Birthday Parties = Stress

The words birthday party and stress should always be used in the same sentence. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love birthday parties. I love to see the smiles on my kids' faces when it is their day, and I love how happy it makes them when they get to pick out everything they want to do for their party. They feel so grown up. I don't, however, like all of the stress that comes with planning the party. The link above is a great article on ways to help reduce stress. It first explains that it is best to prepare for the worst. The worst probably won't happen, but it is better to have prepared just in case. Then there are some great ideas on how to prepare effectively. One of my favorite ideas from this article was to limit the number of kids that come. One of the guidelines they used for this suggestion was to allow one child per each year of the child's age. I thought this was a great idea. This will be more cost effective and it will lessen the chaos.

Another stress that comes along with birthday parties is trying to find the perfect gift for your child. I have learned from experience that the most expensive or biggest present doesn't mean that it is going to be the best. Really take time to think about what your child loves to do. My daughter loves to write and draw. Anything with scissors, glue, colors, glitter, etc. is right up her alley. Her favorite present last year from her father and I was a giant coloring and activity book. We bought a few extra supplies so that she could come up with new creations, but the entire present only cost us $20. She still mentions how much she loves it. Another good gift is to have something personalized. My daughter received a pillowcase with her name embroidered on it and she loves it. Another idea we like to do is personalizing art supplies. They get excited when they see their name on the gift, which let's them realize that it is all about them on their special day. This is a good website for personalized gifts, but remember you can also do it yourself. We had a friend of ours make the name puzzle stool and it was much more cost effective. Just remember, the sky is the limit.

Another stress that comes with birthday parties is the clean up afterwards. Sometimes it seems like you are the only one left picking up the empty plates and sweeping the floors. One good suggestion is to have the kids help with the cleanup. Make it a game. Girls love to have princess parties, and who better to have as a character then Cinderella. Cinderella's mean stepsister's always made her clean everything. Tell the kids that she needs help. Bring out a large trash can so they can throw everything away. Have a few small brooms and mops out so that they can help with the floor. You will be surprised at how many kids actually like to clean when they think that it is a game. They also like rewards, so tell them that they get a prize fit for a princess when the mess is clean (this is a great time to hand out the party favor bags). For more Cinderella party ideas, visit this website. For boys, tell them that they are dinosaurs. They can pick up all the trash with those large claw hands you can find at the dollar store. This can be used as one of the party favors that they get to take home as well.

Hopefully this has helped ease some of the stress that comes along with throwing a birthday party. I know that I have found some great ideas! Good Luck!