Has anyone else had a house party for teenagers?

[Spidermama]

We're having a house party on Saturday with around 40-50 15/16 year olds. It's DD's 16th birthday.

I'm very nervous. Obviously. But I'm also all for parties because these are the times in life we remember.

I'm looking for any tips from people who've done it.
DH is going to be bouncer and we have a list of names. It's going to be 7pm til 1130pm. We're going to go to the pub at the top of the road for a bit to give them some privacy.

Any tips or shared experience would be greatly appreciated.

[secretsquirrels]

That's an awful lot of 15 /16 year olds.
They will all bring alcohol so I would provide plenty of soft drinks.
I wouldn't leave the house, how can you be a bouncer while at the pub .

[pinktransit]

Lots and lots and lots of food :-)

I've done loads of Iceland cheap stuff, as well as french bread and butter/cheese/pate.

I'm not sure I'd go out, I've always stayed (mostly cooking pizza in the kitchen).

X box or similar, music, disco/flashing lights or one of those lazer light show things are quite fun too.
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A quieter area so people can chat is good too if there's room.
Rules in advance on what is/isn't acceptable, what rooms are out of bounds etc.
Twice as much loo roll as you think you'll need.

Paper plates/plastic cups.

Stuff on hand for spilt drinks etc.

I love teenage parties, and am sad that my children are now grown up and live away from home :(

[Musicaltheatremum]

Do not go out. Things get out of hand very quickly. My son had a couple of parties. Lots of alcohol and 5 or 6 drunk people. Lots of mess but as I was there I could control it.

[Awks]

Don't go out, seriously. That's not being over controlling its just they get very silly, very quickly. Just hide upstairs with the windows open and you will hear if it's going to kick off.

Not overreacting just we've learned over a fair few house parties that being cool parents and going out, just leads to tears.

[Zippyandbungle]

We stayed upstairs in our room and twice had couples wander in obviously wanting a bit of "privacy" If you don't want things going on in your bed don't go out.
But yes to loads of food. Remove anything precious we had a lovely framed picture smashed, completely accidentally but teenage boys have very poor limb control. Either keep them outside or kept them inside. Garden wandering then house wandering = minging floor.
And most importantly ten minutes before party finish time hand out bin bags and ask them to collect they're shit. Honestly, first party Dd1 had we were asked where the black bags were and they tidied up. I really need to thank which ever patent started that tend.

[DramaAlpaca]

Definitely don't go out!!!

Be available, discreetly, so you can deal with anything untoward that might happen.

[whattodoforthebest2]

Don't go out. Be visible but not so much that you're cramping their style

I bought large quantities of pizza and nibbles and so stayed in the kitchen where the food was, keeping an eye on things whilst handing out plates of pizza. Seal off the stairs, put a sign on the loo door saying only 1 person inside at a time (yes, seriously). DH needs to man the door all evening as people will come and go. They will behave as if they think you were born yesterday (Fanta bottles containing beer, sitting in the garden in the dark, smoking and chatting, hiding cans and bottles outside, you name it). They will very probably try to get into the bedrooms.

I've had a 15 year old throw up all over a particularly large and attractive houseplant, a loo cistern broken and randoms looking in the fridge. But I love them having house parties, tho' 40-50 is a lot - do you know them/their parents - cos that helps.

Good luck.

[Heyho111]

The most I've had is about 25. Roll up the rugs , put away everything breakable. Have a mop and bucket at the ready for alcohol induced puke. They will sneak it in. Block off the stairs. When we said they can't go upstairs they still did.
Many lasting happy memories were made. Our kids love planning social events and are confident to do it. I don't regret it for a minute.

[Heyho111]

I didn't go out. I spent most of their parties in another room or dealing with the puke. The kids liked chatting to me so it didn't matter that I was around. Teens also like hanging outside which I hated. So would spend a lot of time throwing them back in the house and shutting windows to dampen the music down.

[cathyandclaire]

We had one for 16-17 year olds.
Don't go out!
We provided a weak fruit punch ( in a bottle from Tesco) which went down a storm, there was plenty to keep them happy but not strong enough to have any vomiters and seemed to stop the smuggling.
Gave hot dogs at 11ish to settle everyone down.
It worked well, DD2 having one soon for her 16th and will try the same technique.
We won't go out though!
Good luck!

[RandomFriend]

Don't go out.

