Mom's Open Letter Encourageing Older Kids to Trick-or-Treat
A Mom's Open Letter to the Kids Who Are "Too Old to Trick-or-Treat" Will Bring a Smile to Your Face
Stephanie Hollifield, a mom and blogger at Momstrosity, recently wrote a PSA that we think all parents should read. In keeping with the sentiment that Halloween should be inclusive, she explained in a Facebook post why she's actually quite pleased to see older trick-or-treaters show up on her doorstep, even if they're feeling internally torn about going door to door with their friends.
"To the kid who is 'too old to trick-or-treat,' I get it! Things are a-changin' in your life," she wrote. "You suddenly have a desire to seem cool, but also, you are like, REALLY into the idea of walking around the neighbourhood with your friends to collect a huge bag of candy. You may have heard some people say you are too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating, but hear me — those people are bitter adults who are jealous you are about to live your best life on Halloween night. If I could get out there and go door-to-door with my friends and score chocolate, I sure as heck would!"
Stephanie joked that while she certainly notices a group of older kids making their way to her house more so than a younger group, she still welcomes them with open arms. "When I look out my window and see you and your freakishly tall friends I will welcome you to my candy pail without a sarcastic comment or jab," she explained. "I will also probably remind you to say thank you if you forget, because no matter how tall you are, you still need to remember your manners!"
She encouraged nonadults of all ages to enjoy themselves, because once you enter the grown-up kingdom, there's no going back. "Listen to me, you precious, fresh-faced man-child: adulthood is coming soon, and it is going to hit you like a ton of bricks. So get out there and have fun!" she said. "A candy high is the purest high, so stick with Halloween as long as you can. Your voice suddenly sounds like Barry Manilow half the time and a baby mouse the other half? No problemo! You love candy and zombies? Cool! You're starting to grow a thin kid mustache? Here's a Snickers!"
She continued with more humour: "See that grown man with a 401k and a minivan toting his own candy bag? He's pushing it, but hey, it's Halloween! Grab a few bags of Skittles! Childhood is fleeting, and if you want to spend one night dressing up and being silly, I can promise you I will not stand in your way."
Stephanie signed off by writing, "But just remember, if you ever egg my house, I can have you tried as an adult and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," and yep, that pretty much covers it! So for anyone on the fence this Halloween, remember that there's really no age limit on the holiday, so you might as well encourage your older kids to go crazy!
