At what age should children stop snacking? – NBC Los Angeles

How old is too old to trick or treat?

Kids don’t ask — they’ll take the free candy — but some parents wonder at what point in their teens’ development is it acceptable to hang Halloween baskets.

“There’s no age when kids ‘have’ to stop treating themselves to treats, but after high school, many like to celebrate Halloween in other ways,” says Cheryl Ziegler, a family therapist in Denver. TODAY.com. “The decision to stop depends more on behavior than age.”

If your older child likes treats, that’s okay. More than a quarter of adults (26%) believe children are never too old for a tradition, according to a YouGov Survey 2021.

And 46% of parents agreed with a TODAY.com poll.

Sixteen percent of adults in the TODAY poll think kids should stop eating treats around age 17 or 18, while 19% said age 15 or 16 is the cutoff point. And 1% said children over 9 should not go door to door.

That hasn’t stopped people from trying to impose age restrictions on the Halloween tradition, though the laws are rarely enforced.

For example, in Chesapeake, Virginia, children 14 and older who commit fraud are a Class 4 misdemeanor with a $250 fine.

“However, it’s important to note that even though this ordinance has been in place since approximately 1970, Chesapeake City officials have never arrested or charged anyone under the ordinance,” a city spokesperson told TODAY.com. “It’s on the books to give the police a method to detain a person if they’re causing a disturbance or something like that.

“Officers are not spending Halloween night ‘uncovering’ scammers, and they are not actively looking for ‘senior’ participants,” the spokesperson added.

While a spokesperson for Upper Deerfield Township in New Jersey tells TODAY.com that there has been a request in the past for children to be under the age of 12, “there have been no enforcement actions or penalties related to the request.”

The downsides of letting older kids trick or treat

Ziegler acknowledges the general concern about older kids pounding the pavement on Halloween night.

There is the opportunity to scare small children with frankly bloody costumes or push them aside to collect handfuls of candy. Adults can also be frightened if they are too loud and noisy or ring the doorbell late at night.

However, Ziegler notes that children of any age are capable of this behavior, and offers “smart solutions.”

“If you’re a parent of young children, you can trick or treat earlier in the evening, and if you have older children, remind them to be mindful of their bodies and manners,” she says.

The upside of letting older kids trick or treat

With good behavior, there is no reason to prevent any child from cheating.

Treating isn’t just about collecting free candy, after all. It’s also a time for unbridled creativity (including for adults who love a good costume party).

Aside from cosplay or musical theater, Halloween is one of the few times that older children can enjoy toys, said Hilary G. Conklin, a professor in the Department of Teacher Education at De Paul University. TODAY.com.

Rachel Houston of Charlotte, North Carolina, says her 14-year-old daughter loves to express herself on Halloween.

“For a few years, she dressed pretty standard — like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, T-Rex in inflatable suits, and Wonder Woman,” Houston told TODAY Parents. “In other years, she becomes extremely creative and sews herself costumes. For example, last year she was the “edgy” female version of Jason Voorhees” in the Friday the 13th film series.

Older children with developmental disabilities may also not outgrow trick or treating.

“My 10-year-old son has special needs that are invisible to the outside world,” said Amanda O’Connor, a Nashville mom.

“He’s always been interested in content and activities aimed at younger children,” she said. “I predict he’ll want a treat much later than the other kids.”

And remember that many older children are responsible for their younger siblings’ treats. “We don’t want to shame them for wanting to spend time with their siblings,” Ziegler says.

Some parents prefer their teens to be fooled just to keep them out of trouble.

“Kids should be allowed to go trick-or-treating until they’re 18,” Brandi Harris of Oklahoma City told TODAY.com. “It’s a lot better than going to a party where someone might punch or do something dangerous. If a child still wants to participate in innocent fun, why would we want to stop them?”

Ziegler remarks to jaded teenagers who think they’re too old for jokes: “Everyone appreciates a good suit.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: