There have been a number of posts recently about Halloween and in the comments section you can count on someone complaining about the older tweens/teens that come around trick or treating, especially the ones not in costume.  While some teens act rudely which understandably upsets people, many people seem upset by one of three things (or a combination of these things):

1.  The kids are too old for it.
2.  They did not follow the unwritten rules of H'ween, no costume = no candy
3.  They arrive "too late"

As a former middle school teacher and mom of a soon to be 10 year old I have a lot of sympathy for those kids that fall into the 12 to 15 year old age range.  They just don't have a lot of options.  Many of them spent the early part of their evening taking younger siblings around and now they want to have the same type of fun with their friends.  Waiting on siblings to finish so they can go out sometimes means they don't arrive until 8:30.  If that's too late for you turn off your lights.

Also, so what if they are not in costume.  Kids that age are painfully self conscious.  Do we really not remember what it was like to be 13.  Can't we give the kids a break?  Again, if they are well behaved (age appropriately!) let them have a little fun.  They have so little opportunity to behave and feel like little kids again, let them hang on to as much of it as they can!

As far as behavior goes, these kids are doofy. There's just no other way about it.  They are loud, silly and act impulsively.  This does not make them bad kids, it makes them normal and in need of some guidance which they are often sadly lacking by middle school.  (Don't believe me, ask middle school teacher about their back to school night parental attendance vs. a 2nd grade teacher, but that's another rant, lol!)  If they're not stealing candy, screaming profanity and vandalizing the neighborhood let's give them the benefit of the doubt that they just want to relive their past a bit and get a little candy. 

I admit I live in a "good" neighborhood.  We have lots of kids and lots of parental supervision.  We get teens trick or treating and we get the "truck loads" from other neighborhoods but in the end who cares?  What does it really cost you to give the benefit of the doubt and be a little extra generous?  $10 for a couple more bags of candy?  Seems a small price to pay to help this group feel like they still belong. 

What do you think?  Tweens and teens trick or treating, yay or nay?

Courtesy of my friend Medea who passed this along and swears it works like magic!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Cascade Dishwasher detergent (powder works best)
• 1/2 cup Clorox 2 Bleach (for colors)
• 1 gallon hot water

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients. Add the soiled clothes.
2. Don't mix colors as this does make the dyes bleed some.
3. Let soak 24 hours.
4. Put all in a wash machine and run a regular cycle.