These days, a girl’s sweet sixteen is more important than ever. You can probably remember how excited you were to pass into early adulthood, and how important it was that everything went your way. Well, now it’s your turn to deal with all that intensity. With a hugely visible celebrity culture, there’s even more pressure on you to give your teenager a night she’ll remember! Here’s some advice on planning her sweet sixteen.
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As you can imagine, the success of a sixteenth hinges mainly on your planning. There are a lot of factors you’ll need to work out, so spend some time drawing up a budget first. This will help you and your daughter decide what should be prioritised. You’ll need to decide on a date, which won’t clash with anything for your child’s close friends. You’ll also need to book a venue which suits your teen’s needs. Go to Hallshire.com to find a good one. Your teen might be a little particular about this, but make sure she understands how much money you have to spend. Your daughter’s probably going to want to invite a lot of people, but talk it over with her. You might have to knock off a few guests for more extravagance, or vice versa.
At sixteen, as much as we try to stop it, your daughter’s going to be spreading her wings, and partying like the adult she wants to be. Obviously you want your daughter to have the time of her life. However, there are certain things you need to do, to ensure a degree of safety at her bash. It’s probably a good idea to have you and another adult supervising, even if from afar. Mingling and chatting with her friends may not go down too well, but popping in every now and then should be fine. When you have another adult there, you’ll not only have an extra pair of eyes, but someone who speaks your language! Call all the guests’ parents and check their alcohol policy. Alocopops will be fine, but 16-year-olds and spirits don’t mix!
Image: Wikimedia
Finally, get something to make the party unique. Your daughter probably already has her own ideas about this. If not, there are a range of things you could try. If the party falls in the summer, then a bonfire and fireworks will make a lovely touch. Or, if your teen is obsessed with getting across a glamourous image, then you can hire a great party bus fairly inexpensively. Shofur.com has some great offers on these. Often, something much less extravagant will be enough to make the whole party stand out. Live bands and performers, or gimmicks like chocolate fountains can all serve as a lovely finishing touch. Whatever your teen’s going for, I’m sure you can agree on a feature like this.
There’s a lot to think about here, I know. Believe it or not, parenting is going to get much easier from her sixteenth onwards! My last tip is to offer your help, but don’t make the mistake of taking control!
