Getting Through Your Child’s Birthday Party With Your Sanity

Few of us realize just how much our moms go through to raise us and to provide us with special times. So many of our best memories are the result of things that our parents did for us, especially our mothers. Behind every party, meal and special trip there is someone who organizes the event and puts hours of labor into its preparation. Moms are the architects behind all of the events of your life. You might not recognize all that they do but without them there would be nothing.

Few of us also realize that our mothers almost go nuts sometimes trying to make everything work for us. They lose hours if not days of sleep worrying about our happiness. They truly are like angels constantly watching over us and working to make our lives healthy and happy. Because birthday parties are such an important time in the life of a child many mothers spend absurd amounts of time trying to make them just perfect. Much of this effort produces memorable parties but sometimes it can be overkill.

Over the years I have learned how to survive my children’s birthday parties with my sanity intact. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Don’t try to do everything by yourself. Many parents make the mistake of trying to plan and execute the entire party by themselves. This is a problem partly because it is simply too much work, but also because it denies other friends and family the opportunity to help in the raising of the child. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins should all be included.

2. Do not allow your child to run the planning. Sometimes parents assume that the best way to deal with the problem is to allow the kid to get whatever they want. This is not the right method because kids left to their own devices will plan an unrealistic party. They will want ponies or a real dragon at the party. Give your child realistic options and allow them to choose between them.

3. Do not stress out about the party. Parents sometimes put way to much emphasis on birthday parties. If you get your kids and their friends together they will have a great time regardless of the activities at hand. Provide some cake, a game, a movie and some party favors and the party will be a hit.

4. Ask for help from your children in doing some of the work. Take them to the grocery store to purchase party supplies. Ask them decorate the house. Allow them to create the invitations and send them. This will actually help to get your kids more excited about the party and take the stress off you. It will also help them to understand what you go through to do all that you do for them. They will come to realize that you are not just some sort of slave for them, which is important.

Following these tips you will not only survive your child’s birthday party but you might even enjoy it. Invite someone to the party that you would like to spend time with–a family member or the parent of one of the children invited to the party. This way you will have someone to talk with besides the children and someone to call on if you need some help. Realize that providing a perfect birthday party just might be impossible, so relax a little bit. If you put some effort into the party your child and their friends will have a great time.