Party Time

Although I know you don't get to pick when your baby arrives, it does make life quite difficult when all four of your boys have their birthdays within a three week period.  In fact as I was being induced with my middle one I remember asking the rather bewildered registrar to change the planned date so I could ensure I was home and organised for the twins 3rd birthday party!  To be fair he did oblige, my middle one arrived safely and I was able to be at the party and make sure the twins had a good day.

As there is a bigger gap between my middle and youngest, by the time he became old enough for a party I had been out of the loop for quite a long time.  Walking into the first nursery party he had been invited to I felt a sense of dread seeing all the food out on the side, and that was only for the parents! The idea of starting again with loads of pre-school children and their parents did not inspire me with joy, but once he was in an environment where all his nursery friends were having them it is almost impossible to avoid it yourself.  As my youngest got older he became far more aware of his birthday.  It is not that he is precocious and wants lots of things but he loves having all his friends with him and although his birthday is not until November he has already mentioned the possibility of a football party.  With six months to go I refuse to discuss it.

However what happens as they grow out of the entertainer and soft play parties?  Bowling was popular and we have done a few cinema trips with the older ones, and this was fine.  Now the big ones are fifteen there are no more parties unless I am feeling particularly warm and loving when they hit 21, so you would think everything was easy.  Well it was until last week when one of the big ones told me he had been invited to a party, and more importantly he said that there was going to be alcohol there.  Although I was really pleased he had told me I was also nervous and rather naively hadn't expected anything like this yet.  What could I do?  As he had been mature enough to tell me I had to treat him in an adult fashion.  We discussed mixing drinks or having too much and what would happen if he was sick in my car!   What drinks would they have?  Would it be beer, spirits or so perhaps cider?  

At the end of the evening when we collected him he was fine.  He was had enjoyed himself and told us what he had drunk.  Thankfully it wasn't much and after ensuring he had a big glass of water we sent him off to bed for a good sleep.  Perhaps you think I should have stopped him from going but if I did this would he be upfront with me in the future?  At this age it is so hard to know what is going on in a teenagers life that I am pleased that he is happy to talk to me and he needs to know that I trust him. Although we would not have a party where there were drinks it is almost inevitable that they will start going to places where they will have access to it.  They are growing up and now I wish my only worry was what to put inside the going home bags.