Just 24 hours ago I was standing at my front door waiting to welcome 60 teenagers into my home to celebrate the teen’s 16th birthday.
Over the past few weeks I can’t tell you how many parents told me I was brave, how many tut tutted and shook their heads in disbelief, warned me of trouble, or simply said ‘good luck’ when I told them we were having hoards of teenagers in our house.
But I was determined. I remember my 16th birthday bash fondly, and I wanted my daughter to share that experience with her own friends.
I was prepared to take my chances.
Now, weary to the core, having just finished the last of the cleaning up, I ask myself, would I do it again? Would I have so many teenagers back in my house? And I have to say, yes.
Yes, I would. In a heartbeat.
Yes, it was loud, very loud, the cheering and stamping of feet sometimes drowning out the boom of the doof, doof. Yes, there were drinks spilt, popped balloons glued to sticky floors adding more psychedelic contrast to the jellybeans leaking colour onto the white tiles. Yes there was a fair bit of lip locking, some hysteria and drama, (mostly from the girls), and yes, a drop of grog was smuggled in. Yes, there were gate crashers… kind of. Two of them arrived, one by bicycle, the other on a skateboard, primary school friends of the teen, and so pathetic in their execution of trying to crash, I let them in out of pity.
And yes, I woke up to ten exhausted teens sleeping around the house, the boys in the living room slumbering peacefully until the girls upstairs stirred and came downstairs to yap at them… incessantly.
I fed them and listened to their post mortem of the night. The feedback was good. The party was clearly a hit.
As it was for me. I am so proud of the teen and all her friends who danced, shrieked and whooped till they dropped. You were fantastic!
To the parents wary of hosting a teenage party, don’t be frightened of what could go wrong, just be confident you’ll handle it if it does. Make sure you know your teen’s friends, that’s important. Very important. It helps if they know you too, as they become deliciously protective of The Mother.
Our home last night was filled with boisterous, rowdy joy and celebration, 60 young lives about to take off and explore their worlds as adults. They were priceless memories.
Meanwhile, the floors have been mopped, the furniture put back, the yard cleaned, the cake cut and stored, the lollies retrieved from the cracks in the deck. Even the lost property is sorted, except for the sock which stored some hidden grog. I’m not quite sure what to do with the sock. Just as I’m not sure about how to help the constipated Cavoodle snoring on the sofa, stuffed full of party pies, cake, chicken tenders and marshmallows. It will take a little longer for him to recover.