Graduation parties can be a blast, but as parents, we want our kids, er…young adults, to be safe while having their fun. My suggestion would be to let the happy grad do as much of the planning as possible, but keep abreast of all such plans, and keep the party where you can supervise.
Still, you can offer suggestions, and even help supply the goodies and party supplies. No, mom, this does not mean you are buying a keg, even if that is their plan! They aren’t 21 yet, now are they. A good time can be had without all that anyway.
My children and young adults are all into acting and cos play, so my daughter, Xena (pictured) has decided on a graduation party themed around these things as well. She and her friends have hours of fun sitting around joking, laughing, acting out characters, creating fan fiction, and coming up with new costume ideas anyway, so all she really had to do is invite the right people, tell me what she needed, and she was pretty much done with her part of the party.
Being the same “spend thrift” type her mom is (at least until she becomes a rich and famous actress, and can afford to spoil herself), my daughter said she was fine with chips and dip and drinks. Anyone whose appetites exceeded this, they could do as they always do when she invites them over – chip in on a pizza. I thought this more than fair, especially on my current budget.
Her plan was to have the party themed for her favorite cos play character, Harley Quinn, and she had a brilliant inspiration to use The Jokers from decks of playing cards as invitations. Since she only invited a dozen friends, that would be 6 packs of playing cards we needed. These could still be used, either for play at the party, should they feel so inclined, or added to our already large collection of cards and board games. Harley’s colors are black and red, with a little white, and these are also Xena’s school colors, so I thought it was a perfect idea.
For decorations, I suggested she let me take some of the many Harley costumes she or I, or both of us had made over the years, and dress some of my mannequins and head forms up in them. Her favorite and newest outfit she was going to wear to the party. She has several items of head gear for Harley to adorn the head forms, including a cute mini top hat her fiancee had specially made for her, and a set of “Harley dreadlocks” I had made for her, with little bells at the ends of the dreads. So with all this in mind, I only had a trip to the dollar store and grocery to make, and I was done.
I think I made out pretty well. Here is what I got, and the relative cost (plus tax, not shown)…
Dollar store finds :
1. 10 bags of chips = $10
2. 7 packs of playing card (an extra “just in case”) = $7
3. 1 black and 1 red roll of crepe party streamers = $2
4. 1 large “Graduation Banner” = $1
5. 2 packs (10 ct.) black paper plates = $2
6. 2 packs napkins (one black, one red) = $2
7. 2 packs (10 ct.) red plastic cups = $2
Grocery store necessities :
1. 6 store brand sodas of various flavors (.89 each) = $5.32
2. 1 large tub of Helluvagood sour cream and onion dip (my daughter’s fave) = $3
I spent a little over $40 dollar with tax, so that is not bad at all. The party is in two weeks, so I didn’t actually buy the dip yet, but everything else should keep. I will probably make her a cake as a surprise, but that still only puts me at about 50 bucks, the way I shop.
We have plenty in the way of entertainment : music, strobes and black lights, video games, board games, Netflix, etc., but to be perfectly honest, when this highly creative bunch of kids get together, there isn’t usually much need for all that. They entertain both themselves and each other quite well, and make far more noise that even my boisterous heavy metal music in the next room! I think she will have a blast, no drugs, alcohol, or drama (except the theatrical kind) needed, thank you!
