This was on Babycenter.com and I thought it was interesting.


When will my child be old enough to trick-or-treat?

Expert Answers
Marilyn Segal, developmental psychologist
While children as young as 2 can enjoy dressing up and going door-to-door, the extent to which your child appreciates Halloween will depend on how well she understands that it's all pretend. Seeing a costumed stranger or even a masked family member may be too upsetting for her; very young children cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality, and seeing Mommy or a neighbor dressed up as a witch is too real to be "fun." But once your child grasps the concept of costumes, trick-or-treating has great appeal.

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Stacey

“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man." ~ Euripides

We didn't take our kids when they were under the age of 2 or 3...just because I really think Halloween is silly and I avoided it as long as possible. LOL!

I know plenty of people though, that did Halloween from their child's first Halloween...and so far, their kids aren't damaged. LOL I think it totally depends on the kid, the situations etc

I didn't take my ds trick or treating the first year. But, we did walk in the parade and shopping center when he was two and to a few neighbors and he loved it. He liked ringing the doorbells and people opening the door. He wasn't scared at all. Now my dd on the other hand is almost 2 and scared of everything, bugs, dentists, Dr's you name it. So I can just imagine what we are in store for!

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

We had costumes for them when they were one, but we only went to my neighbors and the grandparents home.

This reminds me of a funny story. When my dd was 2 dh dressed up as a woman for a Halloween party:wig, dress, hose, purse and all. DD didn't recognize him so she started screaming when she heard his voice when he was dressed up like that. Poor little girl didn't understand why this crazy strange lady sounded like her dad.

DD remembers her first Halloween and talks about it every year. I dressed her as a little devil because she already had the red blanket sleeper so all I added was the little devil horn headband. She was two years old and so tiny that hubby had to lift her up so she could ring the doorbell.

I don't let the kids go around the neighborhood for Halloween until they can say some form of greeting and a 'thank you'. That year instead of 'trick or treat', DD gave everyone a great big smile and said, "Happy Halloween!"

I think taking babies around the neighborhood is silly. It isn't like they are going to EAT the candy. I do understand parents who take an infant around in a stroller because they have to take older siblings around the neighborhood but collecting extra candy for 'my baby brother' is annoying.

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"Poor people work for their money. Rich people make their money work for them."

We have taken our kids every year that they've been born. But they didn't really trick-or-treat until last year when we went with a friend around her neighborhood. The years before last, we thought it was fun to dress the kids up and take them to grandparents and a few close neighbors who wanted to see them dressed up.

We are going to take our baby to the four sets of neighboors we know the best, even though he won't be but a couple of days old to show him to everyone. They've been asking almost daily where the baby is, so will be a good oppertunity to show him to everyone! We've the most darling little pumpkin sleeper my mom found at a yard sale, with a little matching hat for him. I hope it fits. Other than that, it will just be Grandma's house for trick or treating I think until he's 3 or so. And he won't be allowed to keep much of the candy. Luckily, DH is a teacher so has an easy way to unload for when I purge junk food in the house and tell him to take it elsewhere!

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"And the state of his bathroom -- I'm not one to gossip, but there are things crusted on his sink that have not simply developed intelligent life but have in all probability by now evolved their own political systems." Cain describes Abel in in SANDMAN #70

I posted this and then forgot to reply.

We do what most of you guys do, we dressed up the baby last year but only took her to a few neighbors, which is what we will do again this year. And I did the same with my older two when they were babies/toddlers.

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Stacey

“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man." ~ Euripides