tell me what you did for your dd's sweet 16 birthday party???

[ceecee]

We don't do those kind of parties around here. For Graduation maybe but not 16! What do they expect at graduation with a 10,000 Sweet 16? I didn't spend that much on my wedding!

 

[StillPinballFamily]

What fun!!! I am SO stealing the candy buffet idea for my other younger kids's future parties. I am a big bargain hunter, so stocking up on the sweet stuff with coupons and deals will be a neat challenge! Love it...thanks for the tip!

 

[debdot]

my DD did not want a big formal party - when my DD turned 16 which was 3 years ago i did this as a surprise for her and boy was she surprised

a couple of weeks before her birthday i purchased some clear make your own buttons from the craft store - they were big and round and they come apart -i found a recent picture of her and color copied it - i decorated the background with sweet sixteen and some confetti

without her knowing, a couple of days before her birthday, i asked about four of her friends to hand them out to kids at school and even some teachers

when my DD went to school that day she was shocked when she was walking behind someone who had the button on their backpack - she had to take another look and then realized what it was

she was surprised all day to see her friends wearing them and even some of her favorite teachers

 

[LisaNJ25]

Be thankful you dont have to throw a quinceanera (Sweet 15) ever more money and its like a mini wedding minus the groom.

 

[Dancemom03]

DD18 didn't want a huge party either.
We gave her the choice of a trip with 6-8 friends (I'd pay and chaperone) to WDW, NYC or Hershey Park. Unfortunately, her bday is always the week school starts here so even planning for the week prior didn't work out for the girls.

In the end she decided to have a dozen of her closest friends dress up in costume (they're anime/cosplay/drama kids anyway) and took them all to Medieval Times for Dinner. It was a terrific way to spend the actual day of her birthday. Problem is, now DD7 thinks she can have her party there too next year. I'd better start saving coupons now...

 

[here757]

man i got cheated..... i got a pizza and a drivers license LOL
i did get to buy a real cheap car from grandpa. for 50 bucks.. i borrowed that from my mom.. i never did pay that back...

 

[McDISer]

Wow, there are no parties around here for sweet 16. My dd got her liscense on her birthday. That is the big celebration, everyone goes for their drivers liscenses on their birthday. Though my wife did say, she hates the MTV show, she thought our dd really expected a party like that.

 

[allison443]

Wow, there are no parties around here for sweet 16. My dd got her liscense on her birthday. That is the big celebration, everyone goes for their drivers liscenses on their birthday. Though my wife did say, she hates the MTV show, she thought our dd really expected a party like that.

See, here in NJ you cannot get your driver's license till age 17 (I think we are the only state with that rule!) So everyone goes for their test on their 17th birthday!

 

[HopingToGetEngaged]

I don't mean to flame, because that's not what this is... but am I the only one that doesn't think that it's necessary to "keep up with the Jones"? Trips to WDW, Broadway plays, weekends away... WOW! I hope that your birthday child (and their friends) were thankful for what you so graciously provided for them! (Oh yeah... anyone want a 27 year old "child"??? I bake wonderful goodies!)

Granted my sweet 16 was 11 years ago... but we were thrilled to have a few friends over at the "family" party. Yes, my parents could totally afford an extravagant party. And yes, I had a car waiting for me... a 6 year old Ford Taurus. Mom got upgraded to a mini van. My parents always give me the want vs. need speech. "We understand that you WANT.... but you don't necessarily NEED... " I was always greatful for the compromise we could come up with. *Yes, I will admit that at the time I might not have been too pleased with what my parents said/did, but looking back- I'm thankful for the manners and good morals they instilled in myself and my sister*

Watching that show on MTV makes me want to vomit. We glorify being spoiled and throwing hissy fits when we don't get what we want. Most of those brats don't even truly seem to be thankful for what they have gotten. Like the girl who had the Arabian themed party and sat and cried at Dolce restaurant- I think- because her parents told her she wasn't getting a car. But she ended up getting one anyway. I'm from Cleveland, and there was one girl on there recently from Cleveland that got 3 or 4 Vespa scooters or whatever they were. I found that absolutely hilarious because she can only use the stupid things 3-4 months out of the year!

 

[goofyisinphilly]

I don't know anyone that had a Sweet Sixteen party. I think I got my license and that may have been the year my parents bought my F-series Loree oboe. (That is a orchestra, professional brand, expensive...even when used, oboe) So I didn't miss anything here.

 

[hapandpam]

Both my daughters had sleepovers with a few friends. We ordered pizza, and they rented movies. Believe it or not, everyone had a great time. I don't know of anyone who spends lots of money on a 16th birthday.

 

[Cheerdisney]

We gave our daughter 3 choices a trip, car, or party. She pick the party. She said I can go on a trip anytime and she coud get a car later in life. But, she only turn 16 once in a lifetime. She chose the party! IT was huge 250+. She stills talks about it..

 

[belle's mom]

When my DD18 was turning 16 I knew she didn't want a party. I also knew she was a dolphin lover. My husband and I put together a short trip (3 day) over to Disney. We didn't say anything to her about her birthday and she was thinking "Either they forgot about it, or all we are doing is Disney"

At dinner the night before we gave her an invitation for a secret 8am appointment. We left the hotel and I blindfolded her in the car (It's a wonder I wasn't arrested ) I pulled into the parking lot and started to walk into the building. I was walking backwards so I could get a picture of her and she saw the Discovery Cove name on a boulder and started crying. She says it was the experience of a lifetime that she will never forget.
My husband and my other DD11 (9 at the time )went to Magic Kingdom for the day. I surprised them with reservations at Cinderellas Royal Table.

