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Well, 16 is certainly a special birthday! Many kids, especially girls, want to celebrate it in a special way. Some girls may want a very sophisticated party with friends and family, others may just want to have a few friends over to have some fun.
I remember when I turned 16 I had a combined birthday/going away party because I moved to a new state on my actual birthday. At that age, I can’t say my parents really planned activities for my party. I do remember, since it was June, that I had made up a lot of water balloons and everyone had fun with those. It even went as far as getting the backyard hose out and spraying everyone! The rest of the party was spent eating snacks/BBQ/cake. Back then, we had the Top Gun video (does that show my age or what??), and some kids got that out and watched it, while others were off playing video games, and still others were off gossiping and chatting. The best part was having a big group of my friends together; there must have been thirty kids there with me.
So, sweet 16 is certainly important, but for parents it can actually be more relaxing as far as planning goes. Your kid is old enough to know who she wants there and who she doesn’t and can negotiate this so you don’t have to. 16 isn’t necessarily an age than needs to be entertained. You can literally just put out snacks and cake (or lunch and dinner if necessary) and a few DVDs/video games, and the group will entertain themselves. You don’t really need decorations either. Your kid will let you know if there are any games she wants to play (remember my water balloons!), so all of this should take the planning pressure off of you.
Some kids won’t want to have a party. Perhaps they want to go to an amusement park with a close friend, enjoy a fancy dinner out with the family, take a special trip, or just have one friend over for a sleep-over. Again, I don’t think you can go wrong if you listen to what your kid wants and help to make it happen.
Ultimately, discuss the sweet 16 celebration with your child. Make sure she knows that you want to make it special, but also let her lead the way!
