Why Tweens Are Choosing To Stay Home on Halloween Night
Is this just the latest sign that today's tweens are growing up too fast?Fact checked by Anna HalkidisFact checked by Anna HalkidisThere are countless indications that today’s kids are growing up faster than ever. Take a new toy for babies one mom nicknamed “baby’s first cubicle,” complete with a faux smartphone and Post-Its, which she sees as pushing office culture on the diaper-wearing set.Flash forward a few years, and many of us parents find that our daughters, who just outgrew playing with dolls, are begging to go to Sephora for skin care products with price tags to rival a fancy dinner for four. Meanwhile, tween boys are singularly focused on building cologne collections that look like the display of a department store.
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And now, my sixth grader, who just weeks ago turned 11, has informed me that many of her friends are staying home on Halloween. Why? Because they think they are already too grown up to trick-or-treat! Too Cool for Trick-or-Treating?Of course, it’s nothing new for kids to feel they’ve aged out of dressing up in costumes and ringing doorbells for candy on October 31. Believe it or not, some towns even have rules—or at least guidelines—about the age at which kids are considered too old to participate in trick-or-treating, with 14 being the average.This makes me sad and low-key angry since I would so much rather see even older teens enjoying innocent fun on Halloween than getting into mischief that may involve drinking or other potentially dangerous grown-up behavior.The fact that 10- and 11-year-olds think they fall into the category of being too mature for trick-or-treating stirs up an even deeper sadness inside of me. As my daughter told me, in a few years, she may really be too old to beg for candy around the neighborhood, so why rush it? I’m happy to report she plans to go out on the spookiest night of the year, but she’ll be with a small group, as many of her peers are adamant about not leaving the house that night.
The Cultural Pressure To Grow UpI can’t help but wonder if their choices result from the unprecedented pressure kids face to grow up, fueled by their Sephora obsessions and Starbucks runs (I dare you to introduce me to an 11-year-old who doesn’t have their “Starbees” order memorized). Maybe between spritzing on Sol de Janeiro or Dior Sauvage Elixir, and perhaps glossing on Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, picking out a Halloween costume is just low on the priority list. And so is being a kid in general, apparently.Yup, it seems that if 40 is the new 30, 11 must be the new 16. Speaking of being 16, I have another daughter this age, and yes, I am encouraging her to go out on Halloween. My take is that as long as you’re still in high school, trick-or-treating is completely appropriate—as long as you aren’t bogarting all the candy at the peril of the little kids.Oh, and speaking of little kids, 11 still counts. No, you aren’t in preschool, but that doesn’t mean you should feel pressure to move out of your parents’ house, get a job, and set up a 401k! Get those costumes on, even if that means you’re painting on cat whiskers and donning a headband with ears. Just remember to say thanks for the Sweetarts and peanut butter cups! In the end, I’d advise any tweens out there to enjoy collecting free candy while you still can. And here’s hoping I see tons of “older kids” out on the big night—and that they don’t stay home, convinced they’ve already outgrown the holiday.There’s plenty of time for peer pressure to get Snapchat and walk into school holding a venti PSL to trickle over to swearing off trick-or-treating. And, I’ll admit that, as parents, you always have sneaking your kids’ candy to look forward to! For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.
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