<p>Well these parties certainly “out do” any I gave. I gave themed parties but I used to be a teacher and I taught my curriculum thematically so I guess it all fits. But most of these parties were home based. Nothing like I am reading about here. We had games, projects, activities, visitors, home made cakes, little trips, all tied into the theme. </p>
<p>That limo/show/dinner one for a nine year old is shocking to me but I live in a very different community than that. We did take teenagers to shows for my kids’ parties but these were regional shows, not as pricey, and the kids were not nine. Once we let our child in upper elem school take two friends to Boston to see CATS. </p>
<p>But now you do remind me of something my 17 year old is doing now as a job in college. And it has opened my eyes to what parents with oodles of money do for birthday parties for VERY young kids. She is working in NYC for a musical theater program that has classes. It was meant to be an internship assistant teaching, but from the first day, they liked her and offered her a paying job in another division of the company. This division puts on Braodway themed birthday parties for kids. The parties have staff come who put on interactive shows on particular Broadway themes. Most of the staff are older and all have degrees but my kid. These parties are either held at the theater program space or at private clubs and homes and places like that in the city. She has told me of this parties where she works. They aren’t cheap. She even tells me what the kids were wearing, lol. She is paid well and is tipped very well. Some have been held at exclusive clubs in the city. She is having a great time doing it and the parties are a huge success (and the performers/staff quite professional and accomplished) but I imagine they cost a pretty penny. One party was a joint party and had over 50 little girls at it!! My daughter’s eyes have been opened to a segment of society unlike in her home community. And I thought I had given cool parties.</p>
<p>As far as laws here go, there has to be some sort of application process for hunting, but it can be done over the internet!..I don’t remember seeing anything about a safety course. As for the school party, this family hosted the annual school cook-out at their farm where all of this hunting takes place. That’s why the boy had his rifle handy…No one talked about it at the time but H picked up the phone and called the father to say that under no circumstances were guns to be pulled out if my son was over there and that they needed to respect our wishes on that. The farm has been in the family for generations and this is tradition for them…bizarre, I know.</p>
<p>You might want to think twice about having your son go over their house but instead have the friend come over yours. The fact that the kid was allowed to have access to his gun with friends over and to use his gun without adult supervision (let alone in the presence of friends who don’t know how to handle one), shows that their standards are not yours. I’m not convinced that this boy wouldn’t take out a gun again while your son is over their house. The family felt it was fine so you gotta know that they don’t think like you do so don’t trust they will do things the way you’d want or will respect your wishes.</p>
<p>When my D was in Kindergarten I accompanied her to a classmates party with an Alladin theme. They had an orchestra playing the theme song in tuxedos, there were people dressed as the charactures, and the mom of the birthday girl was dressed as a harem girl LOL. There was a waiter serving champagne (DP) on a silver platter. The food spread was unbelievable. Seafood on ice, etc. I was flabergasted. I don’t think the kids had a great time though because the atmosphere was so formal.</p>
<p>Fortunately, since my “tiff” with the father Saturday night I don’t think there’ll be many invites over there anymore…(my son did say that the son used to pull guns out all the time at the house)…plus they’re selling that farm so there won’t be more of THAT!! As far as elaborate bday parties go, don’t even get me started. My son went to a party where a stretch Hummer came to pick them up to go to the movies. It had some sort of fog machine in it, too. (not sure what that is…special effects? puleeze!) This is a different family from the gun family. This boy complained at our house that we needed a big screen plasma instead of our 13 yr. old Sony…honestly!!</p>
<p>dke,
I am late to this “hunting party” today, but good for you for doing what was right in the face of “parental peer pressure.” Guns+many kids+too few parents=potential disaster. It is always more difficult to take a stand and be a parent, rather than give in and be a “friend” to your kids. Around these parts I am the parent who other kids compare their parents to, as in, “Well, the only one stricter than you is ‘momof3sons.’”</p>
