<p>DD will be 16 in October...There is that tv program that these parents shell out thousands of $ for these frivolous parties. I cannot believe that these parents do all of this just for another candle on the birthday cake. (One girl was auditioning male dancers in g-strings).....Wow, sometimes I feel like I am on another planet......It's not like they accomplished like a "college degree" or something nobel......So talk to me. Love to hear your dd stories....</p>
<p>My dd just turned 16 last week. Several of her friends have had the "100 kids at the local hotel ballroom with a dj" party. DD enjoys attending those, but did not want to have one herself, being wise enough to realize that it's a lot more fun to attend these things as a guest than to host one! She and a friend whose birthday is 2 weeks away from hers had a small gathering, about a dozen kids, at the friend's house. Cake, pool table, Rock Band, and ping pong. A good time was had by all.</p>
<p>Another friend had 25 girls, the mom rented a "party bus" and took them to a fun restaurant in a nearby city (1 hour away). The girls had a great time.</p>
<p>That show you're referring to? It's ridiculous. I don't know anyone who actually had a party like that.</p>
<p>When I turned 16 I just had a small party...no more than 20 kids, pizza, hanging out in our Living Room. We had a great time. :)</p>
<p>Honestly, there's no point in having a huuuuge party at 16. IMHO, 18 and 21 are much bigger occasions.</p>
<p>Yes, that show is out of this world, and don't worry, you're not the only one who finds it and the families on it pretty appalling. I would be more worried about someone who didn't find it pretty disgusting.</p>
<p>I've never seen that show, but it sounds ridiculous.</p>
<p>Do boys have big 16yo parties? Son turns 16 next month and hasn't mentioned a thing ...</p>
<p>Youdon'tsay, I have 2 boys and they have never mentioned any of this or been invited to a boy or girl's sweet 16. For my boys it was a birthday, but not a year that was more special than another birthday celebration. It is my older son's 21st BD that concerns me. I hear so many stories about 21 year olds that end up sick or dead from alcohol poisoning. Some seem to go nuts. My son has told me that I have nothing to worry about, but I will still be happy when that day is over! He still has a wait until that BD rolls around, but I am already anxiety ridden about it.</p>
<p>^We have a tradition in my family that when we turn 21 we take a family trip to Vegas. We've noticed that we don't drink as much if our parents/grandparents are present. :)</p>
<p>My son hasn't been invited to any 16yo girl parties either. Guess it's just not a big thing around here.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I've never seen that show, but it sounds ridiculous.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>MTV's "Super Sweet 16". Another sign of the Apocolypse's eminent appoach. Glorifies the most spoiled children in America, an sends the all-too-clear message that some people just shouldn't be parents. The let their daughters get away with absolutley ridiculous and spoiled behavior, and actually seem to revel in the fact that they are raising Paris Hilton Jrs. by showing the world the lengths they are willing to go to spoil them even further. Think of the movie "Keeping up With the Steins" (starring the guy from HBO's "Entourage"), and multiply the parent-wanting-to-show-off -to-the-world factor by 1000. UGGGGH!</p>
<p>^ and that scares me too, just not as much. My son has been more and more inquisitive on what a casino is like, since he knows that he could head for Atlantic City once he is 21 (we live in NJ). He can also head for CT, and some new casinos in PA for that matter. I did warn him that I am not giving him back what he loses at a table. I told him how quickly you can lose your cash, so now he does not seem quite as interested ;)</p>
<p>Making me glad I have only broadcast TV, and that S doesn't watch even that; thanks!</p>
<p>When my daughter turned 16 we had a party for 16 friends at our home. I rented a limo for one hour ($125) and picked up her six closest friends, gave them toy tiaras and took their pictures as they saw the limo, were greeted by the birthday girl, got into the limo, etc. We then drove home, had pizza and birthday cake, sang karaoke and made cotton candy with a rented machine. I fashioned a stage in my living room using PVC pipes to make two balloon towers (60 balloons each plus a mylar Sweet 16 balloon on a stick--stuck into the PVC--at the top of each tower) and a curtain rod from which I hung two plastic table cloths. They also had a bonfire in the back yard and played on the zipline. DD had always wanted to rent the cotton candy machine and the kids had a great time with it.</p>
