Around the teen years, many young people become conscious of their figures and appearance and become more responsible about what they eat and are not about the sweets so much anymore
In Vancouver there are certain neighborhoods that are insanely well decorated, and inundated with people. As a result, the whole atmosphere becomes more of a street fair than your average Halloween-y street. Adults will devise complicated costumes and roam the roadways, often without kids, just adding to the atmosphere - they don’t, often can’t due to costume size, go up to the doors for candy. They’re not really trick or treating, but they’re still dressing up, and definitely adding to the experience.
It violates the whole idea of “trick or treat” to say “Thank you” and it always surprised me when kids did it. I certainly never did, but I stopped after about 10 or so. I think 12 is a reasonable cut-off. I am kind of revolted by teen-agers trick or treating.
Why do you feel the need to micromanage this sort of thing? Do you also determine which flavors of ice cream they are allowed to like?
Kids should trick or treat or not based on their own desires. I think I might have stopped in high school. But a group of us went one year in college just for retro fun.
I can’t imagine any harm that could come from trick or treating “too old”, or why a parent would want to make a rule about it.