How to host a stress-free children’s party

If your child has decided that they want a party for their birthday, then you may already be panicking about cost, about organising, and about entertainment. Hosting a children’s birthday party is one of those times when you need to get everything right, and in an Instagram age, the pressure is higher than ever. That needn’t be the case. In fact, with the right planning and a little advance preparation, hosting the children’s party of the year is actually a lot easier than you might think. For those parents already dreading the build-up to a children’s party, here the top three ways to reduce the stresses of the planning and the day itself.

Advanced planning

The more that you plan in advance, the less opportunity there is for chaos on the day. Decide with your child early on what sort of theme they want and start sending out the invites early enough so that friends and family are sure to attend. Theme is a great element to establish as early as possible, so that you have the time to tailor the birthday space to the interests of your child. Whether it’s their favourite film or TV show, their most passionate hobby, or even something generic like Princesses or Wizards, the earlier you have a definite theme, the easier it will be to find good quality but cheap party supplies that can make your child’s party feel much more special.

Use all of the available help

Whether it’s the grandparents, older siblings, or even other parents, you probably won’t find it too difficult to find some helping hands. Whether it’s Gran making a special birthday cake or a set of parents helping to put up decorations, you’re going to need all of the help you can get. Don’t try and do everything yourself. Everyone knows just how stressful running a child’s birthday event can be, and you might be surprised by just how much help is available. Make sure that everyone knows their jobs and when they need to be done by, and you’ll reduce your stress levels by a significant amount.

Be prepared for change

Not every activity that you have planned will go according to schedule. You might have arranged the day with an hour at the table eating the party food, only to find that the kids shovel the food down in twenty minutes, or the disco that you’ve set up might not be entertaining enough to keep them dancing for long. Have some backup activities and games planned just in case of emergencies, otherwise you’re going to have a lot of bored but excited children, and that’s a stressful combination. Having a set of activities as back-up is a great way to ensure that the children are never without something to do, and that’s the best way to keep your stress to a minimum.

If you arm yourself with the right preparation, you’ll find that the day will go much more smoothly. You might even enjoy the day rather than spending the entire time dealing with stress or frustration. Always be prepared for plans to go awry, and you may end up hosting the playground event that will still be talked about next year.