Here's the conundrum. If you feel kids aged 13 and over shouldn't be trick-or-treating, they are the ones that are most likely to "trick" you and destroy your homes.

Bottom line? Give everyone candy.

I generally give extra candy if I like someone's costume, regardless of age.

I give those older kids a handful of candy along with the snarky comment "Oh, I see that this is YOUR last year of Trick or Treating!"

I give everyone candy, but I pity the teenagers still trick-or-treating, mostly because they're total geeks. By 13 you should be wanting to go to a party or watch a movie with friends, and bum candy off of your parents' stash.

Halloween is for all ages, but house to house trick-or-treating is really for younger kids.

If kids are having good, clean fun, then I support them 100%. Adults reliving childhood? I support that 100% too. Take your joy where you can get it. Leave the judgement for places in the world that actually need it (where we can help and make a difference).

As far as snarking at teens and making comments insinuating it should be their last year, please reconsider saying something that could make them feel ashamed of a wholesome and fun activity. And there's nothing wrong with being a "geek"--silicon valley's inhabitants are living proof of that. There's plenty of time in life for partying, nerd or not, and scary movies are any day of the month of October, not just on Halloween.

I feel high schoolers should not be trick-or-treating, but if they show up at my house in costume, I'll still give them candy.

hippie1981 wrote:I feel high schoolers should not be trick-or-treating, but if they show up at my house in costume, I'll still give them candy.

Agreeed.
While I don't think high-schoolers should be treak-or-treating either, I don't have a problem if they are in costume. The ones that drive me crazy, are the ones that just wear regular clothes and stick out their hands when you answer the door.

I stop short of refusing them, but usually make my message clear by giving costumed kids a big handful of goodies and giving Mr. T-Shirt and blue jeans a single piece of hard candy.

halloween is for sissies

k4th3r1n3 wrote:I pity the teenagers still trick-or-treating, mostly because they're total geeks.

I pity the person whose social desire for normalcy prevents him or her from revelry.

haha

Being a geek is definitely not something to pity.

(On a side note I have never trick or treated. I revel in my geekiness in quieter, more introverted ways. But Halloween is still my favorite holiday. I still dress up and I still go out at least to the parade. But I love to see older kids still trick or treating. I like to see them even more than the little ones.)

I stopped when I was around 8. I don't see anything wrong with teens trick-or-treating though. Whatever.

k4th3r1n3 wrote:I give everyone candy, but I pity the teenagers still trick-or-treating, mostly because they're total geeks.

In my neighborhood, the older teens who trick-or-treat are not geeks, they're thugs. They still make the effort of putting on some kind of attempt at a costume, and some of the young women get quite enthusiastic with their costume choices, if you get my drift.