<p>YIKES! I just stumbled into this thread…and to think I’ve been stressing about my Ds sweet sixteen party! I think I’ll spring for a DJ now. It’s nowhere near as insane as a hunting party. I can not even imagine saying yes to such a thing.</p>
<p>Dke, I’m late to the huntin’ party, but I live in the deep South where huntin’ camps are a way of life.</p>
<p>If hunting is your thing, and it is not mine, 13 is old enough, but the boy to Dad ratio is too high. My husband and son’s Scout troop has a shooting campout once a year, the ratio is at least whatever the Scout required is - 1-5, 1-6? I can’t remember for sure. But that is not hunting, it is range shooting and skeet, and the conditions are very controlled - like a safety course with target practice. Also boys and Dads are supervised by one of the adult leaders who has some sort of special riflery, gun handling training - so while the ratio is not so different than the birthday party, the conditions are quite different. Also, the ATVs are probably more dangerous even than the guns - judging from the ER around here.</p>
<p>My son went with a friend to his family’s hunting camp when he was 12-13, I can’t really remember now. I don’t think I slept the whole weekend. for all the reasons you have mentioned - and that was one Dad and 2 boys. It was deer season, and I think the hunting was more sitting in the stand and playing with the binoculars - but I’m equally afraid of the other hunters.</p>
<p>When my daughter was a sophomore, a young man in her class (member of our church) was killed in a hunting camp fire - along with a prominent attorney and his adult son - guns aren’t the only danger.</p>
<p>I’m the strict parent around here because I would never let my son go to R-rated movies or play violent video games. (Other kids started seeing R-rated movies at age 9.) Two years ago, when our sons were 11, the mother of one of his best friends called me to say, “I suppose you won’t let ___ go to ___'s party if I take them to (R-rated movie)”. I said no, and she sighed loudly and said that she’d change the movie. I can’t even imagine a hunting party being suggested. </p>
<p>On the topic of over-the-top birthday parties, my neighbor dressed up as Ms. Frizzle and picked up her son’s party guests in a rented school bus. (My son was also picked up by a limo one year, and driven into NYC, for a 9-year-old’s birthday party.)</p>
<p>Whoa. Pulled out a rifle at a school party? Wouldn’t that kid be automatically expelled from school most places? </p>
<p>I witnessed an unsettling (to me) conversation not that long ago. A boy (11 yr old brother of a girl in 7 year old D’s class) was talking to a teacher about “shooting things” in his backyard (we live in city), and his mom was right there, and all she said was, “Oh, I didn’t realize you were doing that.” Okay, turns out it was a BB gun. But still. And I know there is a safe full of guns in their garage. So, I’ve decided my seven year old should not go over there anymore. I haven’t said anything to the mother. I’m just hoping my D doesn’t get invited over there again, because I really am not comfortable with her over there anymore knowing about the guns and the lax supervision of older brother.</p>
<p>So, am I being over reactive and too paranoid here?</p>
<p>I grew up hunting–father and uncles would always take us out for upland game season followed by deer season. Shotguns only. the ratio was always 1:1 or higher vis a vis adults to kids.</p>
<p>OK… my son just got home from school and told me that the ratio was 8 Dads to 8 boys (which I don’t believe) but they were giving the 13 yr olds beers. The birthday boy ended up barfing…I’m disgusted. In this state you can go to jail for that. I’m SO glad I didn’t send him!</p>
<p>The story is going from bad to worse. Remember my earlier post where I wrote that the judgement to hold such a party and the liability on the parents’ end was akin to parents who knowingly hold underage drinking parties at their homes? Well, bingo, this one did that too. They are two for two. Glad nothing worse happened. Be happy your kid wasn’t there.</p>
<p>Wow - Alcohol + Guns = recipe for disaster! </p>
<p>I have a husband and son who hunt but we would never allow our son to attend such a party. Guns are serious business around our house and I can’t believe that someone didn’t alert authorities to the activities…</p>
<p>NYMom, anent violent video games, TheMom and I were talking about them, censorship, and politics while on the way to see “King Kong” last night. Her solution about “Grand Theft Auto” is that everyone who plays it must display a sign indicating that they do so.</p>