After having 36 of my own birthdays under my belt by now, I (of course!) can't remember every single party, theme and cake design.
But there are some birthday parties that stand out in my memory ... the dance contest when I was 8 that resulted in me landing on my rear end in front of all my friends ... the sumo wrestler frosted on my sweet 16 cake (my mom still hasn't forgiven me) ... the bust-of-Roger Taylor cake for my 11th birthday (you know, the drummer from Duran Duran) ... and the surprise party my parents threw for my 13th birthday.
Besides the whole surprise factor, that last one has stuck with me because it was my first boy-girl party. We played volleyball in the yard, danced to pop music on the street and had a very wonderful and very innocent good time.
Parents of tweens and teens: Do boy-girl parties make you nervous? What tips do you have for families that are uncomfortable with the idea but whose birthday boys and girls are asking for a co-ed bash?
Personally, I think co-ed parties can be great fun and a wonderful opportunity to let boys and girls practice socializing together. Certainly, the parties should be closely supervised.
When planning a co-ed party, I would suggest including some sort of physical activity (like laser tag or Survivor-type competitions) or ice breakers to get everyone laughing and feeling comfortable.
Any thoughts? At what age do co-ed parties start happening in your community? What boy-girl party activities do you recommend?