How to throw a party for your teenager (the easy way)

When it comes to birthday parties, I am usually known for going over the top with party prep and creativity. For years this blog has offered tips, ideas and how to's on how to create themed birthday parties that your kid will look forward to for months and reminisce about for years.

This is not one of those parties. Those days are gone - at least when it comes to my eldest son, anyway.
These days we are teenagers; we are not little kids any more. We want our birthday parties to be "chill" and "lit". (Oldie speak = "cool" and "legit" - I think???)

Last weekend I managed to pull off a pretty "lit" party quite successfully, without embarrassing my brand-new 14-year-old - and it was really easy. Here's what ya do...

1. Clean the Pool. Enlist the kids to scoop out the rotten leaves and slimy green pool water dregs from the pool that's been sitting empty in the corner of your backyard all winter. If one of your son's mates is hard-working, helpful and has finished his exams, rope him in to scrub and scoop too, promising him unlimited swimming opportunities all summer. Stand back and be amazed at how clean your pool looks after all that scrubbing, then plug in your garden hose and fill your pool with water (cross fingers and pray it hasn't sprung any leaks over winter).

2. Hang up the hammock. This party is meant to be "chill", after all. (Who knows - maybe you'll even get to chill, yourself?)

3. Tidy up outside. Clear away the cobwebs and hang up some (non-girly) bunting. Decorate just a bit - but not too much. We don't want to give the impression we are excited, or celebrating or anything. This is a chill party. It must be lit.

4. Chill the drinks. Pull out the camping fridge and stock it with cans of fizzy you scored on special at The Warehouse. This is most definitely lit.

(Awwww, you just couldn't help yourself could you, mama? Iced cucumber water???? You know they won't drink it, LOL)

Wait - what's that you're doing? Lying in the hammock reading your book and chillin' an hour before the party??? Don't you have cupcakes to frost or something? What - no baked goods at this party???? What is the world coming to?!!!

5. Let them loose in the back garden. No need for anything structured, they'll entertain themselves playing basketball, football, foozeball and splashing in the pool. This is important: nothing organised. ("We are not little kids, mum").

6. Have plenty of food. Open packets of chips. Fill a bowl with Cadbury Favourites. Chop some watermelon and put some grapes on a plate. Later on, order a stack of $5 pizzas - just think "Junk food" (plus enough fruit on a plate to ease your motherly conscience). No baking required.

7. Light the fire. While the lads are in the pool, light a fire in a tin bucket, or a brazier, whatevs. The lads will be a bit too chilly after swimming cos it's not actually summer yet. They will enjoy getting warm chillin by the fire...

(Hey mama, nobody wanted to toast marshmallows - what is that about? Maybe it's not lit to do it in the daylight hours or something???)

8. Bring out the birthday cake. You are never too old (or too chill) for birthday cake. For this party we went all out...

... in the car to New World and bought a Tiramisu cake from the bakery section. Even though the candles wouldn't stay lit, the cake was. (Lit that is. Totally lit). The birthday boy was stoked. I was stoked. This was a no-bake party. Too easy!

So there you have it - how to throw a totally chill party that won't embarrass your 14 year old son. (If this is how easy non-themed parties are, bring on the new era, I say!)

Happy 14th Birthday son. Proud to know you.
Love from your totally uncool mum (sorry)xxx


END OF AN ERA: the last theme parties

• HUNGER GAMES Party
• End of an era? (12 year old party attitudes suck)
• Help! I'm the Mother of a Teenager!
• A Coming of Age Celebration (13th birthday) (this was actually amaze)
• All my theme Parties and tips (on my PARTIES page)