Their Special Day
Aug 12 '00
Planning a birthday part for a small child need not be overly expensive nor bring undue stress. There are some very simple steps you can take to ensure that it goes off without a hitch. A good plan, almost always will bring a truly wonderful party.
The fist step to remember, is to keep the theme of the party something the child will appreciate. A formal affair will be lost on a small child and frankly, it will bore them into a very cranky mood. This is the child's day, and it should remain such.
The second step is to decide if you wish to have the party at your home or elsewhere. If you wish to have it elsewhere, is it going to be a local park or one of the many places that you can book that will do all the work for you and you need only pay and show up? I will go on the assumption that we have chosen to do the work ourselves.
If you are having the party at your home, will it be outside or inside, or a combination of the two. The time of the year will play a large part of this choice. Unless you live in one of the areas of this country that have moderate climates all year long, I do not recommend a party outside in the worst of winter.
If you are going elsewhere for the party, go there and look the place over. Do they have pavilions for rent? If they do, how far ahead of time must you book the reservation? Do they provide grills, if you plan on cooking out there, or will you need bring your own? These can all be found by making a trip there just to look for this information. Remember, even if you are going somewhere else, make certain there is a place to gather under shelter should an unexpected storm come through.
If you are having the party at your house you then need to decide if you will have it outside or inside. If you are having it outside, remember not to invite more guests that comfortably fit inside the house. Any number of things can drive a party inside, from unexpected rain to the temperature being to hot or cold on that day. Plan ahead and be ready, just in case.
Once you have the location decided on, then you can begin purchasing your decorations. I have found that I decide on what I will decorate the party theme well ahead of time. This allows me to purchase the decorations when they are on sale, bit by bit, until the party. This saves money in the long run, and the hassle of going out the night before only to find out they are entirely out of stock in what you were looking for.
What kind of cake are you going to have? Will you or a friend be making it or will you be purchasing it from a bakery? If you are purchasing it from a bakery, how far ahead of time must you place the order? Take the time to shop different bakeries and find the best price for the best quality. Sometimes, a few extra dollars for better quality, taste and service is the best route to go. Ask friends which bakery they prefer.
If you are baking the cake yourself, have everything ready so you can make it the evening before without having to run to the store. Have the frosting and other odds and ends already. Have either the ingredients or the mix of correct flavor in advance. This again saves you from going to several different stores only to find out they are out of what you want.
By planning ahead and not waiting until a week before a party to decide what arrangements you will make, you will save yourself a lot of headaches. Sometimes you may find the place you had wanted is already booked if you wait to long, or end up having to do a flurry of last minute decisions and thinking that never seem to turn out as well as if you had taken the time to plan.
Finally, what does your child want? Do they have a favorite cartoon character or are they into something specific? Do they like dinosaurs, dolls, cars, ect? If they do, you can easily theme the party around that, and knowing what you are needing to buy before hand makes it much easier.
A party is no fun for everyone if the host or hostess is an envois wreck. Your child will sense your tension, and it will in turn make them tense. If you have planned well, it will flow rather easily (of course, we all forget some detail and end up having to improvise) It will then be more enjoyable to you, your child, and the guests.
Relax, have fun, and enjoy these special days.
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