<p>We had a sweet 16 party for our daughter. It was a formal party at a hotel with 100+ people, 80 kids and 20 adults. The theme was a fashion show, with big screen projector, DJ. We had fun planning it and we all had a lot of fun. Our younger daughter is going to be 16 in another year, I am pretty certain we have one for her also. Sweet 16 parties are faily standard in our area. This is just good practice for me to be ready for their weddings someday.</p>
<p>wow, i want you for MY mom,schmoomcgoo. We have 2 daughters....each got a dozen pink roses from my H and "real" birthstone jewelry.....and a restaurant dinner with a bunch of their friends. That's as festive as we got...</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as D1's 16th was approaching, father in law was in final stages of a significant battle with cancer, halfway across the country. She'd had a chance to say "goodbye" to him, but was very close to him. Her birthday fell between his death and his funeral. We "celebrated" her actual birthday with the entire family, but I lost it entirely when I saw that she had placed one of her pink roses on his casket. </p>
<p>Once we returned home, she celebrated with her friends, and we carried on....</p>
<p>Sorry to put a damper on things.....back to the discussions of the spoiled brats who complain that the brand new convertible they got for their birthday was red, instead of blue.... (seriously you've got to watch this one...)</p>
<p>YouTube</a> - When spoiled rich girls dont get the correct color car for..</p>
<p>^That video makes me cringe every time I watch it.</p>
<p>Those parents need to be sterilized immediately.</p>
<p>Around here, at least in D's grade, it seemed to fall out fairly naturally that a lot of the girls who had not had Bat Mitzvahs decided to throw Sweet 16s (none of which was as over the top as the most over-the-top Bat or Bar Mitzvah, but that's a topic for a different thread). Most were not overly lavish, but they were often fairly large. We talked it over with D - who is a fall birthday and had already said she might feel odd about having a Sweet 16 during junior year, since it's more of a sophomore thing, usually - and she came up with the notion that she would be one of the ones to host a big graduation party instead. And she did, so really things fell into place very happily for us. </p>
<p>As for what I mean by large but not lavish, in broad terms, guest lists between 50-100 with decorations from the party store and food mostly cooked by parents, or (in our case) parents with the help of friends. DJs but, uh, yeah - no male dancers. :o</p>
<p>Funny story about the boys' Sweet 16s (the girls tend to host coed parties while the guys seem to lean toward guy events): A neighbor pal told me that her son came home from one recently and claimed it was THE BEST SWEET 16 EVER. Warily, she asked why. WE BURNED STUFF IN THE BACKYARD, he said happily.</p>
<p>Astrophysicsmom, your daughter's placing one of her Sweet 16 roses on her grandfather's casket brought tears to my eyes. I think a Sweet 16 should be appropriately special; DD's party fit the bill for us, and your version would have too. </p>
<p>We used to live in a town were a prominent doctor's son was given a Corvette for his 16th birthday. It took flight one day coming down a steep grade. A girl in a neighboring town got a muscle car for her 16th and piled her friends in it for a ride home from school the day she got it. Luckily, the Principal saw the girls pile in and limited the group to two plus driver. She drove off and lost control 1/4 mile away and ran head-on into another car, crippling the other driver, herself and one of her friends; her best friend died. The extended community was devastated.</p>
<p>Are you saying the extravagance of giving a car to the girl caused her best friend's death? I really hope people in your town didn't make the parents feel that way. Oh, maybe they would want to do that because it is not something they would/could do. I know many kids that were given cars all lived to become productive, not spoiled adults.</p>
<p>I don't think that's what she's saying...I think it's more the sense of entitlement that comes with it (sometimes, not always), the "I can do whatever I want" because often those cars don't come with any rules.</p>
<p>I was given a car as soon as I got my permit (though it was a hand-me-down from my mother and not brand new, but I still LOVE IT), but it has several rules...I have to get good grades or I lose it. If I don't get a good student discount from Allstate, again, no more car. Etc.</p>
<p>Wow, lots of down to earth stories. Birthdays I can relate to. We try to instill that all things in life should be quality and not neccesarily the biggest and the best. Only then I think they can find inner happiness. That video of that spoiled girl was actually very sad for her in the long run. She will never truly be a happy person. The parents didn't even raise their voice. The mother said nothing. Wow....</p>