Thread: How Old Were You When You Quit TOT'ing, and Why Did You Quit?

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There's another thread going now where a 19 year old asked for opinions on still TOT'ing at 19 years of age.

19 year old still trick or treating

This made me think back to when I quit TOT'ing, and what made me decide it was time to hang up the pillow case.

For me, I stopped when I was around 14 or 15, best I can remember. Again, best I can remember, I stopped because of a combination of factors : Most of the houses I went to made a comment such as "aren't you a little big to be TOT'ing??", my mother also made mention that I was getting too old to TOT, and then of course the peer pressure at school : "TOT'ing is for kids". From then on, I graduated to first handing out candy, and then later on, going to parties, and now, to decorating my house and scaring kids.. This is probably why I hold the view that I do about TOT'ing - that it's for children and young teens.

How about you?

I was 8.

This was a transformative year for me as a person. My parents had no money, my mom sewed my clothes, always...trouble was, she was a hippie, and I was getting tired of rainbows and peace signs on my jeans. (yes really) So, I had gone and gotten myself a job that summer. Lied about my age (yep, I'm 12), and went to work at a local vegetable farm, picking beans for $.10/lb.

I earned a few hundred dollars that year (yes, that's a LOT of beans). I bought myself a used bicycle, a couple pairs of jeans for school, a pair of boots, and some liquid latex to make a 'real costume'.

Played with that latex for weeks, trying out things and learning, and had an original zombie flesh peeling costume for Halloween, which won the school's costume contest. I was ready, but, Halloween was on a Saturday that year...

Both my brothers wound up with the flu. Dad was out of town, working on the railroad, and mom wouldn't let me head out with strangers to trick or treat at that age. But, she had convinced me it was going to be Fun. They were showing "The Bat" on TV that year, broadcast in 3d! And we went and picked up the special glasses at whatever fast food joint was doing the promo for it for dinner.

The movie sucked, and my colorblindness made sure 3d doesn't work for me, so I got to see a blurry fuzzy blob...

I grabbed the candy bowl and my trenchcoat, and went out to sulk on the patio. Someone mistook me for a dummy, I moved, they screamed.

I've been a haunter ever since.

Yes, this is probably why my attitude is people should be able to trick or treat as long as they want.

I stopped in 6th grade so around 11-12, but I only remember ToTing a few times before that. I was such a shy kid I never liked it much.

I was about 13-14. My mother was never crazy about trick or treating (she believed the poisoned candy scares) and suggested I was getting too old, but the real reason was because my parents divorced and we moved across town and in with my grandparents. I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, unhappy, and didn't want to go out. So I decorated the front porch, dressed up, and stayed home to hand out candy. I did this until I went away to college, where, by the way, there was a tradition among students of trick or treating for canned goods (and you always got candy too).

Also, I didn't trick or treat every year even as a small child. I had asthma, and my mother didn't allow me out if she thought it was too cold. If I was stuck inside, I still dressed up and she decorated the house to answer the door. Not that I was allowed at the door, because of the cold air. I could only see the other kids from across the living room.

My point is you never know the circumstances in others' lives, and Halloween is such a small pleasure, so why turn people away if they're just trying to have fun? I get irritated if kids nowadays don't say 'trick or treat' or 'thank you' or if teenagers are pushy/rude but I don't withhold candy because of it. Kids will be kids, and different kids react to different situations in different ways.

I stopped ToTing when I was probably in 9th grade. I would then around 11pm go out with my best friend since I was 3 years old and we would raid all of the good candy that was left in bowls from earlier (of course there were no ToTers at this time), so we still go candy and felt good about ourselves. Then came the parties and family parties and passing out candy. I am a socialite and im only 20 still.

Up in Alberta Canada , if you are 18 you can go to the bars, this is a big thing because now you can go to the cool Halloween parties in the bar, i think I stopped at age 13-14 it was just not cool anymore to go Tot, that and community parties for kids were becomming popular things, In high school there were Halloween dances and such I do remember dressing up for these events, then around 16 got fake Id and went into the bars..regulations for I.d were not as they are today back in the 80's/90's

I think I was 13 the last time I went Trick-or-Treating.
If I remember correctly my parents told me I was getting too old.

I was 13 and pretty much just escorted my little sister though I was in costume. I didn't carry a bag just put out my hand for the good stuff and ate it along the way. What I didn't eat I tossed into my sis's bag before the next door.

That was my last year TOT'n because I felt pretty self conscious about it.

Then when my kiddo was old enough I wore costume but just walked along with him.

I was 10. My mom decided that thanks to my precocious growth (5'7" in the 6th grade...) that I was "Too tall" to go anymore and folks would complain that I was too old. Probably why I love Halloween so much now... 'cause I'm the grown up and can do what I want.

As the porch light illuminated the trickers standing at their door... because besides me and my friends standing there begging there would also often be 15 or more college kids standing there too!
This was a college town from 1852 to 1979?
We looked younger next to their group.
I never stopped trick 0r treating, still doing that every night , my haunt is open right now and if the doorbell buzzes I sell them tickets, open the drawbridge, run out to the end of it and the tricks begin!
I get "treated" first (having all of this pure fun!) They get treated next as they might jump, jerk, flinch, twitch, scream or gasp, followed by laughter, theirs and their friends they brought along.
Unlike sugary candy this is good for me! I'm breathing deeper, thinking faster, being very physically active running around this house doing all of this for at least 90 minutes per/tour.
Why is it 90 minutes? BEcause I'm having FUN!
Why would I want to ever cut THAT short!
(And a sad cloud hangs over the rest of this planet whereas they only do this seasonally, why they limit their fun this way never made any senses to me at all)
Last night of the 5 people who were here , three of them were from San Diego and they have been here four times!
Ravens Grin Inn--hauntedravensgrin.com