Please help with 18th birthday for dd with no friends really

[Ticktacktock]

She's disabled, has no friends as such, but does work with a few girls even though they have never socialised outside of work.

Birthdays were easy whilst at school, as we just invited the class mates to parties. Now she doesn't socialise at all, but she wants to do something. I'm at a total loss for her 18th.

MN ladies always have fab ideas, please help!!

Do you have family who would make it special? Invite them over for a slap up afternoon tea including a huge cake?

Whereabouts are you?

I love Zebra's favourite things day - totally nicking that!

Could you theme one thing to each of her years so far? So celebrate something she did or loved in each year, along with a photo book with photos from every year of her life so far? With gaps at the end for the adventures ahead ...

Would your DD enjoy going to see a show? I don't know whether it's relevant to your DD's disability, but our local theatre sometimes has "Relaxed Performances" where they take a more relaxed approach to movement and noise in the audience. I don't know how common this type of performance is.

Would your DD enjoy going to one of those cafes where you can paint your own pottery and then they glaze it for you?

If your DD is not really bothered about socialising, but would appreciate having a cake and people round to sing Happy Birthday, do you have any friends to who live locally who could pop round to sing happy birthday and have a slice of birthday cake?

Obviously, you know your DD well enough to know whether she may have something in mind that she would like to do, but be reticent about mentioning it, or whether she is looking to you to come up with something.

Thanks again for more replies!

We are the most boring of people think! Dds lack of confidence and major self consciousness is a problem when it comes to do anything. She isn't girly, but loves to be liked. She would like to be in the company of friends but doesn't have any.

Thank you all for your suggestions, will let you know what I end up doing xx

Hope she has a special day xx

Your dd sounds lovely.

You asked about keeper for a day...if you have a zoo near you , they often have special individualised days or half days, where they take you behind the scenes, and you get to take care of an animal and meet the people who care for the animals, etc. If this is something your daughter would love, you could call a zoo and discuss it with them, explaining her disability, and making sure that it would be the right thing for her. Maybe if you explain about her disability and her 18th, there would be a nice person who would make a real effort to make it special (and affordable).

Thinking of what my dd (also disabled) would like:

• day out somewhere eg a theme park or water park even though she wouldn't go on everything
• show/theatre (she would struggle with this so would have to be something very entertaining)
• cinema with loads of sweets
• bowling with the family then burger/hot dogs
• speedboat trip (done this, she loved it)
• one of those all you can eat places, very informal and suits teenagers
• one-off sports experience eg white water rafting, you can do it as a family in my area or climbing or ice skating, my dd loves the trampoline park
• an experience related to something she is into eg Dr Who, Harry Potter
• shopping, not clothes, my dd likes Lush and stationery
• swimming/spa day, nails etc, my dd is not girly either but would love the swimming and arty nails
• good idea above re the zoo, my dd would love that, she also likes horses so would appreciate a private lesson or they do pony days with McDonald's for lunch in my local stables
• go on the train for a change and make a day of it
• cake, balloons, a nice present!

Something along the lines of a hot air balloon trip? Groupon can be a good place to look for discounts for 'experience days' if that's her cup of tea.
Happy birthday to DD.

Would she enjoy a craft glass. Local glass blowing, crochet for beginners, photography class? It's something you could do together plus it's an opening to a group where she could return to and meet new people?

Longleat safari
Harry potter world
Theatre
Go carting
Theme park- Alton towers, woodlands etc depending on where you're located.

Wow thanks all for more ideas, they're fabulous.

Love the all you can eat idea, have suggested it and she likes it too, although I will have to pay to ensure the other girls go.

Also like the Alton Towers idea, somewhere she's always wanted to go but we have never managed to get there!

Thanks for explaining keeper for a day, I think she may be a bit old for that now, but have passed it over to my dsis, and think it has answered her prayers for her 10 yr olds upcoming birthday 😀 thanks x

There is an amazing zipline in Wales if you are anywhere near there.

Oh I hope this all goes well for you. As long as you can afford it I don't think paying for the all you can eat is a problem. The other girls will probably love it too and don't think that anyone would think it odd to pay for a meal for friends on their DD's 18th. Around us those kind of restaurants will often do a special cake with candles and get people to sing happy birthday as well.

Love to hear how you get on. Do let us know.

Would she like her room made over? My daughter has recently had her room painted white with a feature grey wall. She got a day bed with trundle(second hand of ebay).

She is after new bed linen and bunting, photo frames etc.

Spa day or treatments - like manicure, massage (if that works with her disability), dinner or show. Benihana in London is fun - the japanese food is cooked on a hibachi hot plate in front of you - there's lots of jokes from the chef and they make a fuss of the birthday girl. Birthday tea? See choccywoccydoodah - there's loads of others too in London and elsewhere. We went on BB Bakery bus tour which is an old routemaster bus going round the sights with a very girly tea.