Sweet 16!?!?
I need help from all of you with girls older than 16 or know anyone with a girl older than 16!!
Lauren will be 16 on June 3. We want to do something nice for her. But what she wants is over the top (in my mind). She wants to have a dance with like 50 people. Which means hiring a DJ, a place to have it, a caterer, etc. I think this is extravagant and not realistic. Realistic to me is picking out 10-15 of her closest girl friends and working with that…maybe spend the weekend at the lake, have a campout in the front yard, something. A dance with 50 people is called a wedding reception not a 16th birthday party.
Kevin thinks that we should. He feels that she deserves it. Lauren & Austin’s mother didn’t have birthday partys for the kids. She told them they could have a party on even years and then would change her mind when it came down to it.
On top of all this her presents aren’t going to be all that cheap either…and some are essential. I can’t go into details because Lauren reads my blog but trust me…essential. Financially I don’t think we can afford it either. I have missed a lot of work with my female organs hating me and that doesn’t look to change.
I know this stupid MTV show is what makes her think it is necessary to have one! I talked to my mother in law and she agrees with me. She doesn’t think this is realistic and we can plan something more down to earth that can still be fun. But I don’t know what to do. One of the things Kevin and I talked about was how much we hated our wedding because it was all my mother’s doing. I don’t want to do that to any event in my kids’ life. But when we ask her what she wants it’s huge. I dread this girls future wedding. Maybe she will just stay single or elope!! 
So my question to all of you wonderful bloggy folks is: What kind of party did the 16 year old in your life have for their 16th birthday? What seems to be the norm in 16th birthdays?? Anyone know of any websites with ideas to have a good sweet 16 on a very limited budget?
I know that her friends haven’t had extravagant parties because she would have attended at least one by now. The girl is the “baby” in her class so we would have seen an invitation to something.
Please, please help. I need to know what happens in the real world.
May 8, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Well… when I turned 16 oh-so-many years ago, my friend and I had a joint birthday party since our birthdays were so close together. We both invited about 10 friends each, and maybe 5 from each our lists showed up. We rented the local community center, had cake, played games, and had fun. I didn’t feel like I had to have a huge blowout of a party because it was my FIRST EVER party I had with friends.
Maybe you can talk her into doing a small slumber party. A huge party like that is just over-the-top and it’s not something that I’d have fun putting together. But, that’s me. I like small get-togethers better.
Don’t know if I helped you any..
But, know that you have us here to bounce ideas off of.
May 9, 2008 at 12:29 am
I mentioned slumber party and got the roll of the eyes. Part of it is because our house is sooo small. Even if I booted out the other 3 kids and locked Kev & I in our room…it still would be too small. It is in June I thought maybe she could pitch a tent under the carport but she gave me the “I must be kidding” look. Our tent has 3 rooms but oh well.
Lauren is a huge social butterfly so I know where her idea is coming from. She LOVES being the center of attention.
I’m like you beartwinsmom, I like small intimate get togethers too. My 16th birthday was a slumber party of my closest buds.
May 9, 2008 at 12:56 am
I GOT IT! How about a camping overnighter? Is there a campground nearby where you could make a weekend of it? Camping is relatively cheap, the kids could have a place to play, hopefully swim, you could grill hot dogs and hamburgers… Families could stay with their kids, then that way she could have as many friends as she wants over. If no one wants to camp overnight, they can show up for the day to play.
Not a bad idea
May 9, 2008 at 7:44 am
A friend of mine hired a limo to drive his daughter and 5 friends to dinner, a movie and then back to the house for a slumber party. He said it wasn’t really too expensive and his daughter was over the moon.
I like the limo ideas. Something to check into!
May 9, 2008 at 7:54 am
I planned my neice’s 16th b.d. and it was pretty wonderful actually. We went to the beach and got one of those pop up cabanas. I dug a trench all the way around the cabana and filled it with ice and drinks and sprinkled rose petals all around. Outside of that there were lit candles down in the sand. My sis rented a limo and it picked up every girl at her house and took them to the location. Each girl sat on her own pillow inside the cabana (sprinkled rose petals all over that too) watching the sunset and enjoying the cookout. She still talks about it! The whole thing cost less than $200 which isn’t bad for a 16th IMO.
Awesome idea but we don’t have a beach or even a lakeside nearby.
May 9, 2008 at 9:03 am
This is The Other lion’s sister. Your post intriqued me as aI am a youth director and spend all my time with teenagers! Here are some ideas I had:
A Girl’s Only Retreat Day: Find someone near you who sells Mary Kay and ask them to come in and give the girls pedicures and facials, etc. You probably don’t have to pay them as much as you would pay at a spa and they would get advertising. Then, head to a paint your own pottery studio and let the girls each paint a teacup, etc. If you can’t fit enough of the girls into your house…..rent a hotel room (1) at a Holiday Inn off the pool. Have the pedicures and facials in the room, let the girls swim, order pizzas, have virgin daquiris with umbrellas, and then wrap up the night at a painting studio.
That is a sweet idea Emily!! I have a coworker who does Mary Kay. I think the pottery studio shut down but I’m sure I can think of something else artsy.
May 9, 2008 at 10:30 am
I’m digging all your ideas guys!! I have some good stuff I can present to her and have her choose from. If anyone else has some more ideas please let me know. I’m loving them
May 9, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Hey! This is what I do for a living! I am an event planner! So, I can SO help with this!
The retreat sounds awesome! How about a theme party? what sorta things is she into!!
vampires and witches…evil stuff, shiny jewelry, criss angel…
May 9, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I don’t even remember what we did for Chelsey’s 16th, which was only 2 1/2 years ago! So obviously it wasn’t anything that was over the top. My motto: Keep it simple!
May 9, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Yeah, that MTV show gives teens a very unrealistic idea regarding birthday parties. The lake sounds perfect!
May 10, 2008 at 10:31 am
My friend has 2 girls and they are 16 and 17. They invited kids to their home, set up the bbq turned up the music and let them have the parties there. There were maybe 30-40 kids. I think less is best and if you let her know your parameters you might be surprised how creative she could be. I would definitely let her know that her plans are over the top, but you do want to make it special for her and get her to work with you on alternative ideas.
May 10, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’m no good to ask. I got some cds for my 16th birthday and thought that was pretty cool. Real low threshold of pleasure here.
June 9, 2008 at 9:13 am
Many happy [belated] returns of the day. It’s over so fast.
Best wishes