Kids' Birthday Parties

They've changed a bit since I was little, apparently:

Hosting a birthday party for your child, ages 1-12 in ten easy steps:

1. Choose a theme.

2. Buy invitations, cups, plates, napkins, spoons, tablecloths, balloons, streamers, games, party favor bags, party favors, and prizes to fit the theme. Get a class list from your child's nursery or school, and send each child an invitation to insure no hurt feelings.

3. Order a cake to match the theme, and buy drinks, ice cream and treats. Don't forget candles! Also, pick up some drinks and finger food for the parents that inevitably will stay on to watch the little darlings enjoy themselves.

4. Graciously welcome each child and their parent into your home. Herd the children into the designated party area and keep them each busy with an ice-breaker game like Pin The Tail On The Donkey, Twister, or Pop the Balloon. If there are any conflicts between children, by all means DO NOT raise your voice to someone else's child or physically restrain them in any way. Stand by patiently with a slight "no means no" frown on your face and in a sweet voice say things like, "No no sweetie" and "Be nice to your guests sugar" while the other mothers watch their child pull your child's hair, poke their eyes, and hit them.

5. Go through half of the entertainment you have planned. Notice that it is only 15 minutes into the 2 hour party and realize you didn't plan enough activities. Try to slow things down with a video.

6. Present opening time! Have a trashbag handy for wrapping paper... the bows will be grabbed by the kids. Have a box or bag handy for hiding the presents in once opened... out of sight out of mind. Prepare yourself to wrestle the gifts away from each child.

7. Cake and ice cream! Dish it out. Stand back.

8. Hand out party favor bags as each child and parent leave. Thank them so much for coming, the gift was your child's favorite by far, you could tell! Remember: Keep track of who gifted what so you know how much to spend on their child when it's their birthday.

9. Give your child their presents. Clean while they break and or lose them all.

10. Relax, party's over!

A.

Comments

[pansypoo]

why do we breed?

[Robert Earle]

Made me think of this song (a CD I haven't listened to for too long a while.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91RHmkfNsOY

[Interrobang]

I dunno, pansypoo, I always sort of figured other people bred because it was the done thing. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people actually like children, instead of merely tolerating them and sending them outside to play most of the time. I certainly never figured on meeting people with planned families of four children, but I certainly have.

[liprap]

Welcome to my world.

I have one. And as far as I'm concerned, he was unplanned, but I love him to death anyway. Having more of him...well, I personally would plotz. Every. Day.

Oh, and these holier-than-thou parents who jump up and down about alcohol for parents at these parties while the kids are going berserk? Those people are obviously not involved in their kids' lives in any way....which is also why grandparents want their children to have more grandkids. They can just hand them back when they get unruly. It's in the grandparent contract.

[liprap]

Oh, and someone in the comments to that talked about RSVP-ing going the way of the dinosaur? It's absolutely true: last year, with no RSVPs, there were 14 kids all over my house. This year, only six, thank God.

I thought that was just New Orleans. Don't know whether to be shocked or relieved that that is a national thing.

[Sandman]

I hate birthday parties, but my wife is like a professional party planner when it comes to kids' parties. When I was little (born in 1968, fyi), I got a few presents and a cake with my immediate family. Birthdays were just not that big of a deal.

[Elspeth Ravenwind]

Just don't diss the cake... But know if you want a 'character' cake (like licensed crap) - do not ask me to do it. I will do something creative and fun and pertinent, but I will not use someone else's intellectual property.
Creative and fresh - come to me (when I have my biz) - you want Hannah Montana/Spiderman, can't help ya.

[mothra]

I think it would be easier to just not have a party. Like my parents did. My mother was not about to have 10 kids crawling all over her house. Oh, and if she somehow lost her mind and did have a party? There'd be absolutely zero gentle saying of the "no, no." My mother'd have those kids quiet and respectful in 30 seconds.