Birthday Parties and What can Go Wrong (Part 1)
By Amanda Torres

If you are a first time parent, it is likely you have no idea what you can expect as you go through planning and hosting a child’s birthday party.  You will have this awesome party mapped out, but what can happen if things don’t go the way you planned? 

Last Minute Gifts

Problem: You waited until the week before your child’s party and you just have to buy one more gift on your list.  What you didn’t realize is that this is a hot ticket item and your child isn’t the only one who wants this toy.  You end up searching 4 stores to no avail and this is the one thing your child has been asking for. 

Solution: As your child’s birthday peeks over the horizon, buy in advance.  Trust me, things will go a lot smoother this way.  It is easier to buy a gift every week rather than all in one trip anyway.  Plan to have the last gift purchased a month before the big day.  This way you can be sure that you are able to buy everything on your list and it ensures you have time to search for the best price. 

Party Supplies

Problem:  Just about every child’s party needs goody bags, balloons, decorations and the cake.  Sounds easy right?  Sometimes it is easy, but when you have big hopes for something, snags can and often find their way in.  How can you get all of this done without growing another gray hair or losing sleep?

Solution: Again, buy in advance and make it as easy as possible.  There are a number of online party suppliers that sell everything but the cake. What makes this so great is that you can buy a kit that follows a theme (cowboy, princess, etc…) and has everything right down to the goody bags and spoons!  As far as the cake in concerned, check your neighborhood grocery store.  Ours has a bakery that makes wonderful cakes for a reasonable price.  This is very convenient since we need to pick up snacks and drinks for the party? This is one stop shopping at it’s best!  Order the cake at least two (2) weeks in advance and arrange for pickup as close to the time of the party as possible.

Your Party Guests 

Problem: You’ve sat and planned the perfect guest list and even asked for an RSVP on the bottom.  Guess what?  It seems that nobody understands what RSVP means anymore.  You will assume everyone is going to show up and 15 minutes after the party was due to start you only have 1 child present with a party hat and noise maker..

Solution:  This happens a lot more than you may realize.  Send out invitations at least three (3) weeks prior to the party and require an RSVP within 1 week to hold their place.  Have a second batch of invitations for fill-ins.  Sure, you may end up with people who didn’t reserve their spot and have 4 extra guests, but it is far better than explaining to your child (while they have tears in their eyes mind you) why nobody came to their party.

Click here to read Part 2