HUMMER Limo B-day party....

[Lisa loves Pooh]

A mom from dance class--She's renting a HUMMER Limo and picking up her son and his friends at school and taking them on a 3 hour ride.

Oh and then getting pizza for their dinner. Sounds like 20 kids are going. I know it is 14 girls--can't remember the boy count. The son thinks he's hot stuff of course.


In the same conversation--he's getting a big shindig when he's 16 (I had commented I guess boys don't get sweet 16's like girls and she commented that he'd still get a big party as well as a car).


Her daughter is turning 7 and they are planning a teddy bear tea party. sounds reallly cute--but HUGE.


Her ideas sound fantastic and she tries to be economical when planning them (the pizza's will be the $5 Little Caeser's deal--half the cost of the other places).

But good grief--double digit guests and tea parties at rental facilities and Hummer Limo's....must talk to hubby about getting a raise.


And hubby was too cheap to let us rent a limo for our wedding.

 

[Brier Rose]

Your post caught my eye because we're in the middle of planning something for my DD's 16th birthday now!

She really doesn't want a party, and would much rather just do something ultra extravagant, but what!

We've come up with everything from the Adventures by Disney trip to Italy, to a east and west bound transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2, with 4 nights in London, and now we're looking a doing some shopping package thing at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami!

She is NOT getting a car BTW. We're waiting until she's 18 for that...her choice!

Any good ideas??? I think I'm all dreamed out!

 

[Papa Deuce]

Your post caught my eye because we're in the middle of planning something for my DD's 16th birthday now!

She really doesn't want a party, and would much rather just do something ultra extravagant, but what! ...


She is NOT getting a car BTW. We're waiting until she's 18 for that...her choice!

Any good ideas??? I think I'm all dreamed out!

I don't get the whole Sweet 16 thing at all. IMO it is way overplayed. Just another birthday, no more important than the rest. And I have twin daughters. If I get my way, we'll just have an ordinary party. And if either of them expect / demand something "ultra extravagant".... well, let's just say that they will be VERY disappointed young ladies.

No cars, no vacations.... just a nice party with a DJ....me!

 

[ashjohnson80]

When I turned 16, I got to drive from my house to Ingles (about a mile and a half). That was about the extent of it. And no one I knew had huge sweet 16 parties either. Have things changed that much in 10 years or is it just the region I live in?

 

[Papa Deuce]

When I turned 16, I got to drive from my house to Ingles (about a mile and a half). That was about the extent of it. And no one I knew had huge sweet 16 parties either. Have things changed that much in 10 years or is it just the region I live in?

Blame it on that ridiculous MTV show where girls get $40,000 cars and whine because it isn't the right color.

 

[carole88]

When I turned 16, I got to drive from my house to Ingles (about a mile and a half). That was about the extent of it. And no one I knew had huge sweet 16 parties either. Have things changed that much in 10 years or is it just the region I live in?

I don't know if it's the region you live in, but I had a big sweet 16 party in a club and it was way more than 10 years ago! All of my friends had them. (I grew up on Long Island)

 

[ashjohnson80]

Blame it on that ridiculous MTV show where girls get $40,000 cars and whine because it isn't the right color.

oh yeah, i was flipping through the other day and saw a promo spot for that where this girl was talking about "everything is pink so i have to have pink poodles" and they were dying the dogs...

 

[Brier Rose]

I don't get the whole Sweet 16 thing at all. IMO it is way overplayed. Just another birthday, no more important than the rest. And I have twin daughters. If I get my way, we'll just have an ordinary party. And if either of them expect / demand something "ultra extravagant".... well, let's just say that they will be VERY disappointed young ladies.

No cars, no vacations.... just a nice party with a DJ....me!

Well, truth be told I don't know the actually history behind the whole Sweet 16 thing myself, just know that it's a tradition in my family, and something I've thought about since DD was born!

My sister and I both had dances at our country club (very small...nothing very costly). DD will be having her Cotillion ball in 2 more years (she'll be 18), so she didn't want a party like that. We all like to travel, so I'm having fun coming up with all sorts of ideas.

She would never demand anything! And while she would be disappointed I'm sure, she would never expect/demand something we just couldn't do.

I didn't know if I'd ever even get to do a Sweet 16 party for her. We almost lost her to cancer when she was a baby, and in a way I guess it's sort of a celebration of her life too. I know we don't need to spend a lot of money for that, but if I can do something to make her feel like the princess she is in my eyes, I'm all for it!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Good grief, it's no wonder so many kids are so bratty, they are spoiled beyond all comprehension.

For my sweet 16, we had a family cookout and cake and ice cream. About about 13 people were there. It was an awesome time and I'll never forget it.

 

[helens042266]

I teach in a middle school and the parents throw the kids an "8th Grade Graduation" party, because the school decided it was too costly to continue having graduation for 8th graders as there are just as many 8th graders as seniors. The dance is not school sponsored, but it is just as extravagant as prom. One parent last year did rent a Hummer limo for her son and all his friends and MANY others rented "regular" limos. The girls all wear the long gowns, have their hair done. The boys wear tuxedos...I just don't get it. It is all the kids think about for the last month of school. Why the kids have to have a "mini prom" before the real thing is beyond me. Pretty soon they will do the same thing for the 5th graders who are moving on to middle school!

