Birthday Party Ideas | Escaping the stress of children’s birthday parties | Baby Toddler mums advice

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Birthday parties are a wonderful way of encouraging your child on his or her special day. For parents, planning a child’s birthday is sometimes a mix of stress, fear and also fiscal worries. It comes each and every year, and many children will barely have finished putting away their presents when they begin talking about next year’s extravaganza. Escaping the stress of children’s birthday parties is not easy, but it is possible. Here are our top tips:- Birthday Party Ideas Escaping the Stress

Birthday Party Ideas Escaping the Stress

Planning is good. Getting any number of kids to move in the same direction, at the same time and on the same day requires meticulous planning. Put it down on paper, enlist help and have backup activities if you believe that you might run out of entertainment halfway through the party.
Theme the party. Themes have fallen by the wayside; but if you enlist the help of a theme, you do not have to rack your brain to come up with decorations and games. Instead, many themes naturally lend themselves to games and activities already.
Do not give the invitations to your child to hand out at school, unless you are inviting the whole class. If your child gives invitations only to a select few, there will be hurt feelings. If you are keeping the numbers small, mail the invites or call the parents of the other children directly.
Limit the number of kids that will attend the party. Although a free-for-all ensures a good turnout, the idea of inviting one child for each year of your child’s age is a good way of limiting the expense and chaos you might experience.
Do not discount the stress your child will endure at the party. Depending on the age, your child may become over stimulated or tire out, and subsequently also begin acting out. In some cases there may be hurt feelings over gifts or friends who suddenly pair off and leave your child out.
Be honest with yourself about the comfort level of suddenly have 10 pint sized kids running through your home. If you don’t like the sound of this idea, consider enlisting an outdoor venue or visit one of the fast food restaurants that offer party packages with food, entertainment and – best of all – clean-up!
Keep the party short and sweet. Do not make it an all day affair but specify a starting an ending time. The younger the child, the shorter the duration of the party. This is a good rule of thumb to keep kids from acting out.
Goodie bags are a must and there should be sufficient bags for each child present, including the siblings. It should be a fun, little item that says “thank you” to the kids for coming and helping your child celebrate.