How old to let kids trick-or-treat w/o parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes. That poor little 10 year old girl who went missing in Colorado last week comes to mind. They found a body 2 days ago that they still can't identify, though it's likely hers, because it's "not intact." She was abducted by a stranger during the 2 block walk alone to a park to meet up with friends to walk to school, and her mother probably never thought to worry because she was 10, it was daytime, it was only 2 blocks, and stranger abductions are rare. And in a perfect world, she never would have HAD to worry about it. But we do not live in a perfect world and I know it's unlikely, but it DOES happen and it's my job to do whatever I can to minimize the risk.

My inclination is to worry, worry, worry. Trust me. But I also have to think, look at the risk involved in having your child in the car on 66 or 495, or on any road. Statistically, the risk is MUCH higher, and yet we don't say "I would rather keep my child safe at home than allow them on the Beltway in my car."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a trick question. By the time they're old enough to go alone, they're too old to be trick or treating still.

That's sad.

I remember when my daughter was 4, long before I started reading about Free Range Kids, etc. I took her trick or treating around our upscale apartment complex in Arlington, and we met a group of kids from a much more working-class complex half a mile away. They were mostly around 10-12 but had a couple younger kids with them. My daughter decided to tag along with them and I followed at a distance as they crossed several streets on the way back home, stopping every once in a while to eat candy. I remember being amazed at how much more mature and aware of their surroundings they were than the kids their age I saw in my own neighborhood, still holding their parents' hand. We also got much better candy in their neighborhood than ours. My daughter is 10 this year and I plan on staying home and giving out candy.

I'm not quite Free Range, but I'm not a coddler either. I would trust a 10-11 year old with a lot (and a lot more than some moms would) but I just couldn't turn them loose in a neighborhood in the dark. And it's nothing to do with them, it's just that it would be so easy for a creep to snatch them. And if you weren't expecting them home for awhile, you would be in the dark about it for possibly a couple hours.

Stranger abductions are extremely rare. The reason we think they are not is that every time it does happen (to one kid in 10,000,000) we hear about it all over the news. If kids were getting snatched all the time while trick-or-treating, don't you think we'd hear about it every November? And besides, how would a creep go about abducting a kid who is part of a large group, knocking on someone's door every 30 seconds? Of course, I teach her to stay with her friends, never go off with a stranger, and ask an adult for help if someone bothers her. But the only thing I really worry about on Halloween is traffic.

The problem is if your child is snatched, it is beyond horrific. To think of my 8yr old boy raped, tortured and murdered, it unfathomable. I'd rather be outside when he is trick-or-treating and simply keep a distance, but still keep him in my line of sight.

heck, I could probably go out for hte night when my 8yr old is sleeping and party it up. He probably would be A-OK alone. However, I prefer to play it safe and not do that. It is unlikely he would get hurt while I'm out, but I'm not trying to risk it. Not worth it.

Yes. That poor little 10 year old girl who went missing in Colorado last week comes to mind. They found a body 2 days ago that they still can't identify, though it's likely hers, because it's "not intact." She was abducted by a stranger during the 2 block walk alone to a park to meet up with friends to walk to school, and her mother probably never thought to worry because she was 10, it was daytime, it was only 2 blocks, and stranger abductions are rare. And in a perfect world, she never would have HAD to worry about it. But we do not live in a perfect world and I know it's unlikely, but it DOES happen and it's my job to do whatever I can to minimize the risk.

I can see where you are coming from. Of course it does happen, and it is a parent's worst nightmare. However, I don't see "minimizing the risk" as my primary job as a parent. Rather, my job is to raise a strong independent adult, an adult who is not afraid to experience life to the fullest, and that is not possible without exposing them to some risk as a child. Leaving the kid home alone to go out at night is something you would do for your own benefit, and as important as it is for you to have a social life (and for your kids to see that you have a life outside of them), it does not have the same benefits for your child as being allowed to do things independently, to learn to resolve problems without you standing ready to come to their aid as soon as anything goes wrong.

I can think of few things more horrific than a freak drowning accident that leaves a child dead or severely disabled. Yet I still take my kids to the pool, the beach, and even white-water rafting, even though I realize that with all of these activities, even if I am right there I may not be able to get to them in time if anything went wrong. I still let my child participate in gymnastics, in spite of the high injury risk this sport carries. And I still drive her places, even though car accidents are a leading cause of death for people in her age group and, let's be honest, only a fraction of the car trips we take are a matter of strict necessity: quite a few are for my own pleasure and benefit.

[Anonymous]

Halloween has the highest motor vehicle death rate of any holiday other than New Years. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Halloween has the highest motor vehicle death rate of any holiday other than New Years. Think about it.

What's the demographic affected, though? Is that juveniles who are out walking around, or teens/adults driving under the influence? (yes, Halloween has become a drinking holiday, parties, etc)

[Anonymous]

"for my own pleasure and benefit", I meant "for my own pleasure and convenience".

Regarding the motor vehicle death rate: even if most of that is kids who get run over while trick-or-treating, a large group of kids traveling together (especially with flashlights and reflective strips on their costumes) are much easier to see in the dark than a parent with a child.