# Parents, when did you take your little monsters out trick-or-treating for the first time? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718 "2012-10-04T17:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/1 "2012-10-04T17:14:38Z")
I didn’t see this topic recently, although I imagine it’s bounced around here before. Parents, I’m curious how old your kid(s) were when you took them out trick or treating the first time. How did it go? Any tips or tricks for making it a good experience for the little ones? My son is too young this year. He’s 18 months. I’m thinking next year or the one after might be his first time out. I love Halloween, and I’m looking forward to the first time I get to be the cool dad and take him around in costume. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/2 "2012-10-04T17:17:55Z")
I took mine the first time it came around after they were born. They’re just so cute in their little costumes as babies. It had nothing to do with the fact that I got all the candy because they couldn’t eat it yet and indeed, didn’t even know it existed. Nothing! I’d definitely take an 18-month old, and give him most (okay, _some_) of the candy. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/3 "2012-10-04T17:19:40Z")
As in walking door to door? When they can walk door to door. So 18 months, 16 months, and 16 months for the 3 of them. And of course when they were too young to walk on their first Halloweens, we carried them to few selected neighbors to show off how cute they were. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/4 "2012-10-04T17:35:51Z")
Let’s see…my son was born in January, so he was 9 months old, and my daughter was born in February, so she was 8 months old. Of course, there was no real independent trick-or-treating, but we were out there walking with the neighborhood, the wee ones getting ooh’ed and aah’ed over. I love Halloween. I figure people see enough rude asshole kids, and seeing a cute baby in costume who’s not begging for candy spreads a little joy. And I may or may not have been Treated to a couple of beers on the way. 😉 Their second Halloweens, each was walking. ([She was a Pirate and I hotglued DVD’s all over me, so I was Pirated Movies.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/9460062@N07/664863064/in/set-72157600557149189/)) We did bring her stroller for when she pooped out before the big kids, but she did a shocking amount of trick or treating on those little toddler legs!\* My son…well…the plan was for him to go out, and he talked about it for weeks and was so looking forward to it. But the night of, he suddenly developed a paralyzing fear of his lion costume. Nothing would get him into it, despite how much he’d loved it the day before. We had to scrap our going out plans and stay in. He was crushed on November 1st when his courage returned, only to find that Trick or Treating isn’t something you can just put off until tomorrow night. :smack: \*ETA: I realize she looks much younger than 20 months…she was born super early, so her adjusted age was more like 14 months at that Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/5 "2012-10-04T17:45:00Z")
For my son, at 2 years old. Old enough to walk from house-to-house on his own, for a handful of houses at least. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/6 "2012-10-04T17:53:48Z")
Of course, I forgot to post a photo. He was a [Zombie Pumpkin](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L5vS2zELaro/TNAiRgpoBHI/AAAAAAAAPlQ/s7wTyrkxLq8/s1063/P1050458.JPG)! ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/7 "2012-10-04T18:06:04Z")
When they’re old enough to see Halloweeny-scary stuff and not scream or have nightmares. Depends on the kid. I started with mine when he was around 2. Put on cute costume, took pictures, carried him around the block, and done. Every year the trick-or-treating time and area was expanded until he was taking two hours and covering major areas of real estate. MAN what a candy haul! By the way, that wasn’t planned or anything…but the bigger the kids get, the more stamina they have for that kind of thing. Eventually they get tired and kind of implode. (Or, in the case of my kid, run into a cactus. Last year ever as a ghost.) By the way, zombie pumpkin is adorable! ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/8 "2012-10-04T18:15:32Z")
We started when Sam was 2 1/2. We pulled him around in a wagon, because our neighborhood is hilly. Instead of saying “Trick-or-treat” he’d hold out his candy receptacle and say “Put it in the bucket.” The next Halloween he went dressed as Buzz Lightyear. He had the trick-or-treat exchange down pat, but after the candy transaction was finished he’d pull off his mask and assure the homeowner that “It’s really Sam.” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/9 "2012-10-04T18:18:10Z")
My husband took our daughter around last year when she was seven months. This year we’re absolutely doing it again. I have a lion costume for her and have taught her to say “rarrrrr!” It will be the cutest thing ever. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/10 "2012-10-04T18:19:06Z")
_witchy cackling at the image of a very small ghost running into a cactus_ Sorry. I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/11 "2012-10-04T18:36:37Z")
My son was 19 months and since he got to go I created an adorable mini ghost costume to put over my daughters snowsuit. She was 4 months old. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/12 "2012-10-04T19:01:24Z")
We took him last year, at 13 months. We wanted to dress him as his best friend, our orange tiger cat (being hugged to death [here](http://i49.tinypic.com/b4akgk.jpg)), but we couldn’t find a suitable costume, and I didn’t want to spend too much money making one, so we figured a [tiger](http://i49.tinypic.com/25g52mq.jpg) was close enough. This year, he wants to be a turtle. We would have taken him around at 6 weeks, but at the time, I was only getting 2-3 hours of sleep, so we called it an early night. I’m loving mini-Pirate, and Zombie Pumpkin is just ridiculously cute. What’s in his bowl there? A severed body part, or a burrito, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/13 "2012-10-04T19:04:11Z")
Hah, that’s actually a Vietnamese summer roll with hoisin sauce. That’s all he wanted to eat that day. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/14 "2012-10-04T19:05:43Z")
Hilarious! That was actually what I thought it was, but I was like, “Nah, too implausible.” Why I thought a burrito would be more likely, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/15 "2012-10-04T19:11:30Z")
My son will be almost 4 months, and we’re debating taking him around, mostly just to say hi to neighbors. Also, I demand more halloween baby pics! These are just way too cute - I love how happy the little tiger is hugging his cat. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/16 "2012-10-04T19:13:25Z")
We took the Firebug trick-or-treating at 2. The previous Halloween, we didn’t even know he existed yet, so that was our first opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/17 "2012-10-04T19:20:11Z")
My son was a giant M&M at 9 months. Of course, I had to collect AND eat all the candy for him. One of the sacrifices of parenthood. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/18 "2012-10-05T01:00:55Z")
My daughter was about 21 months the first time we took her. She just went to three or four houses. The year after, she went to five or six houses. We will probably do a few more houses this year. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/19 "2012-10-05T02:13:46Z")
Like others, the first Halloween after they started walking. That didn’t stop us from dressing them up in silly costumes before then. We live in a fairly big apartment building so it wasn’t a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718/20 "2012-10-05T02:26:14Z")
These kids are too cute! I love Halloween. I do not have kids of my own but I’m the “Uncle” of all the neighbor kids. I love putting on a costume, a firepit on my front walk, and having a little 3-year-olds saying “I’m a princess!” or “I’m a fireman!”. Awwww. Halloween is bigger than Xmas for me! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-when-did-you-take-your-little-monsters-out-trick-or-treating-for-the-first-time/636718.md?page=2)