When it comes to pleasing our children, it seems nothing is too much effort. We are locked in a constant battle between keeping them happy and spoiling them.
At least once though, every child deserves a party. A 16th birthday is a great time to throw a bash, as they are at the age where impressing their friends is important to them. You must get it right, however, as the repercussions to their social life will be severe in their eyes.
So, you have decided to give your child a once-in-a-lifetime party. How do you go about such a project? Read on; you will find here some top tips for giving your child a party they will remember forever.
Venue
Don’t try to host the party at home unless you have a very large house; most people don’t. Your local community center will be only too happy to host the party for a small fee. Your community center may still be owned by the council, but many have been sold off. There should be contact details on the noticeboard, or on the doors to the building.
There may be a social club local to you. These clubs often have a function room available for hire too for a very low cost. The function room will probably have a stage and a good-sized dance floor. Ask around and see what is available.
Party Style
Decide what kind of party it is to be. Fancy dress parties are all the rage now and with online costume shops such as Hollywood Fancy Dress Hire and others, why wouldn’t they be? You can expect to see some raunchy costumes at a teen’s party. Fancy dress costumes have come a long way in recent years and thanks to their availability online there is something to suit everyone’s taste.
Music
The kids are going to want to boogie on down until their feet have blisters. Don’t try and be a DJ yourself, this is only doomed to failure and embarrassment. Hire a professional who knows how to get the party going and also has the latest tunes. Your old Dire Straits album just won’t cut the mustard here.
Hire a Celebrity
If you have a few thousand pounds to spare, you could hire a celebrity to pop in and wish your child a happy birthday. Now, remember, the person who is a celebrity to you, may not be a celebrity to them. So before hiring Ken Barlow for a personal appearance, think carefully. The kids are far more likely to respond well to a member of One Direction.
Food and Drink
Hire caterers to lay on the food. Try to keep it age appropriate too. Jelly is more suitable for younger children but may not be sophisticated enough for teens trying to impress their friends. Maybe for the older children, sandwiches, gateaux and plenty of finger food would be better. When thinking about drinks, younger kids are fine with orange squash but older children will need sugar-filled coke to look good in front of their peers.
There are many other steps you can take to make your children happy and proud in front of their friends. The biggest thing to remember is to keep yourself out of the way while it is all going down. You are an embarrassment! Good luck.
