Ah the birthday party! Organizing and coordinating the perfect party has become an obsession with the average family—at least it can seem that way. We want our child to have a great day, sure, but we may also get caught up in trying to give the standard party for our socio-economic level, meet neighborhood and peer group expectations, and make sure that our child doesn’t feel slighted. What can get lost in the whole quest for the perfect party is just exactly who the party is supposed to be for anyway!
There can be so many special interest groups influencing a birthday party—you’ve got grandparents and friends of the families, the peer group, etc. As you try to put together the perfect goodie bags (to keep the invitees happy) and take into account all the food allergies, fear and allergies to pets, time schedules, etc.—it can be more like coordinating a full-blown conference than just a simple child’s birthday party.
It might help to take things back to basics—who is the party for? What does the birthday child want? It shouldn’t be about social pay-backs or inviting the children who you think you should. It doesn’t even need to be an official party if the child would rather go swimming or take a family trip to the zoo. Let the child guide and dictate so that it can truly be the child’s special day and not a huge social obligation where the child’s wishes are minimized. A child’s birthday does not have to be an opportunity to show off your culinary or party-planning skills or even to play one-up with the neighbors. It should just be the child’s special day to celebrate and soak up some attention and special care. Too much stress and obligation can make it anything but fun.
See Also: The Birthday Party Section in the Fun Blog