblings.” Some towns go as far as enacting laws prohibiting trick-or-treaters over the age of 12, in an effort to make neighborhoods safe from kids causing mischief, threatening a pretty hefty fine if they break the ordinance.
We asked our readers what they thought about establishing a cut-off, and while there were a few that suggested that teens stop in high school, the general consensus was that almost any age was fine, so long as they were in costume, somewhat respectful and weren’t ringing doorbells long after 9 PM at night. Just over 60% of our readers said that you were never too old, with a few even adding that they still trick-or-treat with their parents. While only 16% thought there should be a cutoff at 18 or younger. What do you think?
