Well, I’ve done it again. I’ve over committed, over emphasized and become overly concerned with my kids’ birthday party. Because their birthdays fall within a few weeks of each other and because they’re still young enough to think sharing a party is cool, we’re all going to enjoy the festivities together.
But as I check my emails to see who has RSVPed, searched for just the right cake design and bugged my husband with constant questions and ideas about the party, I’ve realized that this doesn’t fit into the simplified life. Would my kids have cared if we had foregone the party and celebrated quietly as a family? Probably not. Sure there would have been the initial wails, but those would have quickly passed. I’m sure we could have come up with something just a fun with less emotional suffering for mom.
This begs the question: What is this urge in American parents to provide a Disney World experience to our children on their birthdays? Do we really believe that we’ll scar little Timmy if he doesn’t have the ultimate birthday party every year? If we stop long enough to think about it, then no, we don’t really believe that, but in the heat and rapture of the moment, that’s how we act.
Sadly, I started this birthday bash planning with more realistic expectations. I had planned a nice home party with cake, games and even a piñata. That evolved into a backyard jump house which then turned into a Chuck E. Cheese mardi gras. Crazy!
I think of friends who have walked this path before me and realize I need to learn from them. Here’s what some of them do:
- One friend plans special parties for special years. So, her children (and she has five of them) receive a party at age 5 (1st year of school), 13 (welcome to the teens) and 16 (oh so sweet). The other years, her family celebrates at home with one or two friends.
- Another friend gives her children a choice: a party or the money they would spend on a party. Being the savvy children they are, they usually run with the cash.
- Another keeps the guest list to a small 2-3 close friends–no blanket invites to their entire class, Sunday school, preschool or neighborhood.
If you’re planning a party for your little one, please learn from my mistakes. Keep it simple. Keep it fun, and keep it memorable (and that doesn’t have to include a trip to Disney World or the excitement-filled equivalent).
How about you? Do you have tips for keeping your child’s birthday party simple? I’d love to hear about it. As you can tell, I need all the help I can get!
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