Today’s post is a wee bit of law (in the form of a silly ordinance) and a whole lot of parenting.
A Virginia town made news last week for having an ordinance making it illegal for kids 13 and older to trick or treat (defined as knocking on a door with the expectation of a treat). The penalty? Up to six months in jail.
Don’t go starting a Go Fund me campaign for trick or treater legal expenses just yet. The ordinance has been on the books for 45 years and no one can remember any kid being charged with trick or treating. But it’s still on the books, and at least sends the message that 13 is too old to be trick or treating.
Should my 13 year old hang up her plastic jack-o-lantern and leave trick or treating to her three younger sisters?
If you ask her, she would say heck no. She has saved her babysitting money for months to buy one of those ridiculous inflatable T-Rex costumes. She’s going…and I hope our neighbors are gracious enough to let her continue to enjoy Halloween.
What say you readers? How old is too old to be trick or treating? How do you “treat” teenagers coming to your door on Halloween? Leave a comment or send an e-mail.
Copyright © 2018 by Siobhán Fitzpatrick Kratovil. All Rights Reserved.
I’m really ok with any kids 18 and younger who want to trick or treat as long as everyone is respectful. Halloween is meant to be fun and I always enjoy the community building part of it, which means I don’t mind having big kids knock on my door for a free treat.
Until you graduate high school you’re never too old to go trick-or-treating. There are about a million less wholesome things kids could be doing on Halloween than going door-to-door for pieces of candy. I will never turn away a kid that wants candy on Halloween.
Plus, if you shame them for being too old then they will be less willing/enthusiastic to take younger siblings with them if they’re old enough to be trusted with that responsibility. I definitely remember my oldest brother taking us younger siblings when he was 16.