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When to wean your teen off Halloween?
When are kids too old to trick-or-treat?
Seriously. I want to know. For religious reasons, I never participated in the annual extortion ritual that consisted of knocking on neighbors' doors and threatening them with mischief unless they handed over a Mars Bar or a Zagnut. So I never had to face the prospect that one day, I would be too old to do it.
But for the last few years, I've had the pleasure of tagging along with my wife while my stepdaughters have charmed the candy out of their neighbors. It's cute, but I'm starting to wonder whether they're getting a little old for this. They are 16 and 14, after all.
Have we reached the point in their lives when we should start planning Halloween parties instead of falling back on a ritual meant for children?
Are you as charmed by teenagers at your door as you are by the little ones? At what point do you feel more like you're being mugged than anything else? [And don't get me started on those who come to the door without a costume: you're not a trick-or-treater, you're a home invasion robber].
This isn't exactly related to my overall question, but I have to acknowledge the efforts of some churches to engage in a bit of counterprogramming on Halloween night. I grew up in a household that sapped the fun out of Halloween but didn't replace it with anything. It was just: "don't do it!" These churches don't ban the Halloween you know and love. But rather than say "don't do it," they say "do this instead."
Maybe such an event would be a good way to wean a teen off Halloween. I won't use this space to plug the activities of a particular church, but if you know of any counterprogramming, feel free to leave a comment.
Maybe I'll wait until next year to suggest a different Halloween activity. Why spoil the fun? Besides, in another year or two, our infant will be ready to start extorting the neighbors for a Watchamacallit.
And he can bring his sisters along, too.
[By the way, if you're wondering, those aren't our kids in the photo: it's Al and Tipper Gore in a 1998 AP photo].
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Comments
Ehhh let them have their fun. It's fun to dress up at any age. When one shows up at the door with no costume I generally ask them "And what are you supossed to be?" they come up with some clever answers - they may just get a little less candy than the more creative ones!
Posted by: Rsamorose | October 29, 2009 12:12 PM
I would wean kids off of it as soon as they lose their enthusiasm for it. If a kid is genuinely excited to don a costume and go trick-or-treating, then I'd let them go. Most of their friends are going to stop around the 12/13/14 range, and then it becomes more focused on attending a party. I discouraged my kid from going when his effort became donning a rubber mask from last year but focused more on the selection of pillow case to hold booty. At that point, it's just a candy grab.
Posted by: EJ | November 1, 2009 3:58 PM
This is really good costume wear by this two in image. Its a good day to get along with kids and teens.
Posted by: gifts for her | November 2, 2009 4:51 AM
Move to a different country if you dont like it or dont answer your dorr you moron.
Posted by: John | November 3, 2009 2:59 PM
Move to a different country if you dont like it or dont answer your door you moron.
Posted by: John | November 3, 2009 2:59 PM
Move to a different country if you dont like it or dont answer your door you moron.
Posted by: John | November 3, 2009 2:59 PM
Excellent costume wear by both of them in the picture. It seems to be funny picture. I hope they really enjoyed wearing this costume.
Posted by: magnesium | November 5, 2009 11:38 PM