Ah, the birthday party. We had one yesterday, in fact. Full of delicious cakey goodness, lots of hyped-on-sugar children, and general fun. Add in a few overwhelmed tears for good measure and you have a recipe for childhood delight, an introvert’s horror, and a parent’s desire to head for the hills.
I am not fond of organizing birthdays. This is ironic because I do it for a living, at least in part. One of the programs I organize at work is the birthday party. However, when it’s your own child’s birthday party the stress level does tend to increase.
Yesterday we managed to survive our second official birthday party. If you’re thinking of hosting a friends party for your preschooler, here are some tips on ways to keep the occasion simple.
First of all, avoid it for as long as possible. My somewhat introverted daughter had family-only affairs for several years and plans to do one of those next year too. A couple of family members tend to be a very understanding audience and this reduces the stress about tears and breakdowns. If you can’t avoid it, invite just a few children.
Choose a theme for the party. This makes it somewhat mindless to get goodie bags, make a cake, and choose invitations.
Pick a time of day that requires little food. Yes, cake or cupcakes are a must, but if you can choose a mid-afternoon time and keep the food to snacks, so much the better.
If you’re organizing an activity, do something absorbing and simple. Last year we invited a friend to bring his snake, since my daughter loved snakes. This year we walked down to the creek to look for bugs. Hiring a local teenager to do magic or make balloon animals is also a big hit. You don’t need to promise the world: they are, after all, only three or four.
Have parents stay if possible. Our party with parents involved was a lot simpler than the one without parents. Having others to help little ones navigate the social excitement just makes things a lot, lot easier.
Dispense with presents if you can. In our area this is becoming a bit of a trend, and so much the better. We have enough stuff and present-opening has got to be the most challenging part of a party.
Do you have any tips for simpler birthdays?