Is Your Teenager Calling a Halt to Trick-or-Treating With Family?

Not only is Halloween on a Monday this year, but to add insult to injury my 14-year-old daughter wants to trick or treat without us for the first time. Can you imagine? What's wrong with us?

My 8-year-old is going to be a Pokemon character, Raichu, and I’m going to be Tippi Hedron’s character from The Birds – from the scene where she’s attacked by the birds. I’m going to don a blonde wig, a blue suit and be covered in fake birds. What could be cooler? What is her problem? Who wouldn’t want to trick or treat with a fat little mouse and a woman with birds stuck all over her?

She claims she just wants to be more independent and spread her wings. Fine. Well, I say let the independence start now….she can make her own bloody costume. How’s that for independence?!

What’s more, is now she’s also pressuring me to give out healthy snacks this year! I already purchased the bloody candy because it was on sale.(Check out my Q&A entry on this topic.) Now she and my neighbors are making me feel all guilty about their healthy bat pretzels and their orange colored, nut slash raisin bags. What if some of the kids have nut allergies? Think kids want healthy snacks for Halloween? They totally don’t.

Now not only am I the worst mom on the block because of my sugary Halloween treats, but I gained 5 lbs from hiding them in my bedroom, too! I’m going to have to buy a lot more birds for my costume now, thank you very much.

If it’s independence she wants she can have it. She can trick or treat with her friends but only in the afternoon…not in the evening. At what age did your teen call a halt to trick or treating with you and younger siblings?