Throwing a Teen Party

As TableTalk readers know from a previous blog post, we celebrate my daughter Francesca's birthday in March. A few weeks ago was her 16th birthday party! I am delighted day after day by the lovely young woman she is blossoming into - it feels like just yesterday my husband Mimmo and I were taking her home from the hospital.

For the tablesetting we used Kings Road Redux plates and Napoleon Flatware pieces.

For her birthday party this year we had a French-themed Murder Mystery party with a group of her closest girl friends. I prepared Coq au Vin and the girls all strutted around the house in Parisian costumes.

The birthday girl and her guests vogueing for the camera.

Throwing a party for a teen can be a challenge. But with a little planning and rules set in place, it need not be a headache! Read ahead for my tips on throwing a fabulous teen party.

1. Chaperones. Keeping an eye on everyone during a party can be a daunting task, so if the guest list is more than 10 or is co-ed, consider a second chaperone, such as your partner, an older sibling, or a party guest's mom, to help you out.
2. Theme. Discuss with your teen ahead of time if you want to have a themed party or a more casual one. I'm a big fan of themes as it sets the tone of the party and makes things like the menu and decor that much easier.
3. Guest list. Talk to your teen about whom they'd like to come and consider how many guests you can handle. Add some buffer for any surprise guests that invited attendees bring along.
4. Set a time and date. Have clear start and end times for the party. When the party is over, make sure all the guests have rides planned.
5. Invitations. Let your teen send out the invitations in whichever way they see fit. If paper invitations aren't cool, let them text or Facebook message their friends about the party - just make sure they are sticking to the approved guest list.
6. Designate party areas, such as the family room, TV room, and dining room. If there are personal spaces you want guests to avoid, be sure to mark them as private.
7. Trash and recycling. Mark large bins as trash and recycling so guests know where to put any garbage.
8. Food. Make sure you have lots of it for hungry teens! Try including some healthy snacks in there, too.
9. Privacy. Let your teen have their space, but not too much! Discuss with them ahead of time where in the house you (and your chaperone, if applicable) will be if they need you.
10. Clean up. Let your teen do the dirty work after the party is over - having an unforgettable party can be messy!

And last but not least, make sure everyone has fun!

Warmly,

www.rosannainc.com