Previous entry: 
Next entry:
T-Minus 6 days
With less than a week to go until Evan's 4th birthday party, we are in panic level red in my household. Correction -- I am in full panic level -- I don't think my husband really cares and Evan expects everything to go swimmingly.
Why the stress/anxiety/panic over a 4-year-old's party, you may ask? Well, I suppose I wouldn't be in a tizzy if I had just invited the usual suspects (family and friends who have always been part of Evan's life). But now with Evan in preschool, that opened up a new wrinkle. Invite the whole class, even though he's only known these kids for a month? I was not ready for that. 18 kids in my cozy home? No thanks. So at the risk of raising eyebrows among the moms, I let Evan invite the three kids that he seems to hang with the most. (Don't worry, I didn't send the invites to the school, I don't know much, but I do know that's a no-no.)
So now I'm faced with having about 10 kids plus their parents in my house. What to do? It's really HOT outside. I don't have a pool. I've wrestled with the idea of a bounce house, just to keep them busy and get them all tuckered out. But that goes against my previous stance against out-of-control parties. Plus it's not really in my budget. Then again, I haven't completely ruled it out. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
I emailed a magician to find out his prices. His website was promising. I thought the kids would find him hilarious. He promptly emailed me back. Forty-five minutes of his time would cost me $450. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
What to do? I'm sure they can entertain each other, right? And what about food? It's at 3 p.m. That's strategic on my part -- doesn't that mean I can get away with not serving a full meal? Or do people still expect to load up their plates? Can't I just do cake, chips and fruit?
I realize I need to relax. But this is new territory. What are those parents going to think of my lame little party? Do I care? I shouldn't. It only matters that Evan and the kids have a great time, right? Oh, and my resolve about goodie bags is melting as well. Why am I taking my angst about out-of-control parties out on the kids? Candy and favors are not going to break the bank. Bounce houses and magicians will.
Steer me to the Pin the Tail on the Donkey games at the party store, then give me a glass of wine, and I'll be fine.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
Joy Oglesby has an infant daughter and a sister 13 years her junior, whom she babies to the now-adult...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s...
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters...
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces...
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 13, and Lily, 6, and is married...
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator, and father of two boys and a girl all under the age of seven.
Comments
take a deeeep breath. You don't have to impress anyone (although I know it's hard to remember that as parties get more outrageous every day.) If need be, you can play freeze dance and musical chairs. But to be honest, I was recently reminded by my own son's b-day party that kids just want to run around with their friends and play with each other's toys. I don't think they even really care about goody bags. But if it makes you feel better...
Posted by: shana | September 17, 2007 12:11 PM
Good lord! Take it easy!
Its just a 4 yr old's party. A bounce house is no more than 100 bucks for 4-6 hours. I say get the bounce house, a pinata, some simple games a cake, some pizza and call it a day. You seem to be way to caught up in the "are they going to think I am lame" situation. If you want water, go to a water park and have the party there. Its usually pretty reasonable at the county water parks. And by all means, say "yes" to the goodie bags. Buy 99 cent hot wheels and some basic candy for the kids. Or better yet, put a bunch of it in the pinata along with some loose change and have the kids bust it open and scramble to put it in their bags. Forget the parents, let the kid have his day.
Good luck.
Posted by: Richard | September 17, 2007 1:32 PM
Here is my way out of it:
a.) Tell the parents it's a drop-off party. You're most worried about what they think, so if they're not there, the stress drops. And they'll appreciate the 2-3 hour break.
b.) Sit the kids down on a table you can afford to dirty up and do craft projects; at least it's one facet that keeps them active.
c.) Count on at least one fight with your spouse.
d.) Inspired by (c). In your case, email my wife for more ideas. By her count, she's done 21+18+11=50 kids b-day parties.
e.) Wine is a very, very good idea.
Posted by: Nick Sortal | September 17, 2007 1:45 PM
Remember, the party is for your son, not for the parents. Make sure it's a party he will enjoy, and forget the rest! Goody bags don't have to be so expensive, dollar stores have great things. People have forgotten what bday parties are all about! Relax, and enjoy! Your son and him having fun on his special day should be the only concern you have!
Posted by: Becky | September 18, 2007 8:17 AM
Thanks everyone! I'm calm now! (And thinking about going to the party or dollar store on my lunch break)
Posted by: Nancy Othon | September 18, 2007 11:05 AM