There are countless indications that today’s kids are growing up faster than ever. Take a new toy for babies one mom nicknamed “babies first cubicle,” complete with a faux smartphone and Post-Its, which she sees as pushing office culture on the diaper-wearing set, parents.com reported.
Flash forward a few years, and many of us parents find that our daughters, who just outgrew playing with dolls, are begging to go to Sephora for skin care products with price tags to rival a fancy dinner for four. Meanwhile, teen boys are singularly focused on building cologne collections that look like the display of a department store.
And now, Melissa Willets wrote, my sixth grader, who just weeks ago turned 11, has informed me that many of her friends are staying home on Halloween. Why? Because they think hey are already to grown up to trick-or-treat!
Too Cool for Trick-or-Treating?
Of course, it’s nothing new for kids to feel they’ve aged out of dressing up in costumes and ringing doorbells for candy on October 31. Believe it or not, some towns even have rules — or at least guidelines — about the age at which kids are considered too old to participate in trick-or-treating, with 14 being the average.
Melissa’s daughter told her that, in a few years, she may really be too old to beg for candy around the neighborhood, so why rush it? Melissa wrote she was happy to report that she plans to go out on the spookiest night of the year, but she’ll be with a small group, as many of her peers are adamant about not leaving the house that night.
Yup, it seems that if 40 is the new 30, 11 must be the new 16. Speaking of being 16, I have another daughter this age, and yes, I am encouraging her to go out on Halloween. My take is that as long as you’re still in high school, trick-or-treating is completely appropriate — as long last you aren’t bogarting the candy at the peril of the little kids.
In the end, I’d advise any tweens out there to enjoy collecting free candy while you still can. And here’s hoping I see tons of “older kids” out on the big night — and that they don’t say home, convinced they’ve already outgrown the holiday.
Kristi Parr wrote: “How Old Is Too Old To Trick-or-Treat? When kids are young, the idea of a trick-or-treat age limit is a non-issue. Even the littlest pumpkins delight in dressing up. And what school-age kids doesn’t love staying up after dark to explore their neighborhood and collect candy?
Trick-or-Treat Age Limit Laws
Many believe the trick-or-treating age shouldn’t extend into the teen years. Some cities and towns even have actual trick-or-treat laws that place an age limit on trick-or-treating.
Chesapeake, Virginia: The city of Chesapeake limits trick-or-treating to kids 14 and under, and older trick-or-treaters can even be charged with a Class 4 misdemeanor. Other cities in Virginia have a similar trick-or-treat age limit law in place, including Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Norfolk.
Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey: Upper Deerfield Township has a trick-or-treat age recommendation for over 30 years that advises against trick-or-treating for kids over 12 (though action has never been taken.)
Belleville, Illinois: Bellville has a law called “Halloween Solicitation,” which forbids children over 12 from wearing a mask. Those in 9th grade or above can’t “appear on the streets, highways, public homes, private homes, or public places in the city to make trick-or-treat visitations.”
Charleston, South Carolina: Charleston restricts trick-or-treating for teens over 16, who also aren’t allowed to wear a mask in public places.