Growing up, I never wanted a party for MY birthday--I didn't see the need for it. Give me my Gram's caramel cake, some presents and I'm a happy camper. That's all it takes to please me.
Now, we have people renting hotels, moon bounces, Zoo's, halls, churches, DJ's and so on. For my daughter's first birthday, I did have a DJ. But that was mostly for the adults. But still, yet--we had a DJ.
For her second birthday party, I invited my friend's kids over to the playground and had a cookout. It was awesome with less stress and more fun. It was great to have the kids running around and having fun. Now, I don't begrudge the parents who go all out and spend tons of money. This isn't something I do, but sometimes it feels like parents are competing against each other and not thinking of the kids. I'm not saying do your parties at Mickey D's or Chucky Cheese but don't rent out the Hilton Hotel, either. Kids just want to have fun and we, the adults, overthink, overreact and overpay for all these things and kids can just have a good time with a cardboard box and some ballons.
We do love our children and want to give them everything we can. But they don't need everything, they just need us to do what is right for them. My personal rule for my daughter is no clowns ever! They are scary--especially to me.
Here are 5 simple rules to follow for having a successful birthday party.
Rule# 1. Purell and sanitizers are 100% needed when dealing with kids
Rule# 2. Tell your kids to look both ways before running because that swing will knock her right out!
Rule# 3. If you are uncomfortable with something like taking your kid's socks off, then don't do it. Be a parent.
Rule# 4. Interact with other parents. It's always a good idea to meet new people. You never know where it will take you, and what opportunities lie ahead.
Rule# 5. Don't micro-parent. Let your kids have fun and run around. Relax and have a cupcake.
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