It may be hard to resist, but let's get one thing straight:

Halloween — for the most part — is for kids.

Sure, you can still get festive for the holiday.

Bake pumpkin squares, wear skull earrings, rent a bunch of horror flicks.

These are fine.

Even dressing up is OK, if you do it right.

Use the wisdom — and humor — that only comes with age, full-time employment and years of paying bills and taxes to devise a clever costume, if you want.

Dress up as the dirty-handed Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers or impress your co-workers as The Voice of Reason.

But have some taste.

Do not go to the office as a prostitute, something resembling the male anatomy or John Mark Karr.

Even for laughs, this is tacky.

While on the subject of tacky, please, adults, refrain from engaging in kid-only activities.

This includes indulging your inner pyro and blowing up jack-o'-lanterns with firecrackers.

But above all, no trick-or-treating.

Of any kind.

Don't even think about it.

Sure, you can scare the costumed kids who come to your house dressed as the latest superhero (even Elmo). And of course, you can get into the holiday spirit by strewing fake cobwebs and plastic spiders all over your desk at work.

But please, please, please don't hit the pavement in search of free candy.

Stop yourself.

Use any means possible.

I don't want to see any of you — costumed or not — knock on my door tonight, stick out an empty grocery bag and say, "Trick or treat!"

The invitation to choose one may not go in your favor.

You have a job. Or, at least you've had a childhood. Leave this one remnant of the holiday for the ones who still write letters to Santa.

(BY THE WAY, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT, EITHER.)

In addition, you should not be packing your child's entire soccer team into your minivan to visit 300 homes in three hours.

No drive-bys!

This isn't a competition.

And your kids definitely do not need to be raised to think Oct. 31 is Get Stuff for Free Day.

People — other adults like you — fork over a nice portion of their paychecks on goodies, package them in little paper bags, and spend a perfectly good Tuesday night at home to dish them out to princess fairies, pirates and Spider-Men.

These candies are not for you.

I don't mean to ruin your Halloween plans.

By all means, go out tonight, wear those fake lashes and fishnet stockings, and have a great time.

Just stay at the adult table and let the kids have their fun, too.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.