Where to have the party?
How many kids?
Who to invite?
How the invitations look?
How to be politically correct when not inviting the Whole Class.
Does anyone have allergies or can not eat certain foods?
Then there is the Goodie Bags----Major stress factor!
Yes, I know it sounds silly that I let something such as a Goodie Bag stress me out, however it seems to play a major role in kid party throwing. I totally dislike them! And yet each party... each year, I go to the store and stress out over them. I mean honestly filling the damned bags full of crap candy and junky plastic toys that just get lost over the next week.... or that lovely plastic whistle that the child keeps blowing in the car or while running through the house...sneaks up and blows right in your ear.... Or those plastic spin tops that as you just happen to place your bare foot down to the floor you step on the BLASTEd thing! By the time you get to the check out counter and pushing all those thoughts to the back of your mind you see the bill of $50 dollars, your eyes bug out and you say in your mind "REALLY!?!" However being the wonderful parent you are with all the fun little treats of stickers, plastic junk and candy....You just smile and nod, while paying for the crap. Then not to forget about running short, on the goodie bags, ... you do the invites, and then get the ones that can come and can not come..then something canceled and they were able to come and just showed up.... which we are always happy to see... cause clearly you are not thinking about the goodie bags... Everyone is having fun..until the end.... again something I made work... with maybe just a few tears.
This year ... I really thought about not doing the Goodie Bags, but then one of my girls went to a party and came back with a stainless steel water bottle. I was like WOW that is a great idea! So I went with that idea, I still went to the toy store and they still got some candies but I also got fun semi learning treats that I knew everyone would like. It was a hit! The kids thought it was cool and everyone left with a smile! And I brought Two extra Goodie Bags, just in case! So I now have great little ideas going thru my head about the next Goodie Bags I have to make up in 8 months, but now I do not feel so stressed out about them....even though I would rather just not do them at all.
Where to have IT!
So Many kids running around full of energy and excitement! It has to be entertaining, it has to be fun! It has to have movement....even 9 year olds can not sit still for very long when totally jacked up the energy of having a party. Normally I let the kids pick where they want to have it, sometimes I think to myself am I really going to make THAT happen. Like last year when we had to go back to SSI and throw a party on the Beach for my girls... I just happen to make that promise one year to the day of their birthday party and they held me to it! I was lucky too, on the ferrie ride over, it was a dreadful sight, rain and dark clouds... the family had to split up and come at different times...but I pulled it off... for two hours the clouds parted and the rain stopped and even thought it was a little chilly everyone had a great time!
Needless to say After Nine years of learning the art of throwing a wonderful child's birthday party, I still find it all stressful, however I am learning little tricks to make it go much smoother.
- A few good friends is much better!
- Buy something they will keep and remember that time spent together!
- Don't make promises you are not sure you can keep....
- Always have something Chocolate, something Vanilla just in case they cant/don't like chocolate, also have something salty.... just in case they cant eat dairy!
- Save the blow horns for last as well as the cake and gifts... cause after you open those and eat cake the party is open for free run, and you lost their attention for good!
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