Throw Birthday Parties Like a Boss!
Stress-free parties? To many busy moms, this sounds like a dream instead of reality. But the dream is attainable simply with a bit of planning and a focus on your child’s specific interests. When you let those be your guide, everything will fall into place a lot faster.
For example, if your son or daughter is into the Kansas City Chiefs, that is a direct lead into the cake, games and snacks for your party. Many baking shops have football-shaped pans, and of course, you can have a Mahomes hair cake created locally! Schedule a tour of Arrowhead Stadium for the activity. They offer scheduled tours every Friday at 2:00 and 4:00. Bring a small group for a tour, and it will be the best photo op ever. Create a montage for each child to keep forever. With the recent Super Bowl win, this is a popular choice.
If you are planning a party for tweens girls, make sure you do some tricks to keep everyone happy and minimize drama. Set boundaries by making a cute sign with a smiley face saying, “You are entering the ‘no drama zone.” The girls will repeat the phrase and find the thought amusing. Consider unplugging computers and collecting cell phones at a certain time, and make sure to discuss with your child movie choices that will appeal to everyone.
When the party includes an outing, like visiting a pizza place or bowling alley, create a list of names of selected children to go in each car. Tell the children there will be no negotiations or special requests. Do make sure no one is feeling left out throughout the party time. Most of all, smile, laugh and be optimistic yourself. You have an ideal opportunity to model some important things to these youngsters: flexibility, friendliness and the ability to laugh at oneself. Foster these traits in your own kids, too, so that when you send them off to a party, you won’t have to worry.
Once, I included everyone’s dog in a party for both my kiddos, whose birthdays fall in September. We got a birthday cake from a local pet store with carob chocolate and dog-friendly ingredients and had plastic swimming pools around the yard so the pups could swim and play. The children loved it and because it was outdoors, that’s where the mess stayed. Playing fetch and having a puppy theme were a hit. The “people” cake was shaped like a dog bone, and party favors were bags of puppy chow. You can find that recipe online. Do make sure each dog is social and used to being around other dogs.
Consider planning an experience instead of a party, as I mentioned earlier about the Arrowhead Stadium tours. Give your child the option of taking several friends on an outing, such as the movies, bowling, local theme park, arcade, indoor rock climbing or the pool, depending on the season. An outing with a small group of friends is much less chaotic than a big party and requires almost no effort. Children often enjoy and bond with their close friends more when there aren’t so many people running about.
Whatever you do, if you have the party at home, keep the food simple. Lunch can be PB&J. If you do want pizza, ask for a school cut that features smaller slices, since kids often don’t finish their slice anyway. Another option is to plan the party before or after lunch or dinner, so you don’t feel obligated to provide a full meal.
Let each child help when it comes to party favors. For example, paint or tie-dye t-shirts, decorate cupcakes or make slime. This gives kids an activity to enjoy and then take home. They stay busy, and you save on goody bags!
Remember, you can always use items you have around your house. Create fun stations from toys you already have, such as a sports station with basketballs, soccer balls, tennis rackets and balloons. Or play dress-up and set out play clothes and other dress items you already have. Water fun is always a hit, with squirt guns, water balloons and kitchen sponges.
Who says you must have a birthday cake? Ask your child what he or she would like and go from there. Suggest root beer floats—purchase plastic cups for serving, and each child can take one home as a favor. Scoop ice cream into the cups the day before and store them in the freezer, then let party guests choose their favorite flavor of soda to make their float.
Keep your party-planning self on track by always ask yourself whether your ideas will make your child have a better birthday. Looking at Pinterest may be exciting, but, chances are, children won’t care about much of that. Most would much rather enjoy a happy, present mom at the party than a burned-out, stressed mom who stayed up all night cutting out perfect food labels the kids can’t even read. Spend time on what matters to your child and leave the rest alone.
An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.
Sources: StressFreeKids.com, Simply-Well-Balanced.com, EverydayFamily.com.