Image Credit : Zazzle
Wow, your daughter is about to turn twelve. First of all, let me be the first to tell you how terribly sorry I am for you, and I wish you much luck in the upcoming years. I am allowed to say this because I myself just went through it. My oldest daughter turned 12. (I think it effected me more than it did her.)
When your daughter turns 12, it’s an awkward age for us parents. It’s awkward for, well…a lot of things. They are much too old for the things they used to have interests in (barbies, baby dolls, etc) and they’re starting to be interested in boys, makeup, hair and fashion (heaven help us!) As parents we don’t want to let our little girls grow up, either at all, or just too fast. We are torn between “letting” our princess mature, and just the plain ol’ fact that it’s going to happen regardless if we give it our blessing or not. Cold hard truth I had a very hard time accepting.
Below are some ideas for a birthday party for a not so little girl turning 12. With any luck, you can pull it off without crying!
Birthday Ideas for 12 Year Old Girls
She’s over the Disney Princess theme, so why not do a Make-Over Theme?
I had the hardest time thinking of ideas for presents for her, just out of the sheer fact she wasn’t into toys anymore. When I stood back and watched her for a few days, the idea hit me. She’s been spending hours in front of the mirror trying out different hairstyles. She had also been begging me to put highlights in her hair (gasp!) and I just wasn’t ready to damage her perfectly beautiful and healthy locks. I finally gave in. I bought her a box of do-it-yourself highlights for her birthday from the grocery store. This way I could put them in her hair and control the amount of “grown-up” dose she would receive. I also bought her a 3 pack of different sized curling irons, a blow dryer, about a thousand different hair pieces, hair spray and mousse. Guess what? She loved it. And I didn’t even have to cave on getting her make-up. Bite sized introduction to adult hood, if you will.
Organized “childish” parties will get her eyes rolling, so why not take her out on a special date night?
This is a great idea for a 12 year old girl. Make a special day/night of it. Take her out shopping, let her pick out a fancy dress, and a new pair of shoes. If she’s anything like my daughter, the prospect of a new pair of shoes will light up her day. She may even ask you for a pair of heels…(in my experience, the very low to the ground platform heels are a great starter pair of heels for girls. They dress up her look and she’ll feel a little older, but she doesn’t sport the 12 going on 25 hooker look.) After you take her shopping, take her on a date. A fancy dinner (think Olive Garden or something similar) and possibly a movie. She’ll love spending time with you, and it’s not the typical childish birthday party. This idea works great whether you’re a mom or a dad…or a grandma or grandpa. 😉
She’s a social butterfly, so let her be social…
Yep. Throw her a birthday party. Let her invite some friends over from school. Do a sleep over. I know, it sounds like one of the worst things you could possibly do to yourself. If you’re like me, you’ve done maybe 1 sleepover. I have four children, and the thought of having any more children to deal with at night is not gonna happen. My answer is always no to the dreaded question. Allowing a sleepover may just be the special thing you could do for her. Having things like make-overs, movies, and other girly activities will keep them all happy. Plus, by allowing friends to come over, you’ve bought yourself less presents required, and the painful task of trying to figure out what to buy for her is all of the sudden minimized! 12 year old girls know what 12 year old girls want for their birthday. (Here are two previous posts you can read for more birthday party ideas or birthday party games.)
No matter how you decide to celebrate your 12 year old daughters birthday, she’s going to love it. Take a step back and just watch her for a while. Nobody knows your daughter better than you, and you’ll know what she’s into and what would make her happy. As long as you plan something to make her happy, you can’t fail!
