How Old Is Too Old

Have you noticed that all things Halloween are in stores already?

Have your children begun to talk about costume ideas yet?

Mine have.

Funny thing is, it's Miss Sofia, who recently said it's perfectly fine to still call her Miss Sofi Bug on occasion, -yay!- who brings it up the most.

A few years ago the Husband and I told the girls that by the time they turned 12 it would be time to be done trick or treating. They would be too old for it.

Well, we didn't have the heart to make Miss Sofia stop at 12. Then we didn't have the heart to make her stop at 13. So here we are, Miss Sofia is 14, 2 years beyond what we've said is too old, trying to figure out what she'll do on Halloween, and desperately wishing she could still trick or treat. Hence the constantly bringing it up.

Here's the problem, our family has a really good time on Halloween.

From pumpkin carving,

to handing out candy. It's a good time. Miss Sofia isn't ready to give it up yet.

It's not just the candy. Although she likes the candy! There's always lots of candy! Who doesn't like the candy?

It's also our fun neighborhood. Our neighbors make a sweet fuss over the kids. The kids really enjoy it.

It's the fun of dressing up too.

Over the years the girls have begun to look for ways to make costumes instead of buying them readymade. The girls have a blast making their own costumes. OK so they get a little help from mom. But it's still a great time and I enjoy how excited they get.

Even the Husband likes to dress up. And he's way older than 14!

Most of all though, the kids have a great time together.

Just look at them! How can we break that up? And then when you add in our neighbors, their good friends, I become weak.

Every year while we moms hand out candy to all of the sweet neighborhood monsters and princesses, the dads take our sometimes motley little crew around to fill their own treat bags.

They have so much fun together. Is it any wonder it's so hard to make them stop?

So the question...How old is too old?

We've had kids trick or treating in the past who were in their teens. It doesn't bother me, but I'm concerned it will bother others. Does it bother you? 

If kids, even teens, still enjoy Halloween, and they just want to have fun with their friends and little siblings, should there be a cut off age or should we let them continue to enjoy being a kid for a little while longer?

I'm leaning toward allowing them, encouraging them even, to have fun. You know, for their little siblings' sakes!

Christine