I would ask your son what he wants. As to when to stop throwing b-day parties, let your kid be your guide.

Honestly a party is fine at any age. But please feel free to do without any sort of goodie bag/party favor. Kids have never needed them; and a 12 year old definitely does not.

The YMCA also does indoor swim parties, bowling, indoor climbing gym, camp fire at the nature center, spy museum, trampoline place, all fine for this age.

Anonymous wrote:OP, all of your options sound great. However, one of my favorite memories as a tween was sleepover birthday parties, so if your son is requesting it and you think you can manage it, I say go for it.

She's done it before! She doesn't have to do it again if she doesn't want to. He already has the memories.

I vote movie theater

OP, all of your options sound great. However, one of my favorite memories as a tween was sleepover birthday parties, so if your son is requesting it and you think you can manage it, I say go for it.

Would you be open to a sleepover at a hotel? When my son was around this age we rented two suites (side by side) at the Embassy Suites Dupont circle location (the downtown location is not as nice). The only thing we brought were quarters for the arcade room, a PS3 system, a birthday cake, and we ordered pizzas. The boys played games in the arcade room and they swam in the pool. After that we went back to the room for more video games on the PS3 and then cake and pizza. When it was time for bed we split the boys between the two rooms and my husband and I both slept in one of the rooms each.

It was so much fun that my son wanted to do this 2 years in a row.

We did a picnic dinner at a free concert for our daughter's birthday. It was the easiest party I have ever done.

For my 12th birthday, my mom let me pick 5 friends to take out to a movie and dinner with us.

Anonymous wrote:Have you thought about a baseball game? My high school son will just do a nice dinner or a sporting event with a few friends.

OP here -- Yes, we have thought of that -- DS is a huge Nationals fan. But his birthday falls after baseball season is over.

Have you thought about a baseball game? My high school son will just do a nice dinner or a sporting event with a few friends.

Just say no to a sleepover! It was either my son's 10th or 11th birthday when we did a large sleepover with over 10 kids. Never again! Never ever never ever! An expense of chess set got broken. One kid thought it was OK to take dozens and dozens of pieces of paper off of my desk and draw penis pictures all over them. (This kid is no longer allowed to play with my son because of this incident and several other things he has done.) Keep the party outside of your home. Limit it to a couple of hours for your sanity.

You are the parent. You can tell him what you will/ will not do to celebrate his bday. If you don't want a sleepover, say "no sleepover". And then either let him figure it out or say, choose from these options instead".

Middle school.... though I encourage my HS students to celebrate their birthday with friends.... so the football game at hour house, pizza/nachos/wings/cake... or go out to a restaurant with friends. I think boys (and girls) need to learn that it is okay to celebrate their birthday for the rest of their lives in a low key way.

Anonymous wrote:I would think that you are getting close to the age when he could start doing more of the planning. Would you be open to the sleepover if it was less work for you?

OP here -- I am against the sleepover mostly because of issues with a few of the boys over the last couple of years. There were fights, candy ground into the carpet, one kid drinking 8 sodas in the middle of the night and throwing up. I'm just not up to the sleepover thing again. I don't mind the planning. It's the marathon party I can't deal with.

We do not have sleepovers. We take a few boys out for laser tag and pizza. Keep it simple.

I would think that you are getting close to the age when he could start doing more of the planning. Would you be open to the sleepover if it was less work for you?

DS has always had a party for his birthday. The last two years it's been a sleepover with an "Amazing Race" type of game, an after-dark candy hunt, video games and movies. Honestly I am tired of the 16-hour birthday party and don't want to do another sleepover, which is what DS wants. I have suggested the following options:

1) A party at The Zone in Ashburn where the boys can play laser tag, bowl, play video games and eat pizza for a couple of hours.
2) Pizza and a movie, (there's a good one coming out the weekend of DS's birthday) then frozen yogurt.
3) King's Dominion or Six Flags with a couple of friends.

My questions are -- at what age do boys usually stop having bigger types of birthday parties and just celebrate with a friend or two? At what age do the sleepovers stop? What did/does your pre-teen/teen like to do for their birthday? Any recommendations or suggestions for a cool party for 12-year-old boys?