When did you stop having birthday parties as a kid?

[luminousone]

Okay, my new 17 year old met his friends for a dollar movie (without adults) to celebrate his birthday.

 

Also, his friend just turned 18 and he invited the guys all over to his house to play video games all night. Someone brought a projector and a screen and they did it up very fancy. The dad is a newly retired sheriff/forensic computer analyst so I knew they were in good hands there.

 

My 12 year old had friends meet him at the laser tag place.

 

But if he just wants a family party then go with it-

 

I have 5 brothers and sisters so I only had a few birthday parties while growing up due to lack of money but of course there was always plenty of family around to celebrate with me.

[luminousone]

Yep! I remember when I was like in the 12-13 range, my mom had this awful outfit that she used to bum around in...Aqua sweatpants that were cut off at the knees, and this grey zip up sweatshirt that gave anyone who wore it a stuffed sausage look. I would either walk 15 feet in front of her, or behind her, and if she spoke to me in a store, I pretended I didn't hear..lol.

 

Bwahahaha!

Sounds like my mom!

 

Wonder what stories my kids have about me...

[SapphireNoir10]

I remember when i got past 13 it was about going to the cinema or out for a meal with a couple of my good friends and parents.

 

After about 16 I didn't really bother with my birthday much! Just see a good friend and go for a meal with my parents...hmm!

[BellaDonna]

I'm pretty sure it was early teenage years (13) when I stopped having parties. My mother would always still bake me a cake, etc. I preferred to do something fun to celebrate with one or 2 friends, like go to the movies, etc.

 

I remember being mortified one year, by my parents planning a "sweet 16 surprise" party for me. The giant mix of all my family, my high school friends, and friends from other schools was way too much for me to take. I was so embarrassed, especially by family mixing with friends. (Like my drunk uncle who talks about organized crime and my grandfather who yells and swears a lot lol to name a couple) I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

 

In many ways I am still like that today. I prefer to hang out with people one-on-one or in small groups. I hate big bashes. I still try to keep my friends away from my family, unless they are childhood friends I have grown up with. lol

[becomingkate]

My nephew is 17 now, but up until his 16th, his mom would set up an outing for either paintball, go-carts or bonfires. His friends loved it!

[browneyedgirl36]

My mom stopped throwing us birthday parties in the 8th grade -- at 13. After that, it was just a special dinner with the family or maybe dinner out and I could bring a good friend. For my 15th, my friends threw me a surprise party; for my 16th, mom and dad took me and my best friend to an expensive dinner; for my 17th, friends threw me a surprise party.

 

I blame my mom for me having expectations that my birthday will be really special. She always went out of her way to give us really great parties -- sometimes at home, sometimes at places like the beach or a theme park. I loved every one of those birthdays and have great memories of them. Even the parties at home usually had a theme of some sort -- some of them we even came dressed up in costumes!

 

Victoria, it sounds like your son is at that age where he doesn't want a big deal made out of things, that he'd rather have something low-key. That's a good thing, in a way, because it's him making the decision to not have a big to-do for his birthday.

[SapphireNoir10]

I remember even for my 21st I went out for a meal with my parents and best friend and that was pretty much it! I'm not a mad partier and have always loved spending time with my family.

 

But I know some kids are different, my two cousins wouldnt be seen dead hanging out with there parents lol!

[appdev89]

It was around 10.

[Hoagy]

But once you get past 65 or 70, people start throwing parties for you again

[Seraphim]

Yeah, we have set him up too for having big expectations for a birthday. When he was 3 we took him 4 hours to have a ride on a steam train because he LOVED trains then. Another time we took 15 kids to play laser tag and we took him to a hockey game, I think we spent about $800 that birthday. We would have theme cakes and a friends party and a separate family party. Another time we took 15 kids out for supper and movies.

 

I think now as he is getting older he realizes this costs a lot of money to do. We are not physically close to family anymore so he can not have family over and most of his friends here have physical disabilities and are in wheelchairs and their parents limit there they go etc.

 

Another part of it I think he just wants to have a quiet time.

[Alezia]

I personally stopped celebrating at 16. I still have friends that are 27 which make weekend trip events out of their birthdays, and I don't mind attending. It's more of a personality thing I would say. Around that age though, usually you don't mind celebrating with family in a small intimate setting - but you'd rather go out with friends and do your own thing whether it involves drinking or not, than have your parents host it. Usually kids will branch out, and do both separately.

[petite]

Never stopped. Kid parties turned into teen parties which turned into early and mid 20's, then late 20's and now early 30's we still have a bit of a bash. I've never been one for huge birthday parties, but because my brother and sister always wanted them, and since it's our birthday not just mine, I went along. I'm yet to have a birthday where it's just me and my family or just my partner and I. It must be pretty awesome just going out to have dinner and coming home and going to bed, one day I might find out how that feels, lol. Until that day comes, it's dinner, drinks, and music for this girl with at least another 30 people, and in my family that's just my siblings, parents, our partners, kids, and a couple good friends.

[Fudgie]

I stopped around 12. I don't really celebrate my birthday with family either. Mom tries but I tell her no. My birthday is coming up soon but I don't plan on doing anything for it. I work that day too so why bother?

 

Most people just grow out of it. After 12, the novelty just wore off. I think it's normal.

[MasterPo]

I had two birthday parties as a kid, so I guess they stopped at 6. LOL I normally don't celebrate, you can't miss what you never had eh? but I did for my 21st (VEGAS BABY!!) and I think when I hit 30 something. I had a surprise party by a super nice EX and it was enjoyable. Even wore the pointy hat. What's funny is I love birthday cake - go figure. Sad but true.

[Huntress0527]

I didn't have many parties as a kid. The last one I really remember was when I was 10 so I'd say around that age. I think it's normal that he doesn't want a big party and just wants to hang out with friends or do something low key.

[Seraphim]

I am another person who's mother still celebrates their birthday. In our family birthdays were important. So my mommy still makes me a cake and makes me a special meal and I drive home 3 hours to be with her for my birthday weekend and she has called me every single year on the minute I was born. Whatever she is doing she stops what she is doing and calls me at that moment. I have carried on the same tradition with my son.

 

It kind of makes up for my dad who never calls me for my birthday.

[MasterPo]

she has called me every single year on the minute I was born. Whatever she is doing she stops what she is doing and calls me at that moment. I have carried on the same tradition with my son.

 

That's sweet. What a mom...sniff. I think I'm going to do that. Thanks.

 

Along that those lines, several years back before my my mom enter Alzheimer's, I asked her about one of my siblings birthday. She quoted time, date, year.. and just to test her I asked her for all of them. She did even had a little story for each of us. One of my fonder memories.

[grainsofrice]

I had two birthday parties as a kid, so I guess they stopped at 6. LOL I normally don't celebrate, you can't miss what you never had eh? but I did for my 21st (VEGAS BABY!!) and I think when I hit 30 something. I had a surprise party by a super nice EX and it was enjoyable. Even wore the pointy hat. What's funny is I love birthday cake - go figure. Sad but true.

 

Hey Masterpro, Thanks for sharing this.

 

I had ONE b-day party with a bunch of cousins, cakes, candles, etc. in my pre-teen and it was a surprise. It felt weird and I was mad that it happen because why now....after all these freaking year. I didn't even know my b-day until this person told me specifically and now....I just can't help but remember it.

 

I told that person not to pull such thing again. The point is don't give the kid what he never had.

 

That was it. Every year after that....I just *bang* it on my own. Now, my partner makes an effort to have either dinner or lunch every year without making it a big deal. I can appreciate that.