Children’s birthday parties are more than just a day when a lot of lovely pastries are involved. Kids look forward to this day more than any other day of the year. It should not come as a surprise since the full day is dedicated to them in the form of balloons, cakes, singing, presents, and more. In recent years, these parties have become elaborate, and this can sometimes throw off adults. The costs and stress associated with pulling off a great party or buying top rated appliances for party can be overwhelming, but it need not be the case.
Avoid Spending Beyond Means
If you are not careful, it is very easy for parties to suck up a significant chunk of your savings. Parents should start by setting a budget for the party. This helps avoid overspending, which can be quite comfortable in the heat of things. It is easy to add things like a circus troupe or orchestra to the list, but a pre-defined budget will help you stay within limits, while still coming up with a great party. The planning stage involves identifying interests and involvement. Knowledge of these two aspects can be used to determine the party venue, food, entertainment activities, among others.
Focus on Age-Appropriate Details
A lot of planning needs to be put in by parents to ensure that all aspects of the party are of the appropriate age. This planning process becomes a lot easier when all kids are of the same age. If this is not the case, it is better to take the birthday child’s age as a guide. One should also try to limit the invitees as per the child’s age. A thumb rule is to invite the birthday child’s age, plus 2. Hence, if the birthday child is turning 4, parents are better off inviting six children to the party. This helps the birthday child feel more comfortable. One should also read your child’s interests to decide on total invitees, venue, food, and entertainment.
Get it Done ASAP
Several things indeed have to congregate on a single day for a single event. However, this should not be an excuse for postponing different tasks, such as music. You can save a lot of money by booking in advance. It is better to plan a couple of weeks in advance, and it should leave enough time to book everything from the venue to the entertainment options. On average, parents can expect to spend around $250 on hosting a nice party. You would be surprised to know that many of these options can be booked with a discount, as you are stepping ahead of the queue. Once a sufficient amount of time is set aside, you would also be surprised at the way new options open up. For example, one of your friends may volunteer to help you set up the decor, which saves the cost that would otherwise be spent on a professional.
Send Invitations in Advance
It is no secret that more the merrier. You can make a toddler’s birthday much more special by inviting all dear and near. Just as organizers need time to set up the event, guests also need time to plan for the event – ideas, commute, and more. Many guests may have multiple parties to attend, and a late invite can leave them with an embarrassing face. Statistics show that only 15% of parents invite the entire class to a party.
You can avoid such a situation by sending out those invites at an early stage. It is recommended to send out invites at least ten days in advance. To hit this time scale, your work on preparing RSVPs should begin at least four weeks before the event. This gives sufficient time to draw a list of guests. This process also saves a lot of money since RSVPs can be used to avoid food wastage. If you have a dog, make sure all the other parents know about it before sending invites.
Deciding on Presents
Gone are the days when it was almost mandatory for guests to come with presents. Of course, it leads to a lot of accumulated presents. If you decide to do away with gifts, the invitation should clearly state the same. This can help to avoid embarrassing situations. In the place of such gifts, you can also request donations to a charity. Apart from serving to improve your reputation and helping out the unprivileged, it can also set an example for future parties in other households. If, however, you decide to accept presents, be prepared to shell out return gifts.
Best Time for the Food
The party hosts should decide on the timings of the food after they have planned out the venue. It is possible to choose different timings, but a little empathy can help make the party a great success. Many invitees do not like to have breakfast, as it also means difficult commute times on weekdays and an early start to the day on weekends. Depending on the day, a party can be organized such that it gives out dinner too. If it is a weekend, brunch would be the perfect outcome for all parties. This can also save some cost for the hosts, as brunches tend to be less expensive. It is also easier to prepare compared to party foods and fancy appetizers. Furthermore, a cake also seems like the best idea for brunch.
Conclusion
If there are several toddlers in attendance, it can be a joyous moment for parents. However, it can also be quite a concern if the party is hosted at home rather than a different venue. In such a case, you must make sure to childproof as much as possible. This involves removing fragile products from the reach of young kids, having fewer chairs in a room, and spreading out the toys. One can even go crazy with childproofing, as it is always better to be safe than sorry. These techniques can help you watch the toddlers in peace. Further, you are also keeping toddlers in a safe environment.
Author Bio: Lavera Taylor is a mother of two and a writer at My Kitchen Advisor. She’s lucky to have a husband that can provide while she takes care of their little ones. Elisabeth has a degree in psychology and currently lives in Seattle, WA.
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