Let them be little

My oldest daughter today reminded me that my youngest only has two more Halloweens as a teenager. Of course, it hit me hard and the constant reminder that my kids are no longer little always makes me sad. I wish we could have a double version of our kids - one that grows up and becomes a wonderful adult and then another one who never gets older than kindergarten age so we can continue to enjoy all of those wonderful times.

Her comment made me think of Halloween and that debate about whether or not teens should trick or treat. I never understood why people would even question that. When I was a teenager, Halloween involved eggs and shaving cream and very rarely had any candy. Looking back, I would not have minded a couple of Blow Pops and M&Ms. Mind you, I am from a time when some people did give out apples or a handful of candy corn or five pennies twisted up in saran wrap or (the worst thing ever) raisins! 

But why do we assume that once you hit a certain age, you don't want to dress up and walk around the neighborhood with your friends and get free candy? What is the age limit? Do you hit puberty and all of a sudden the only thing you can do on Halloween is watch scary movies, walk through a dark cemetery or TP someone's house?

I know we can't treat our kids like babies their whole lives, but can we let them act like kids a little longer? Is high school the age when our kids are supposed to "grow up"? It's not like they are learning how to be adults there. They don't learn basic skills like addressing an envelope or doing taxes. They don't learn how to write a resume or fill out a job application. They are basically expected to know how to do everything but get very little in the way of actual real world education. Seriously, ask your kid to make their own doctor appointment and they might pass out! 

Some families are very good at teaching their kids how to live life. Laundry, changing a tire, taking out trash, helping with groceries - all of these things we have to do as adults. Some families are pretty bad at it and have kids who grow up expecting someone else to do those things or think they somehow magically happen. I'm somewhere in the middle. I feel like I taught my kids enough to do it on their own, but they still have no problem letting me do things for them.

And yes, I still do have trick or treat bags for my kids. I will still help them make costumes if they want - especially since I'm not about the traditional female costumes (sexy nurse, sexy police officer, sexy black cat). And if a 16 year old comes to my door, you can be sure they are getting a handful of candy. Because, let's face it, if they are taking the time to go walk around with their friends and be silly and have fun and get free candy, that is the better option than what they could be doing.

So give them the candy and don't question it!💀