Birthday Bash

Throw Your Teen or Tween the Best Birthday EVER—Without Severe Damage to Your Living Room OR Your Bank Account!

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

My not-so-little-kid but not-exactly-teenage son has a birthday coming up. I'd really love to throw him a celebratory bash but I'm afraid his rauccous friends will meet face-to-face with my wife's unforgiving white carpet. How do I throw a birthday party without spending a fortune or wrecking my house?

Signed,

Mr. Mom

A:

Dear Mr. Mom,

Three words: Don’t do it!

Don’t host a party for your teens or tweens at your home! That is, unless you have live-in cleaning staff and a budget that includes a clean up crew, a set up crew, and a catering crew. And for those of you who do — can I come to the party?

The best advice I give to parents faced with birthdays for their kids is — if you can at all afford it — host your child’s party OUT OF THE HOUSE!

WAYS TO DO IT RIGHT:

* Limit the guest list to cut expenses

* Consider taking the kids:
- bowling
- ice skating
- movies
- a show that’s in town
- a theme park

* Consider venues that give you a party planner who runs the party — for younger kids, say 8 or 9, at places like kid-gyms or dance studios.

* If you’re taking the kids yourself, enlist at least one other adult with a car and seat belts for each child in the car.

* Consider having guests dropped off and picked up at the venue — EVEN BETTER than your transporting them.

* Chaperons should be one adult to every five kids.

You can have a fabulous party that your tween will love, without messing up your wife's white carpet!

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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