Helpful Party Hints

Party Planning

• Keep the party short and sweet (one to two hours) to match your guests' short attention spans. Children ages one to three get cranky if they're kept awake too long.
• In general, the best times for young children are late morning (after the morning nap) or late afternoon (following the afternoon nap). To plan the party when your child is most alert, pay attention to your child's day to discover the optimum times.
• Try to plan the party for a weekend. The children won't care what day you select, but a weekend party is usually more convenient for the adults who will attend.
• For ages one to three, be sure to include the parents as guests, so they can help their own children participate in the fun.
• Inviting one guest per each year of your child's age, plus one extra guest, is a good rule of thumb. Too many guests may put the party at risk of deteriorating into an almost unmanageable gathering with a fair amount of crying.
• Get extra help from a babysitter, grandparent, or friend-so you can participate in the party activities and share the fun with your child.
• Take lots of pictures, but avoid shooting flash photos too often. Camera flashes can irritate young children and make them edgy. Be sure to use film that photographs well in indoor lighting.

Provide Breaks During the Party

• For ages one to three, some children have difficulty handling the extra excitement and attention at parties. To help keep your child calm and relaxed, be sure to give him or her a nap or rest period before-and after-the party. In addition, allow for some "time off" during the party-such as a break in the kitchen alone with you while you prepare the treats.
• If other children have trouble handling the excitement of the birthday party, tell the parents they are free to take a break from the party, too, such as a walk around the block or some time in the garden.
• If your child cries or has a tantrum during the birthday party, take him or her to another room to provide a break from the noise and activity. Then give your child something specific to do for the party to help ease into more cooperative behaviour. Doing a simple chore helps relieve tension, distracts attention from a problem, and makes a child feel more in control.

Keep Party Guests Occupied

• Have extra playthings on hand to amuse the young ones and lots of party party bags that guests can take home. They will delight in having something new and be less likely to be jealous of the honoured child's gifts.
• For ages one to three, some children prefer the gift-wrap to the gift, the frosting to the cake, and the old toys to the new toys. That's perfectly normal-let your child enjoy the party his or her way.
• If guests don't want to participate in the fun and games or food, don't force it. Some children simply need time to adjust to the novelty and excitement of birthday parties. Many prefer to watch the fun-and they enjoy the party just as much!
• Ask the birthday child to pass around the gifts, and promise him or her that they will come back! If the birthday child doesn't want to share the new toys, set out a box of toys the other children can play with. Or, give the guests their party bags early in the party, so they can play with them during the party and then take the party bags home.

Food at Birthday Parties

• When birthday party planning, check with parents to make sure their children don't have any food allergies, and do your best to avoid using any of the allergy-causing items in the party food. If that is not possible, let the parents know which foods are off-limits for their child. If you have pets, be sure to discuss animal allergies as well, making any needed adjustments.
• Keep party treats simple, but decorate and package them creatively; the snacks should be fun, but safe to eat.

Go With the Flow

• For ages one to three, if your child dozes off during the party, let him or her sleep. Some children shut down if there's too much excitement. Keep an eye on the sleeping guest of honour while entertaining the rest of the guests.
• Roll with the unexpected. If the guests like the props of the game better than the game itself, let them make up their own play. If they won't touch the food you've prepared, they won't starve. If they want to go home, they can go home. If they won't leave parents' laps, they can still enjoy the party. And if they fight, it will be over in a few seconds and they'll soon be friends again.

Wrap It Up

• When departure time arrives, mention that it's getting close to your child's rest time and begin to clean up and get out the good-bye goodie bags. This should help wrap things up for those parents who want to linger. It's important for you and your child to have some time alone after the birthday party, and for the event not to seem endless.
• Birthday party planning and hosting can be as tiring as it is rewarding. After the party is over and your child is asleep, sit down, put your feet up, and enjoy the memories of this very special occasion. You can clean up the mess when your child wakes up.