The expenses were about $1300.00, $600 of that was Discovery Cove. I figured it was a lot cheaper than a party would have cost.


I think when I turned 16 (20 something years ago) all we did was go out to dinner with my parents


Belle's mom

 

[TomD]

Glad I stumbled across this thread my DD will be turning 13 this year and has been hinting that for her 16th Birthday she would like to bring a friend to Disney with us.

I think she knows I would never spen 10k on a party

 

[Debbie]

man i got cheated..... i got a pizza and a drivers license LOL

And (thank goodness!) that's all my middle DD wanted!

I don't know anyone that had a Sweet Sixteen party.

No, it is not done in these circles. I can't think about funding a wedding, let alone a wedding AND a Sweet 16 party.

We gave our daughter 3 choices a trip, car, or party.

My kids (boys and girls) did get their car the Christmas they were 16. It was there dream car, too! Right there in their Christmas stocking! Hot Wheels or Matchbox, whichever had their dream. And they can continue to dream....I'm not paying for a car, either!

I think when I turned 16 (20 something years ago) all we did was go out to dinner with my parents

THAT'S it!!!! THAT'S what my kids get to do! Although I think that my oldest DD, actually spent her 16th on a bus to the big city where her school choir was performing.

Seriously, it isn't done like that. When they turned 16, the oldest (boy) had a dinner with us. The second (girl) was away for her 16th, although, I think that we did a family dinner later....but who knows. The third (boy) was always in trouble at that point, so he was lucky I stlll let him in the house. Fourth (girl) got her driver's license and pizza. The fifth....2 years from next weekend. It will probably be a sleepover with one or two friends.

 

[eh24fan]

My 16th birthday was probably the coolest I had and one of the easiest. My mom made lasagna (my favorite), salads, bread, and tea. Set up the living room with tables for 4, lit candles, dimmed the lights, etc. Then me and a bunch of my friends got all dressed up and had a "fancy" dinner with my parents and another couple posing as our waiters and waitresses. Mom even made menus and we "ordered"! LOL We had to choose which lasagna, meat or meatless, salad dressing and sweet or not sweet tea. Oh and we had a cake for dessert of course. IT was so much fun and my friends loved it too. Then after dinner all of us changed our clothes and challenged the guys to basketball outside in the dark. Eventually we wound up inside watching a movie. IT as greaT!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

We just went out to eat to her favorite place. That is what she wanted. She wasn't into a party or anything like that. She did however want to wear a Burger King crown but that is a long standing joke we have with her since she was a kid. For some reason, she really likes them She is now 19 and still will wear one on her birthday. I have one more daughter that will be turning 16 this October. Her birthday will be at Disney. We always go for her birthday. This year though, she is already dropping hints that she would rather not be there on her actual birthday.. guess she has finally outgrown Mickey (I should say Eeyore)

 

[loco4dis]

I don't mean to flame, because that's not what this is... but am I the only one that doesn't think that it's necessary to "keep up with the Jones"? Trips to WDW, Broadway plays, weekends away... WOW! I hope that your birthday child (and their friends) were thankful for what you so graciously provided for them! (Oh yeah... anyone want a 27 year old "child"??? I bake wonderful goodies!)

Granted my sweet 16 was 11 years ago... but we were thrilled to have a few friends over at the "family" party. Yes, my parents could totally afford an extravagant party. And yes, I had a car waiting for me... a 6 year old Ford Taurus. Mom got upgraded to a mini van. My parents always give me the want vs. need speech. "We understand that you WANT.... but you don't necessarily NEED... " I was always greatful for the compromise we could come up with. *Yes, I will admit that at the time I might not have been too pleased with what my parents said/did, but looking back- I'm thankful for the manners and good morals they instilled in myself and my sister*

Watching that show on MTV makes me want to vomit. We glorify being spoiled and throwing hissy fits when we don't get what we want. Most of those brats don't even truly seem to be thankful for what they have gotten. Like the girl who had the Arabian themed party and sat and cried at Dolce restaurant- I think- because her parents told her she wasn't getting a car. But she ended up getting one anyway. I'm from Cleveland, and there was one girl on there recently from Cleveland that got 3 or 4 Vespa scooters or whatever they were. I found that absolutely hilarious because she can only use the stupid things 3-4 months out of the year!

I hope it makes you feel better to know that my almost-16-year-old daughter thinks that MTV show is ridiculous, too. She made the most interesting comment about it once, saying that she thinks that parents who do that kind of stuff must have been nerdy/unpopular in school, that it's really all about the parents reliving their own "Sweet 16." I thought that was really insightful.

I really like the OP's idea of hosting a "fancy" dinner with mom and dad serving as waiters.

 

[Swan]

My daughter will be sixteen this OCT and we are taking her to Disney. For years we told her we would take one friend with us for her 16th bday. We let her pick the resort and up untill I read this post we were going to do the segway tour as a suprise on her actual B-day. I read about going to Discovery cove in the above post and I like that idea . This is special to here becouse her best friend will be there who has a bday in oct also.

 

[lucigo]

We took my daughter to Disneyworld, it was a last minute trip as we had to get out of the way of Hurricane Ivan, which hit our house on her birthday!