Advice on a Grounded Teen Girl's Birthday Party?

Question

My step daughter is turning 13 in a couple weeks. Let's just say she has been a difficult child most of her life. Now that she is in the teen years, she is having problems with friendships (talking behind backs, excessive gossiping, one day they are friends/one day they are not, she stole my boyfriend, etc). Wayyy over the top for a 12 year old!! We have cut back on her phone/computer time, dont allow dating, and we have been supervising outings with friends. But, it;s her birthday! We would like her to have a nice party with her friends. Her mother and I will be involved and there to supervise. Does anyone have any ideas?? She is technically grounded, but we want her to have a good time. Any advice/rules, party themes, ideas on how to keep this as drama free as possible and suggestions on how us parents can be involved in this without being overbearing would be great!! (I've already eliminated kids that have been a problem in the past from her invites).

Answer 1

movie party at home:

Decorations:  These are cheap and really cute.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/search...

So you could invite the kids you want.  You could order pizza, watch a movie, and afterwards have a sundae bar with all kids of toppings and sprinkles and sauces and birthday cake.

Games:

Limbo.

Movie camera or popcorn pinata.

Kiss the poster.  Have 2 posters of hot looking young stars.  Blindfold the person, apply thick red lipstick, and they have to kiss the poster.  Whoever lip stick is closest to the lips on the star wins.  

Have it be a costume party and have everyone dress like a movie star they like or if you want it more dressy do a red carpet like movie night where your daughter is the star.

favors:

gold and black mardi gras beads at oriental trading, and also from there directors clapboard keychains, and star trophy personalized. Birthday or movie themed plastic lollipop mold and pink melting chips and made lollipops, just melt the chips, spoon into mold and freeze for 5 minuttes. The lollipop bags are 2.00 for 100 and come clear with ties. You use them for the favors andethe suckers.

Appetzers that wen t over well at our party:

Taco Dip:

2 softened cream cheese.

1 16oz sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning.

Mix with mixer. Put in bottom of a cookie sheet. Top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and green onions. Use the cheese but you can altered the rest to your taste, maybe add black olives. Make 2 of these. Serve with tostitos scoops.

Fruit bowl,.

Whole pineppple into chunks. Slice strawberries. Add whole table grapes no seeds, add chunks of watermelon, and cut oranges in slices cut into triangles. This is best made the night before so that the juices can all run together and stir before serving.

Silver dollar rolls: (in case you dont want to do pizza)

http://www.heb.com  put silver in the search bar to see a picture example.

It is just shaved deli meat and cheese triangles. You dont have to put lettuce on them, ours did not have it. t. The ones that we had catered just had real butter on them and they had mayo and mustard packets on ice on the side.

PUPPY CHOW Kids love this!

6 cups Crispix cereal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

12 ounce chocolate chips

2 cups powdered sugar

Melt peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips together in the microwave or on the stove. Stir into cereal. Put powdered sugar in a paper sack. Put cereal mixture in and shake until well coated.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 2

I agree and don't agree with you.

I agree gossiping is lame, talking behind backs is even lamer.

Im guessing this is your first teenager you've raised.

She is a girl and girls are going to gossip, they are going to talk behind other girls backs, friends one day and not the other happens at that age.

It may be very lame but it NORMAL for that age.

You shouldn't be punishing her for something girls that age do.

I did it. My mom did.

And im pretty sure that if/when I have a daughter, when she gets to middle school she will do the same.

Listen, this is just a phase and it will blow over by 8th grade and it'll calm down a lot by the second semester of 9th grade.

As for ideas, let her pick.

Pool party? Local community pools are always great for parties.

Movie? take them all to see a movie, no talking in the movies, a party at the house, they can just socialize and hang out.

Gossipping, talking behind backs is fine, when it becomes bullying it isn't.