The Worst Sweet 16 Party Idea I've Found (So Far)

My daughter's birthday is next month and we're planning a Sweet 16 birthday party. Because I'm her parent, any suggestion I make is "bad," "stupid" or some other form of social suicide. So I turned to the Internet for non-lame ideas.

Wow! Some of the suggestions on the web, apparently posted by teens or their parents, aren't just awful, they're totally inappropriate. Let me start by telling you that I'm not a prude: We allow our daughter to watch Gossip Girl, albeit with much discussion about how the show is unrealistic and the behavior is out of line and shouldn't be emulated by any teen.

Now that we're all on the same page, get a load of the theme I found on one website: Cocktail Party. What?!! The mom who posted the idea noted that frozen drinks (non-alcoholic, of course, so "parents don't need to worry") would be served from plastic martini and margarita glasses. And mom and one of her friends would wear white button-down shirts with black slacks and vests and serve as bartenders for the evening.

Are you kidding me?! Allow me to suggest some games for that party. How about a round or two of "Can You Pass a Roadside Sobriety Test?" or "The Best Pick-up Line Ever?" Perhaps mom can give them a drink in a to-go cup, so they can enjoy it as they drive home. Good times.

Some people argue that a Shirley Temple sets a bad precedent for children. I think the sugar is the worst part of that concept. But a Cocktail Party theme is just flat-out wrong. Shame on mom!

Photo by Jasper Greek Golangco