18th birthday party. Help!

[CQ]

So after intense negotiations we've agreed to let DD have an 18th birthday party. Have hired a local sports club - no way that's happening in my house.

Basically it's a large room with a bar. We'll put a (small) amount behind the bar and provide a disco. Probably some food to soak up the booze. Also hiring bouncers.

What else would you suggest to make it more than just a drinking/shrieking/vomiting/copping off-fest. Or am I deluding myself that any of them would even want anything else?

Maybe a theme? Fancy dress?

DS is having a think but he's pretty clueless, so he's open to suggestions.

Any of you lovely people had any successes you'd like to share?

DD just went to an 18th (about 150) which they said was fantastic. It sounded like mainly drinking, etc, but also some dancing and some doing "turns" rapping.

Another girl was planning a masked ball (don't think it's actually wearing ballgowns, but definitely with masks!) which they all thought sounded good.

Fancy dress might actually be a hit if everyone gets into the spirit - my cousins used to do loads of fancy dress parties!

They need their own play list and speakers. Lots of food to soak up alcohol. And let them bring their own.

Well I wouldn't put money behind the bar, spend it on food and make sure they eat it, get it down them early. There'll be lots of pre drinking and sneaking in bottles of vodka so someone on toilet duty checking they're not taking spirits in and adding to soft drinks.

Make it clear on invites what time it ends so lifts, taxis etc can be organised.

Fancy dress is good but doesn't help staff when asking for ID, especially as there's usually lots of under 18's.

As the parents, stay sober!

Good luck, five kids here, only one (eldest) had an 18th!

God yes, I'll be sober and scary! Thanks for the suggestions. Premises do not allow own alcohol to be brought it, so of course they'll all be trying to smuggle it in. Good idea about toilet checking, I'd thought of bags being hidden outside, but not about topping up in the loos.

Not sure how the bar will police the under-18's - they'll all just get the older ones to buy it for them.

Am thinking of maybe getting one of those photo booth things.

I wouldn't put money behind the bar either. Remember a lot of the friends won't be 18.
I went to an 18th not long ago where all the youngsters had their ID checked as they walked in - in the light, right at the start of the evening, before they could pass ID on to a friend. If they were happy, bouncers gave them a wristband which they needed to show the bar staff to buy drinks. Both bouncers and bar staff cruised the hall regularly and confiscated drinks from anyone who wasn't wearing a wristband, which got round issue of U18s drinking, people swapping IDs, etc.

Is it just you and a load of teens, or are you having family / family friends etc. as well ?

We've got twins doing the turning eighteen thing in January.

They're girls, but an awful lot of their friends are boys...

We've all (me, their dad, all the godparents and most of the aunts and uncles) booked that weekend off ready for the fray.

I've also had a short but helpful chat with the local police sergeant.

I have very little faith, I think my own children aren't too bad but dear lord some of their friends!

Alpaca I think they're mostly lovely - individually and sober, but in a drunken horde they're ghastly

I find as the girls get more drunk they get more shrieky, and the boys get more sweary. Shudder.

They like to be where you're not. You're inside they are outside. They don't tend to dance, it's all moving about in social groups. Last one I helped out at - adults inside - kids outside front door, in the toilet or walking through to stand outside at back of the hall.