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Parent Talk: How Old is Too Old for Trick-Or-Treating?

Do teenagers in costume on Halloween drive you mad or do you welcome the older ones with fistfuls of candy?

It's usually inevitable. Just about the time we finally have our crew calmed down and tucked into their beds, the doorbell rings.

A group of teenagers half in costumes scarier than Freddy the 13th and half in plain clothes are standing awaiting their candy.

We hand them the candy but it begs the question every year, how old is too old for trick or treating?

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Albertville mom of five, Bobbie Przybylski, says there is a too old. "My daughter is in 10th grade and she's not trick or treating this year. She's too old! Halloween is more fun for the younger kids to go around in costumes and get candy, the older kids should do their own celebrations seperate from trick or treating."

She also points out that "a lot of the older kids costumes can be inappropriate, scary or otherwise, do we want our young kids seeing that?"

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STMA Alumna Kelly Eull says this, "if you are taller than me and/or can personally drive to my house, you are too old."

Still others are ok with the older kids trick or treating. "I'll give any costumed teenager candy. My philosophy, let kids be kids and take part in innocent fun for as long as possible," Albertville mom, Meghan Gutzwiller says.

And if they aren't in costume?

"I've never had a non-costumed kid trick-or-treat at my house, but I'd still give them candy (though costumes are preferred). I wouldn't want to be a Debbie Downer on some kid's night over 8 cents worth of fun-size candy," Gutzwiller says.

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