Top tips to enjoy your child’s birthday party
Many parents end up in a similar situation when it comes to planning their children’s birthday party. You work hard to make sure that everything is going to plan, organising food, party games – and a whole host of other fun for the kids. But, how can you make it fun for you too?
I thought I would share some little tips which can make it easier for you to focus on having a good time and making memories at your child’s next birthday party, rather than ‘working’ through the whole thing.
Invite Other Parents
Taking on too much for yourself to handle is a big mistake when you’re going through the birthday party process. So why not ask some of the other parents to help out? You can offer to return the favour when the time rolls around for their children! I once was roped into working on the ‘glitter tattoo’ station at a friends little girls birthday party…and I ended up really enjoying it. You really can’t beat glitter.
So often parents sit on the sidelines and make awkward small talk with other parents, probably wishing they weren’t sat in a hall surrounded by screaming kids on a Sunday afternoon. I’ve been to a few parties now where the party parents have handed out gin in a tin…that certainly beat the usual cup of milky tea or coffee!
The Right Activities
There are countless birthday party activities available nowadays, which can make it harder to choose what you want to do for your child’s! Picking options which will result in as little work as possible will always make sense – and is definitely my preferred choice. For example, a football party can be A LOT better than a swimming party, as you won’t need the kids to bring along special clothing or towels or have the responsibility of watching them all. It’s likely that your child will have a good idea of what they want to do for their party anyway, so you might not get too much say in it…! For Sofia’s ‘joint’ sixth birthday we went to an indoor activity centre – which was great fun, and minimal effort on our behalf. For her ‘actual’ birthday she choose eight friends that she wanted to invite and had a Buld A Bear party followed by lunch at Pizza Express!
Out Of Your Hands
Planning and coordinating the bits like food and entertainment is without doubt the biggest challenge to any children’s birthday party. Companies such as the Hassle Free Weekends can take the catering work off of your hands – goodbye making sandwiches at 5am on the morning of the party. And as for the entertainment? There’s nothing better than a Princess Party!
There are many other businesses online who can help make things like party bags, personalised decorations or outfits for the birthday child. Taking the work out of your hands will definitely make it a lot easier to bear.
What’s been the best children’s party you’ve ever attended, and why? I’d love to hear some of your top party tips!
