How old is 'too old' to trick-or-treat?

Well, I've done it again ... another 10 days has gone by in between my blog posts. Guess 'life' is my only excuse.

The high school football team has made it through through their first playoff game, which in my house means 'the marching band season marches on' (pardon the pun). My daughter had a high school orchestra concert last week, and this week has a Oakland Youth Orchestra symphony concert. I volunteered at a Trunk-or-Treating/Fall Festival on the weekend, and helped to prepare a meal midweek for a family night at my church. The schedule just never seems to ease up.

Tomorrow is Halloween and this year I made the personal decision to not hand candy out at my door. I was a bit torn since I love seeing the cute costumes on the little kids. What I don't seem to like are the 50+ teenagers that run across my lawn and through my landscaping in costumes that are either 'super lame' or 'super sleezy'. Obviously their parents must have told them that they were too old to be out trick-or-treating and that if (in spite of their deep voices and obvious height distinctions) they were still going to go that they should at least wear a costume. I've turned older kids away before ... no costume ... no candy. But the last couple of years it seems the older teenage boys pulled last week's laundry out from under their bed to wear or the teenage girls insisted that wearing their dance recital tutu (from when they were 9) with knee-high striped socks was indeed a costume. Sorry kids ... I'm not buying it. So no candy for you this year!

So my question to you is ... how old is 'too old' to trick or treat? I always told my kids once they were out of elementary school they were done. Then they could either dress up and hand the candy out at the door or go to a neighborhood party.

This year I opted to volunteer at the church's Trunk-or-Treating /Fall Festival event. I got to see all of the cute little princesses, dragons, mario's, and pumpkins. In addition, I prepared 2 little trick-or-treat bags for the 2 little boys that live across the street from my house. They always say 'please' & 'thank you' (excellent qualities I might add) and they NEVER run across my lawn or through my landscaping.