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A Parent’s Guide to Birthday Parties
Eight sanity–saving tips for planning a memorable bash
The perfect birthday party is all about the three Ps: planning, preparation and prioritization. Keep these eight tips in mind when organizing your child’s next fete for a fun event that everyone (including you!) will enjoy.
Planning
Send invites in a snap. Electronic invitations (from sites like evite.com) are perfectly acceptable these days, not to mention wildly practical (and free!). You can customize these invitations in every way — with your own pictures, graphics, e–mail reminders and wording. Don’t forget to designate definite start and end times (two hours are usually adequate). This sets everyone’s expectations — adults and kids alike.
Keep the guest list manageable. There are ways to limit the guest list without hurting feelings or snubbing acquaintances. For example, make it a boys– or girls–only party. Or plan the celebration for a smaller subset of your child’s friends, like camp buddies or neighborhood kids. Although it’s tempting to cut costs by hosting combination parties (for kids or family members who share a birthday), remember that this is your child’s special day: She’ll be psyched to be the center of the festivities.
Pick the perfect venue. For warm–weather birthdays, play host at a nearby park. Crumbs are no bother, and you get out of all that last–minute pre–party cleaning! Many public places allow residents to reserve a gazebo or other enclosed area, for free or a nominal fee, through the local parks department.
Make your gifts meaningful. Even parents with unlimited budgets don’t always want to shower their progeny with presents. Decide on a gift strategy; for example, let your child pick a charity and tell guests that all gifts will be donated to a worthy cause.
Preparation
Create an adventure. Focus on the experience, not the “stuff.” Children have great imaginations, so light that spark and transport them into another world with small flourishes (for example, pirate hats and patches for each child or a Magic Forest in the garden).
Pick no–assembly–required party favors. Spare yourself the time and expense of compiling gift bags, and instead go with one bigger take–home item for each kid, such as a giant SuperBall or a small set of Legos.
Prioritization
Make a splash. Spend your energy (and budget) on the things that really make an impact. Prepare a knock–their–socks–off cake (try Breyers Ice Cream Birthday Cake), or use free online software to make custom candy wrappers. Another idea: Rent a costume for Dad. Kids love “special guests,” and the other parents will be amused by poor Dad decked out as your child’s favorite superhero.
Keep other moms and dads in mind too. Remember, children aren’t the only guests coming to the party. Have some adult food on hand for your grown–up guests. Also, be sensitive to the schedules of working parents. (For instance, try not to plan your party at 11 a.m. on a weekday.)
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