Do's and don'ts for a kid's party
In the second part of the article on planning your toddler's birthday, tips for the big day.
Do-it-yourself or hire help
With so much fuss surrounding birthday parties, most regulars party-goers have become spoilt rotten by the amount of entertainment provided. "What? No super slide? Where's the clown? Bring out the magician!" the pint-sized social butterflies protest. So hiring entertainment may be the best way to go. It'll save you the headache of arranging and executing games - no easy task when you have opinionated toddlers and their equally competitive mothers complaining of unfairness every five minutes!
For my son's birthday, I opted for a magician. Though many parents cringed when he pulled out a pigeon and then later a rabbit during on of his tricks, the children were fascinated by the whole affair and sat in awe-inspired silence for half an hour!
But if you have enough family members or friends to help out, then you might consider arranging activities without any hired help. It's much cheaper and a much more hands-on approach. Assign each person a duty or a game to be in charge of. Steer away from competitive games and award a gift for participation.
Tips for the big day
- Have a sense of humour
No matter how you go about it, make sure you remind yourself that it's your child's special day. So what if the games are not going in order or you can't find the train themed cups and plates anywhere? It really doesn't matter. Keep a fresh perspective and realise that you'll be sharing this special moment with your young one only once in your life.
- Set a festive mood
No party is complete without decorations! Hang up balloons, birthday flags and bring on the confetti! Having a theme will help in picking out the right de'cor pieces. Flea markets at Sampheng, Chatuchak and hypermarts like Carrefour have some great inexpensive items. A little creativity can go a long way.
- Account for naptimes
It's no fun having your drowsy toddler screech and throw endless tantrums at his own party, so it's best to set party time for the 11am slot or 4pm slot or when he's fresh.
- Guard the cake
Two to four year olds can be lethal for cakes. They have no qualms with sticking their little tongues, fingers and faces in the cake, especially if it's a hard-to-resist fancy one, so keep the cake in a safe place before the candles are blown out. If you're finding a suitable bakery, Cakewalk at Sukhumvit 49, Boats Bakery in Emporium and S&P have perfected the art of fancy cakes.
- Always have extras
"I, me and mine" are a toddler's life motto. And a birthday party may not be the best time to teach other kids how to share. So keep extras of everything- be it party favours, cake pieces or candies.
- Beware of allergies
When it comes to food, prepare some vegetarian, wheat-free, gluten-free and diary-free options.
- Don't forget party favours
Not sure who started the "return gift" tradition, but it's a sure hit among toddlers. Most only agree to leave the party when they're given a small party favour to take home. As too many party favours just enter the junk drawer at home, choose something useful and relatively inexpensive to give.
- Ready, set, shoot
It's your child's special day, so take hundreds of photos! Hire somebody or get a relative to focus on your child. Don't forget to buy extra film or charge the batteries the night before the big day.
- Mind his/her manners
Priceless values like politeness and gratitude are instilled at an early age. As he receives guests, and presents, teach him to say "thank you" and mean it!
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