Does a Teen Need a Birthday Party??

Movies theaters cost an arm and a leg. My teen did not want a birthday party this year. I am very relieved. I offered to host a party for her. We talked about a few ideas. Our top three:

• A sleepover for a large group.
• A movie outing with a small group.
• Something else.

She chose the something else option. She loves getting together with friends, but I think she also values her alone time. She is the type of kid who has NEVER said “I am bored.” If she is even the tiniest bit bored she finds something to do. A party for her friends would be  fun, but very chaotic and loud. I think she would prefer a more low key option.

Her parties have been anything but low key over the years. Let’s see if I can remember all her parties and themes. I’ll flex the old mental muscle:

1. Baby’s 1st Birthday — Teddy Bear themed party w/family and friends.
2. 2nd Birthday — Sesame Street. She was overwhelmed by the people…walked in to a wall, cried when we cut the cake, and opened her presents sitting in her toy box with her best friend.
3. 3rd  Birthday –  Teletubbies. First year we purchased a store-bought cake, Teletubbies. Had to postpone the party as she was sick.
4. 4th Birthday — Cinderella. First birthday with preschool friends.
5. 5th Birthday — Muffy van der Bear. She had a collection of Muffy’s — a small bear with an enviable wardrobe. As part of the party she narrated her Muffy scrapbook. I am not sure what the other kids thought…but she had fun.
6. 6th Birthday — The princess party…her 1st birthday party with her Kindergarten friends. She wanted to invite boys…I said No since she also wanted the girls to do princess crafts and wear dress-up dresses!
7. 7th Birthday — she got her wish and invited some boys. Of the 4 boys invited, two came, one boy’s mother called with many questions about how many boys would be at the party, and one never RSVP’d. I devised a science theme. Researched and planned for weeks. In the end I let my husband be the party leader…I chickened out! Oh, and did I mention I was about 7.5 months pregnant.
8. 8th Birthday — 1st sleepover. I stashed the baby monitor in a far corner of the room the girls slept in. I didn’t need the monitor since the girls were SO LOUD. The monitor…it was found  almost immediately.
9. 9th Birthday — 2nd sleepover.
10. 10th Birthday — Party at Splashdown
11. 11th Birthday — Another sleepover…yes, I am a glutton for punishment!
12. 12th Birthday — She wrote a movie script. That’s right…she write a 27-page movie script with parts for 12, stage directions, and costume notes. Her friends were invested in the production. All of the girls came ready to act or direct or film. We had an “Oscar Movie Premiere” after the movie was filmed. The girls loved it!
13. 13th Birthday — Spa theme. She set up the family room, kitchen, and hallway for a spa-themed party with stations for relaxation with magazines and massage chairs; facials with cucumbers; makeup; hair; and finger and toe nails. Highlight of the party…she persuaded all her friends to put their cell phones in a box. All the girls did it!

So, here I sit on the eve of #snoMG II. I will need to get some rest before I tackle the teen’s plan for her “something else” party. I thinks she wants to take one friend to the movie and shop at the mall. Wow! I may have hit on the cheapest birthday party yet. It has only taken me 14 years!!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 3:03 am and is filed under Entertainment, Musings on Family, Teens, crafty daughter, family fun, holiday, holidays, pool, teen years. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.