Stay home and cook some food for them instead. Pizza's are easy and quick and greatly appreciated by 15-16 year olds.

[Billynomates71]

Agree don't go out. Not sure about lots of food though, we did and were still eating midway through the following week, they just weren't that bothered!

I would plan some games, kooky stuff/messy stuff ie apple bobbing in jelly, but depends on the type of kids

Loud music, especially all the cheesy party dance tunes, went down very well at recent 16yo party, surprisingly.

[whattodoforthebest2]

Another thought re the drinks - I've made up jugs of cocktails for them, one jug of lager shandy and one of very weak vodka/orange/grenadine and fruit. The good thing is they think they're being cool drinking cocktails and you are in charge of the making, so the jugs get weaker and weaker and they haven't a clue! Alcohol being an acquired taste, they'd actually prefer not to be struggling with a can of Stella! So you're likely to find lots of opened-but-hardly-touched cans dotted around the place.

[claraschu]

They like to hold bottles. It makes them feel cool, so small beer bottles, and water bottles, and weak punch. I agree with whattodo; they don't actually like beer, so you will find lots of almost full bottles.

Don't leave the house. Let them know you are there, but then you can hide out in a room and just keep an eye on things. Do provide food.

We had them all sleeping over, so I tripped the electrics at around midnight so they had to stop the loud music.

[secretsquirrels]

I tried the idea of providing weak alcohol punches, bucks fizz etc. It made no difference, they brought their own with them and to be fair that's all they drank.
It seems to be the done thing round here that after 16 the parents allow DC to take a couple of beers to a party. DS2 is 16 and that's what he does. Usually 2 small budweisers (and no, I don't think he really likes the taste). I know then how much he has access to. None of the parents provide alcohol at parties.

[ChaosK]

The common theme in this made me laugh - DON'T GO OUT!
And I concur!

[Claybury]

Good luck ! The stories I hear round my way about teen parties ....25 year old drug dealers turning up, fights, smashed windows ( parents were away in that case ) lots and lots of laughing gas balloons, vomiting etc.

My friends actually paid a bouncer for one party which worked well as he had more authority than a parent somehow, and they were very glad to have him.

DS is 16, I just took delivery of his first ever Amazon order. A beer bong. Just warning ....

[Leeds2]

I have known lots of instances where the guests have thrown bottles of alcohol over the fence before knocking on the door, and avoiding any checks for alcohol. Then going out into the garden to collect what they had thrown over. Just be aware this might be happening!

[Roussette]

That's a helluva lot of teens, no way would I have that many. Maximum I've had is probably 25. They will drink, whatever you provide. Be prepared for randoms turning up. DO NOT GO OUT. Just knowing you are upstairs is a deterrent for something totally stupid happening. Every now and again I would wander downstairs and put the kettle on or whatever whilst trying not to check what they are doing

As it is, some of the girls will end up crying (they always do), the boys will get daft on beer, someone will throw up and something will get smashed or broken. My friend had a radiator pulled off the wall and a broken toilet.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Hahahahaha!

Agree with everything everyone else said.

Good luck

Oh, and DO NOT GO OUT!

[whattodoforthebest2]

Make sure it's not advertised on Facebook, as happened to some teens I know not related to me, oh no. All sorts turned up and the police had to put up a roadblock!

[RandomFriend]

Invite a few extra parents over as well. Then you will have some company - and four extra hands if needed.

Having extra adults on hand will also work as a was of preventing things from getting out of hand.

I organise events. The ones that go most smoothly are the ones when there are plenty of additional helpers standing around "just in case". Often they are not called on to do anything at all (if everything has been well-planned). But just having them there is reassuring.

[dexter73]

I know you have said your dh is going to be a bouncer and have a list of names but surely once you have gone that will go out of the window? Tips are be prepared for a lot of cleaning the next day. Do not leave any fire extinguishers around! My dd had a party when she was 15. She was allowed to have 10 people over while we went for a meal. We came back at 11 to a house with about 50 kids and 2 policemen. Someone had taken a fire extinguisher and set it off over our neighbours cars. Loads of stuff got broken, puke on the conservatory roof, cat didn't come home for 2 days etc. She wasn't allowed another party until she wa 17!!

[500smiles]

DS wants a party for his 16th - it will be 10 of them tops and there is no way we will be going out.

If they are going to bring booze anyway, is it best not to provide any? (my preference)

[dexter73]

I never provide booze. If they want it they can bring their own.