at what age did your kids stop ToT'ing?

lauren grier

lauren grier

you're like stars
I'm debating what to do for halloween this year with kidlet.. He'll be 11 soon, and I feel like he's bordering the age limit for tot'ing.. however when we were out last year I saw kids that were like 18 :p So.. I'm wondering what you all consider the 'standard' age to stop? He doesn't have any younger siblings or friends to go out with if that makes a difference. Jacob won't be home this year, and I don't feel comfortable walking around the neighborhoods in the dark alone. I feel badly for looking for excuses not to go :P LOL Any tips on bribing him to simply hand out candy this year instead of wandering the streets :P
 
Well Z still goes (and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon as his 13 year old best friend still goes, lol) and they are the same age. However, dude's old enough for you to explain why you don't want to go. I'd try seeing if there are any alternatives in the area that you can take him to. I know around here tons of churches do Trunk or Treats the week before.
 
I think Kendra last went when she was in 6th grade (what age is that? LOL I can't even remember). At that point, she went with some of her friends in the neighborhood as a group. Her older brother (16 at the time) was chaperoning, so I didn't even go along.

After that, she actually preferred to hand out candy. It wasn't anything that we had to talk her into. She just made the decision for herself. So now, she either hands out candy or she goes to church carnivals with friends.

Do you guys have a big ToTing population in your neighborhood? Where we live now, ToT is HUGE. A few streets down, they actually have police that block all the roads off cause there are thousands of kids that come here to go. So, around here, it's seriously just as fun to hand out candy. People set up "stations" out in their front yard, and it's just a big party. Plus, by handing out candy, you can ensure that he gets all his favorites instead of the crapshoot that comes with going door to door only to come home with smarties and dumdums. ;)
 
dumdums are awesome :P lol

we live in your typical suburbia area.. and are literally down the street from the elementary school, so there are tons of kids roaming the streets tot'ing (not thousands though hah.. that would frighten me LOL). I'm going to try to convince him to stay home I think. I've seen trunk or treat things- but not in my town..
 
If you just don't want to go, tell him that and make other plans that will still lead to candy. (For mine, it's all about the candy.) But if it's safety, what about inviting one of his friends and their parents to go with you so you're not walking around alone? Either that or go early so you feel safer.

Mine is 11 and plans to go. Younger brother and sister will be with us, but he'd want to go even without them. I think anything younger than high school is still fair game for TOTing. Where I grew up we kept going older than that, but looking back I'm kind of surprised none of our parents told us we were too old and shouldn't go.
 
Logan is 11 and in 6th grade. This will be his first year not trick or treating. We were going to go to a festival with an obstacle course and stuff... but he broke his arm on Friday, so I think he will just stay home this year. I think I'll go buy carmel apples at the candy factory to enjoy and call it good for halloween.
 
Personally I am letting my kids go until they outgrow it.... if they still want to go they should. Kids grow up so fast, and these days they grow up way before they should, so as long as they still want to do the "kid stuff" I'm all for it.
 
Lily is in 6th grade and I'm not sure if this will be her last year but I'm sorta in favor of it. LOL! Lucas has fun dressing up but last year he was sorta over the whole collecting candy stuff 1/2 way down our block. He LOVED handing candy out last year. He was so into it that he didn't want t miss anyone so he went and got our portable dvd player and set it up on the steps so he was right there when the kids came to the door.
 
I just asked connor what his thoughts were.. he has informed me if I buy him 15 bags of candy he's OK with not going :P that's a tall order LOL

Rachel it's mostly the safety issues.. Connor doesn't really have many friends otherwise I'd try to go that route of buddy'ing up. We've only done this whole halloween thing a couple of years now, so it's not a huge tradition for him.. he just wants candy it seems LOL. but man............. 15 bags :P
 
I think the beginning of middle school is a good cut-off age. When DD is that age, her younger brother will still be young enough to ToT and knowing her personality, I think she will want to go with him for fun, but if not, I will bribe her with 50% off candy November 1st to go along. Otherwise, she can stay home and hand out candy. We have never done that before as we always go to my ILs' to ToT, but it does not seem fun in the least bit to me (thus sayeth my not-so-inner introvert) so I would be glad to pass that chore down to her.

Halloween is not my thing, though, so maybe I'm just acting like an old biddy. :p
 
I have no problem with teenagers trick or treating. There is a lot worse things they could be doing that night. As long as the kids want to dress up and go out, I have no problem. This will only be our second year in a house so handing out the candy is a lot of fun to me, never been able to do that before cause no one goes to apartments, but kiddo loves it, so we put out a bucket of candy (though this year he chose glow in the dark bags of Cheetos to give out) and go out.
 
