Most parents want to give their kids the experience of a birthday party with their friends at least once. They might choose to do different things, from sleepovers to ice skating, but whatever happens it requires a certain amount of organization. The whole thing can become a bit overwhelming if it starts to get out of hand, and it’s even more difficult if you’re planning it as a single parent. Many parties are prepared by one parent more than the other. But it’s harder when you don’t have someone to back you up in case of emergency (like a puking child, or desperately needing a drink). If you’ve always been hesitant to plan anything too extravagant or you’ve had disasters in the past, just follow these simple guidelines for a stress-free ride.
Sort Everything in Advance
The great thing about birthdays is that they come around at the same time every year, so you always know when they’re coming. There’s no need to leave everything until the last minute, when you potentially have an entire year to plan every party. Of course, it would be a bit ridiculous to do everything a year in advance. But you can start thinking of party ideas a couple of months ahead. Just make sure that you don’t set anything in concrete until your child has settled on what they want. You can sort out everything from the venue to the decorations from www.balloonsgalore.co.uk. Do a much as you can far in advance, so you can spend the last few weeks and days ensuring you know who’s coming and that you’re fully prepared.
Get Some Help
If you’re hesitant about handling a group of children, don’t be scared to try and rope in some other parents or friends and family to help. Even if you have kids of your own, it doesn’t prepare you for looking after ten other children who don’t belong to you. Getting some other adults on board will give you someone to talk to, so you don’t go out of your mind, and will provide some extra eyes and ears. It’s especially important to have more than one of you if you’re holding the party away from home. You don’t want to have to take one kid to the toilet, only to come back and find that the rest of them have set the place on fire.
Limit Numbers
Some kids will invite their entire class to their birthday party, but that’s not possible for most people. If you want to avoid being overwhelmed, set a limit on how many children your child can invite. You should be sensitive about leaving people out (don’t ask the whole class, bar one child) but don’t feel pressured into asking children who don’t need to be there.
Be Prepared for Parents
Lastly, watch out for other parents. There’s often a birthday party obsession among many when it’s their child, but not so when it’s someone else’s. You might run the risk of last-minute dropouts, complaints of non-invitations or competitive present buying. Just remember to rise above it.