My son turns 16 in one month. Just a regular party with family and maybe this time a few of his friends. No car, maybe just a new skateboard, or maybe just some cash for our trip to DW!

 

[we3disneygo]

growing up in the 80's in the midwest when I turned 16 I had a my best friend spend the night-regular family cake and ice cream dinner party. no car.

 

[aprilgail2]

my daughter went to a friends 6 year old birthday party and they had a stretch excursion take the kids into the city to a theme restaurant and then out bowling and then to the movies. She had a great time but she certainly know not to expect that for her party LOL.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Parental competition, through their kids, JMO.

 

[funhouse8]

Your post caught my eye because we're in the middle of planning something for my DD's 16th birthday now!

She really doesn't want a party, and would much rather just do something ultra extravagant, but what!

We've come up with everything from the Adventures by Disney trip to Italy, to a east and west bound transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2, with 4 nights in London, and now we're looking a doing some shopping package thing at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami!

She is NOT getting a car BTW. We're waiting until she's 18 for that...her choice!

Any good ideas??? I think I'm all dreamed out!

For my daughters Sweet Sixteen we rented a 15 passenger van (that my DH drove) and took her & her friends to Great Adventure. They all seemed to have a ball and told me it was the best party ever. I bought them all matching Tshirts (Which I wasn't sure was going to go over to well) and they thought it was a great idea because it helped them find each other. Granted it was a 16 hour party but I couldn't see spending all that money on a party.
Bagels at our house in the morning, packed a lunch & ate in parking lot, Then as they were going back to the park gave them each a bottled water & 10 dollars. I was surpised how many of the kids never been to great adventure or on a Roller coaster. Here is a picture of them... Oh I just wanted to add this was her Thank you card too......

[/IMG]

 

[Southern4sure]

When I turned 16 I was welcoming my youngest sister home from the hospital.... I didn't get a party or anything.....


Just recently my Ds turned 16. He invited 10 of his closest friends for a sleep over. Ds loves steak so I bought several whole ribeyes and had them cut to 3/4 inch thick and we had all the fixin's for baked potatoes, salad, bread and tons of junk food. Everyone had a blast. Ds was happy (steak always makes DS happy) and I think I got by cheap considering what others spend on 16th birthday parties.

 

[luckywife]

For my sweet 16, we had a family cookout and cake and ice cream. About about 13 people were there. It was an awesome time and I'll never forget it.

We did something similar but didn't have a cookout since my birthday is in the winter. It was just a simple get together with some of my friends. I had a lot of fun with it and I know it didn't cost my parents a lot of money.

I don't know if boys now want something extra special on their 16th birthday, I don't think that's the norm around here but I could be wrong. I have 2 DS's and I know their 16th birthday, while special, won't have anything to do with a rented Hummer limo. I've never even rented anything like that for myself

 

[LisaR]

Man, I was a deprived kid by todays standards. No sweet 16 party, no graduation from preschool party, no spring break vacation with my friends, no car for graduation. And guess what? I still managed to love my parents dearly and have a great deal of respect for them. I just don't get the elaborate things people feel the need to do for their kids today. If you shower them with huge parties for their 5th. birthday, what on earth will you do when they graduate high school?

My kids are growing up in the same deprived world I lived in and they seem to be having fun just the same.

 

[DVC Sadie]

When I turned 16, I got to drive from my house to Ingles (about a mile and a half). That was about the extent of it. And no one I knew had huge sweet 16 parties either. Have things changed that much in 10 years or is it just the region I live in?

I think its regional. Where I grew up everyone had sweet 16 parties. A lot of the kids also received new cars for their birthday.

 

[CindysGusGus]

Around here the Hummer Limo costs $300 per hour with a 3 hour minimum. I was looking for something to do with my friends when I relocate. Wanted to do something special for them. Maybe just a regular limo.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Man, I was a deprived kid by todays standards. No sweet 16 party, no graduation from preschool party, no spring break vacation with my friends, no car for graduation. And guess what? I still managed to love my parents dearly and have a great deal of respect for them. I just don't get the elaborate things people feel the need to do for their kids today. If you shower them with huge parties for their 5th. birthday, what on earth will you do when they graduate high school?

My kids are growing up in the same deprived world I lived in and they seem to be having fun just the same.

I'm with you. I had no sweet 16. (A few friends did but they were not extravegent in any sense.) All I did was have homemade ziti and carvel cake with my family. I went to Great Adventure with a bunch of friends for my 18th birthday but I paid for it myself. I paid for most of my prom myself, and I paid for my date! My only real party was for my college graduation, a cookout in the backyard with some friends. And my parents never bought me a car. I bought my first clunker and my second no-where-near-new car. When I hear how these kids spend their birthdays or get new cars, I feel like I live in the backwaters of some jungle. Yet I live in the middle of LI!

My middle school threw the 8th graders a party when they graduated. You paid like $10 and got a big party. Some girls bought nice dresses and some were in sundresses but no one thought it was prom. After the ceremony all the kids were bused to a local club that housed the party every year. They played music and had catered food and opened the bar for virgin drinks. It was a blast.