Too old for birthday parties?

[Art 1]

She did exchange gifts with her two best friends at Christmas but we thought she would get more cards. How hard is it to write or make a card. No expense for the stamp either.

I know what you mean. Kids no longer send cards I think.

 

[Rora]

I'm 23 and still go to birthday parties.

I don't think there's an "age" to cease them, but it's necessary for the party to evolve with the child/person.

 

[AustinTink]

I'm 23 and still go to birthday parties.

I don't think there's an "age" to cease them, but it's necessary for the party to evolve with the child/person.

Ding, ding, ding!! That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm confused as to why the parties have to cease at a certain age, as it becomes childish or uncool. I see it happening, but I wonder how much is encouraged by the parents.

One mom told me she gave her (then 10-year-old) son a choice... birthday party or $100. She told me she was tired of hosting kid parties. The kid took the cash.

I just like to celebrate the day of my kid's birth. What's wrong with that?

 

[Art 1]

Ding, ding, ding!! That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm confused as to why the parties have to cease at a certain age, as it becomes childish or uncool. I see it happening, but I wonder how much is encouraged by the parents.

One mom told me she gave her (then 10-year-old) son a choice... birthday party or $100. She told me she was tired of hosting kid parties. The kid took the cash.

I just like to celebrate the day of my kid's birth. What's wrong with that?

My wife is the same. She always had large parties for the kids. Birthday parties have always been a big thing in our house.

My wife sent out 90 invitations for hers in a few weeks. And she is ??? yrs old. She's an old girl.

 

[AustinTink]

My wife is the same. She always had large parties for the kids. Birthday parties have always been a big thing in our house.

My wife sent out 90 invitations for hers in a few weeks. And she is ??? yrs old. She's an old girl.

I like the way your wife thinks!

 

[disykat]

We also stopped "parties" at 10. Some years the boys want to have a few friends join us on an outing or over for cake though. No big deal. No invitations, no gifts expected, etc.

Ding, ding, ding!! That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm confused as to why the parties have to cease at a certain age, as it becomes childish or uncool. I see it happening, but I wonder how much is encouraged by the parents.

One mom told me she gave her (then 10-year-old) son a choice... birthday party or $100. She told me she was tired of hosting kid parties. The kid took the cash.

I just like to celebrate the day of my kid's birth. What's wrong with that?

To me, it becomes more about practicality as they get older. People tend to realize as they mature that they don't need a big hurrah every year where they are showered with gifts etc. It becomes more about spending the occasion with the people you really care about.

There's nothing 'wrong' with hosting a big party every year. However, you may find that guests start to lose interest in attending one every year. I know that as an adult I really only celebrate yearly birthdays with a pretty small group of people, but sometimes celebrate milestone birthdays with a bigger group. When I'm invited to a party, it's usually to celebrate a decade change.

My teens are already the same. I think the only big birthday parties they've been invited to in their teen years have been 16th birthdays. Otherwise it's usually a small group, hanging out doing the normal stuff, while at the same time acknowledging the birthday of one of them.

 

[AustinTink]

I get it. I totally do. It's just that we always take his friends with us to the movies, bowling, whatever. I mean every weekend. So doing this for his birthday doesn't feel like a party to me.

 

[C.Ann]

Ding, ding, ding!! That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm confused as to why the parties have to cease at a certain age, as it becomes childish or uncool. I see it happening, but I wonder how much is encouraged by the parents.

One mom told me she gave her (then 10-year-old) son a choice... birthday party or $100. She told me she was tired of hosting kid parties. The kid took the cash.

I just like to celebrate the day of my kid's birth. What's wrong with that?

Nothing at all wrong with your way of thinking.. I would ask him what he wants - and if he says a party, then a party it is.. I honestly never heard of "age restrictions" on kids birthday parties until I started reading the DIS.. I suppose it could be a regional thing, but kids around here don't stop having birthday parties just because they have reached the age of "whatever"..

Follow his lead - and have a great time celebrating your child's birth!

 

[mjkacmom]

My dd14 has a birthday party every year, however she sends out the invites via texting, she buys the food (I give her the $, she goes to shoprite) and I pay for the chinese food (swim party - she has friends over swimming all summer, but to make it a party, I pay for the meal.) She would never let me host a party - all of the parties she goes to are kid-hosted.

 

[pigletgirl]

Is it considered "uncool" to have a big party after 12? That's the vibe I'm getting.

Nope. I had a blowout birthday for my 16th and 18th birthdays. Some of the activities may be considered 'lame', but a big party for a birthday is definitely not.

 

[mommasita]

Ding, ding, ding!! That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm confused as to why the parties have to cease at a certain age, as it becomes childish or uncool. I see it happening, but I wonder how much is encouraged by the parents.

One mom told me she gave her (then 10-year-old) son a choice... birthday party or $100. She told me she was tired of hosting kid parties. The kid took the cash.

I just like to celebrate the day of my kid's birth. What's wrong with that?

There is nothing wrong with that. I have had parties for my son until he was 12, after that the choice was given as you stated above. The few hundred $ could be his in his pocket, and he could invite some buddies to play PS3, and he chose that. We still had the cake etc, etc, but I prolly spent 30$, and he was just as pleased.

MY DD11 is going through this now. She will be 12 in April, and knows this is her choice after that, as was her brothers. I think it will lead in the same direction.

Even though we tone down the parties, we celebrate, and do so with the friends, the family, etc.

Enjoy, do what you want to do.

 

[Bunchkin]

Big parties stopped for my DD stopped at age 11.

She was 13 just this past fall and she invited a few friends, and one of the girl's mom who we are close with, out to eat for lunch. Then we took the girls roller skating. She chose the restaurant and we went to a really nice buffet here in Vegas. So everyone got to eat what they wanted and there was desserts galore!

I don't think there is an age where you say "no more big parties" or "no more parties at all". I think it's something that just happens.
I think that as kids mature the smaller the party gets.
And we kind of implemented the idea of the less we spend on a party the more you get for gifts, ie money in your pocket to spend on what you want.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We never invited the entire calss for a party, so there is no age to stop that at I guess They have always invited the 10 or so kids they are closest with--often that is a mix of kids from school, neighborhood and various activities. Never once have all the party attendees known each other (and that has never been a problem).

We had a bog party for my son's 12th last month. It was a huge hit. We did it at home this year. Bought a giant gummy candy "cake" from the local sugar shop, set up disco lights, etc. I think we had 9 kids here and 4 stayed the night. His friend is having a bowling party this Sunday.

DD turned 14 over the Christmas break. We will do her party in a couple of weeks. WE will go ice skating and then come back here for food/cake/gifts and general fun. Most of the girls will spend the night (the two boys will not). Ironically, her friend from her old school is having her 16th birthday the next weekend and going to the same skating rink (other than each other none of hte guests will be at both parties so no big deal).

So, NO , we do not have an age limit on parties (gosh we did a big 80s party for DH a few years ago). Then again, we are "party people." We are always putting together a game night, poker night, BBQ, etc--so OF COURSE we will do something to celebrate the people we love and care about most (and to me that is what a birthday is--a celebration of a person).