Party Idea for my not-so-popular DD

Mrs7ones

My thread title sounds awful, but my poor DD is a bit of a loner and her past birthday parties haven't been too much of a success, and she's coming up to her 11th b'day soon and I naturally want to make a fuss of her, but don't know what to do.

In the past, we've had play-area parties, bowling parties, BBQ party at home... but every time, the guests seem to forget it's her party and just get on with it without her......
my poor DD.....

Any ideas??

mumoftwo

Do you want to do a big party with lots of guests? I would maybe go for a more intimate party with only a few kids so there is less risk of them all going off together and forgetting about your DD. I have done a party in the house where I had bought cheap white pillow cases and some fabric paints and the girls sat around the dining table decorating their pillow case and chatted and giggled and they had something to take home with them. It is a lot cheaper then one of those play area parties. Or you can do plain white Tshirts. The party doesn't have to be all afternoon. Just 2 hours is fine. Some food, some music. My DDs and their friends always loved my parties in the house.
And this way you are in control and can bring the attention back to DD with the birthday cake presentation.
Can make cupcakes and decorate them. Depends on what your DD wants, but I would go for a smaller group. Or if you are really brave, go for a sleepover. Will need more organising so they don't run riot and again, less kids seems better than a huge group.

Good luck

RustyFlange

I had problems with my sons nursery, I pulled him out of the nursery til I could find a more suitable nursery whilst this happened it was his birthday, and I couldn't easily invite people from the nursery that I had just pulled him out of, instead we went on an adventure, we drove up to my partners house ( we weren't living together at the time) then he opened more of his presents which were here, then we took him to the lighthouse, went rock hopping, crabbing and had lots of ice cream. Then on the evening we took him whereever he wanted to go for his birthday and then took him for a walk up near the millenium bridge to see the pretty colours. The following day we went for a drive upto scotland and had a nice pub meal with friends up there who all spoiled him and he had more birthday cake!!!

He remembers that birthday 3 years later and always says it is his best birthday ever, last year we took him on a boat trip which again he loved I think this year I may well do a party but haven't decided yet.


Why not have a girly girly day, take her shopping, buy her some nice pretty clothes, get your nails done together, or maybe a facial or something like that, followed by the cinema followed by lunch where she would like to go and really make a nice day of it for her, that way she doesn't need to be forgotten about as the one person she relys on and needs is there with her .... *you*

Plus when you total all of the above up, you will still probably be spending less than you would if it was a party.

Hope you get sorted.

celyn90

I would second the idea of doing something with either a small group or just by yourselves, but I would ask your DD if she would like to do anything special and what she would prefer. I was very shy at that age and used to hate it when my mum insisted I have people round for my birthday. I reallydidn't enjoy parties at all and had no wish to socialise and play games. I still remember one my parents threw for my 9th birthday where I managed to slope off and go to my room and nobody noticed - I was happy with my books in my room, they were happy in the garden.

If you do decided to do a small party, maybe try and link it to her intrests, so if she's arty do a craft session (maybe painting pottery or something) if she's an outdoors girl maybe take a couple of people to climbing wall. The nice things about these sorts of organised activities is that they have a set start and end time.

Hope you have a good day, cel x

sukysue

Why not take em to the cinema just a couple of em they won't be talking much in there anyway.

Mrs7ones

Aw, thanks for taking the time to reply...
Girly day - she;s not a girly girl, so this would probably be her idea of a nightmare!!
Craft-type party - not crafty either.....
Adventure..... guess what.. not her 'thing'.....:rolleyes:

We did think might be a nice idea to take DD and her (closest at the moment) friend to the cinema and then out for a 'grown-up' meal...... BUT, her friend is Russian and newly settled in the area, and her parents are very protective (understandably)..... I've started making the effort to chat to her parents in the playground when I see then, in the hope of building a bit of trust......

Discount-Diva_3

Not sure where you live but in London (and I suppose other big towns and cities do it too) you can get a package where you go have your hair, make up and nails done and then have a photo shoot, could be fun for the 2 of you or a family thing. try www.newid.co.uk or www.doubletake.co.uk I did this recently with my Mum and my 2 sisters for my Mum's birthday and it was a fab day out HTH

blue_monkey_2

I am not sure where you are living but maybe the theatre. You DD sounds a bit like I was at that age and I would have loved something like that. You can pick cheap tickets up if you queue for the matinee times in the afternoon. Or, what about a trip to London for the day, ask her if there is somewhere special she might like to go, if you are a long away away then what about seeing if you can get a cheap hotel room. Theme park? We just stayed in the Travel Inn for £39 with breakfast, followed by Drayton Manor with the Kelloggs vouchers, one gets in free.

Ah, I know where you live now, a bit far from London, is there anywhere your daughter would love to go or something she would love to see that you usually would not do (Football? Theatre? Paintballing?) what interests does she have after school?

I can understand about her friend, does she/her parents speak English? My son has a little girl he is friends with at school but her mum does not speak English, just odd words, it is so difficult as I would love to invite her around for a coffee or after school as she must be isolated too with not being able to speak to anyone but cannot make myself understood when I speak to her to ask her.

Mrs7ones

The make-over/photo idea is a nice one, but sadly, no.... again, she'd hate it (and me for putting her through it:rolleyes::rolleyes:).

Theme park is a good idea, but we're off on holiday in May to a site on a theme park in Holland, so we may well be 'theme parked out ' by DDs b'day....

I'm not meaning to be difficult here, just proving my point!!

rainmac

I would ask your DD what she'd like to do. I don't know where you live but what about a day in London going to the art galleries followed by dinner? I know at 11 I would have loved to go for a meal to a 'grown up' restaurant.

furrybloke

We did a trip out on a barge 10 of them in total. It was a good laugh down in hertfordshire. The barge was one usually run by a disabled group so they also liked the change of a group of able bodied kids helping out at each of the locks. Loads of music, sunny day helped. Small, different & good fun.

http://www.reachoutprojects.org.uk/index.php?id=4