Instead of 15 bags what about one or two of those big assortment bags that would give him a lot of choices?
 
lovely1m said:
I have no problem with teenagers trick or treating. There is a lot worse things they could be doing that night. As long as the kids want to dress up and go out, I have no problem. This will only be our second year in a house so handing out the candy is a lot of fun to me, never been able to do that before cause no one goes to apartments, but kiddo loves it, so we put out a bucket of candy (though this year he chose glow in the dark bags of Cheetos to give out) and go out.
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I've come around to thinking it's ok for teens also as long as they are polite. (And the ones who tend to stop here have been very polite...maybe because I don't give them a lecture telling them they are too old but tell them to have fun). It gives them a fun experience with friends and keeps them out of trouble.

Many of the teens make their own costumes which is how we did it when we were kids so I enjoy seeing their creativity...even if it is wearing a letterman jacket and saying they are going as a football player.
 
I don't mind teenagers either...but, I want them to at least have put some thought and creativity to their costume. If they come to my door with nothing but black paint on their face then nope...sorry.
 
I think as long as they're polite and in costume, they can as long as they'd like.

Now I don't care of the teenagers that throw on a mask and call it done, LOL! I think they should try to dress up if they're going trick or treating.
 
My son is 13 and this will definitely be his last year. He wants to go this year with his friends as we just moved here last Dec, so this is our first Halloween in our new neighbourhood! We haven't handed candy out in 8 years because we lived so far out in the country that nobody came to our house! We would trek the kids into town to ToT and give bags of candy to a charity in that tiny town (our old town was only 2000 people!) that gave candy bags to kids who weren't able to go ToTing.

Anyway, he is going out this year because we live in a big, friendly neighbourhood with sidewalks and the streets are all intertwined to go in a big roundabout so he is very excited!! Dh will be staying home for the first time to hand out candy and I will take our 5 year old out. I love doing the ToTing with the kids! It's fun! :)

I also give to anyone in costume. Big, little, old, young. As long as your are polite and are dressed up, you get stuff from me!
 
We give candy... and a non-candy treat. We are usually out so I don't see too many Tot-ers, but seem more later after we are in from Tot-ing with my kids.

My question is... how do you say no to the older kids that don't do much. I'm too much of a pushover, lol! I can't imagine saying no to them. Do you say something along the lines of "good try?"
 
When I read all of this, I wished I lived in the US! I love Halloween and this tradition, but we don't celebrate Halloween the way US-people do.
 
I can't remember when my oldest stopped. He was pretty young. He never ate the candy so he just decided he didn't want to go anymore.

I hope we have lots of years TorTing with the youngest boys!!! They love it, even though we still have candy from LAST year!!

We get kids in junior and high school come to the house, but not too many.
 
I'm going to request that all my children stop immediately. If only that would work. Sean is 10 this year, so I'm hoping we only have a year or two left with him. *fingers crossed*
 
jk703 said:
My question is... how do you say no to the older kids that don't do much. I'm too much of a pushover, lol! I can't imagine saying no to them. Do you say something along the lines of "good try?"
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I wouldn't. If they come to the door at a reasonable hour and are polite (which they've always been so far) I'd give them candy whether or not it looks like they made an effort.
 
I don't have a cut off for my kids. The last couple of years the oldest has taken the youngest with a group of friends. Everyone dresses up. I have no problem handing out to tweens and teens, the more the merrier. They're always polite and I love to see them having fun and milking being kids.
 
Keely~B said:
I don't have a cut off for my kids. The last couple of years the oldest has taken the youngest with a group of friends. Everyone dresses up. I have no problem handing out to tweens and teens, the more the merrier. They're always polite and I love to see them having fun and milking being kids.
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Yes!


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Caitrin is 12 and in 7th grade. She went last year. We would go this year if it were feasible for us. We're going to have to skip it (or at the very least SHE is) but not because of age. I TOT'd all through high school. I would take my younger brothers/cousins out and then come home, change costumes and go with my friends. I didn't actually TOT with my brothers but I did with my friends. I just changed costumes because I wanted to wear a different one with my friends.

This year there is a home varsity football game on Halloween. My daughter plays in the marching band. No TOTing for her. Her 8 year old brother has pretty much decided to skip it and go to the game. I told him I'd bring candy to the game and he could share it with his friends.
 
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