I recently came across an interesting article in celebrating children's birthdays. It caught my eye because my precious granddaughter is turning "1" and we bought her a play kitchen to grow into. What fun! If you have an up-coming birthday to plan, you may be interested in reading this.
SIMPLE GIFTS
By Sharen Pearson
As a mother of five and now grandmother of seven, I’ve planned my
share of birthday events. I am a creative person, so my problem is
“going over the top.” My expectations supersede those of the birthday
child. So, I have to step back and say, “Whose birthday is it anyway?”
And, therein lies the key to a successful
birthday party.
I recently assisted with my grandson, Waylon’s party. He was
reaching that big-boy age of 5 years. He knew what theme he wanted:
Herbie the Love Bug. He wanted a backyard campfire and a cake with
Herbie on it. Simple—Herbie, campfire, cake. Got it! My daughter
complied. She invited a few families from church that Waylon knew well
and was comfortable around. Since entire families were represented,
parents were there to help with crowd control. Bowls of chips and dip
provided a place to gather around as people arrived.
Children scattered
to play in the back yard, parents grouped to watch and chat. Easy, huh?
Daddy lit a small fire in the campfire ring in the yard. More talk, more
easy playing. The cake was a simple giant chocolate chip cookie with a
frosting “Herbie.” Waylon thought it was wonderful.
Mommy announced that it was gift-opening time and everyone pulled
up lawn chairs and sat in family groups. Waylon sat in the middle of the
circle on the grass and guests watched as he opened each gift and
thanked the giver. He received many nice gifts, but to everyone’s
delight, a small, inexpensive
VW bug toy car was his favorite. He opened
it, raised it above his head as if it were a trophy and yelled in
delight. Waylon slept with his “Herbie;” woke up and greeted it; placed
it on the edge of the tub so he could see it. He had the birthday he
wanted. Simple party, simple gift, simple fun!
Some suggestions to consider when planning your party:
- If your child is old enough to have input, allow it.
- For ages 1-5 years, simple is best. Simple decorations, simple food, simple games.
- Invite only one party guest per age of the child. Young children are
very intimidated by many children of the same age. Remember, “Whose
birthday is it?”
- If guests include family/friends with older children, add activities especially for them.
- Home is the best place for children ages 5 and under. Big party
venues are confusing, scary and do not position the “birthday child” as
the center of attention as he should be.
Some traps that parents fall into:
- Making the party so complicated that you, as the parent, no longer enjoy it. (Been there, done that.)
- Allowing young party guests to get close to and grab for gifts as as
the birthday child is opening them. (Admit it, you’ve seen this haven’t
you?)
- Spending too much money. (Guilty as charged.)
- Preparing food for adults and not age-appropriate to the guests. (The only thing to show off today is your wonderful child)
- Engaging in sleepover parties before the age of 9 years. (Children
younger than 9 or 10 years often find sleeping at someone else’s home
frightening and uncomfortable.)
Author Bio
Sharen Pearson’s
Goof & Giggle classes and materials continue to provide a quality
Mom/Tot interaction. Widely popular, Goof & Giggle’s child-focused
play plans are offered in various Arizona
communities. She’s also created a variety of Goof Juice DVDs and filmed
episodes of Baby D.I.Y. and written workbooks for BabyFirstTV. Arizona
Midday (NBC) tapes monthly segments with Sharen to provide their
audience with a variety of original and creative “easy to do” activities
for babies and preschoolers. Sharen’s creativity reaches a combined
audience over 200 million viewers worldwide. Goof & Giggle classes
and products encourage green living, repurposing materials from around
the house into affordable objects for play and learning. Learn more at: http://sharenpearson.com/
Gift sets from Barefoot Books for every special party and occasion can be purchased at http://ladyd.barefootbooks.com
“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” —
C. S. Lewis
My Family from WiddlyTinks.com
Image by University of Maryland Press Releases via FlickrComputer Time May Give
Preschoolers a Jump Start
