7 Ways to Get through Your Child's Birthday Party with Your Sanity Intact ...

Who cares if the mom down the street hired circus animals for her kid’s birthday? If your child doesn’t like animals, you’re never going to win by copying her. Think about the things your child likes and build a party around them. This is the best of the many ways to get through a child’s birthday party because if your child is having fun, you’ll be less stressed. So if your son loves dinosaurs or your daughter can’t get enough unicorns, use that to create a theme for a party you’ll both love.

No party is successful if you don’t have a plan. Once you decide what your theme is going to be, you can use it to dictate crafts, activities, snacks, treat bags and decorations. Write down all your ideas so you can consolidate them into a doable plan that you’ll be prepared with on the big day. Get your child’s input so you don’t plan something he’ll hate or that the other kids might not like.

Don’t wait until the week before your child’s birthday to get started. Send out invitations at least two or three weeks before the event so your child’s friends and family can plan for the big day. The longer you wait, the more stressful the party will become and you might find yourself so upset by the time the party starts that you can’t even enjoy yourself.

If you save everything until the day of the party, chances are you’ll be crazy by the time the kids start showing up. Prep food the day before and store it in the refrigerator. Hang up decorations and put together goody bags the night before. Then on the big day, you can share the excitement with your child instead of running around like a crazy mom trying to get everything done.

When my son turned five, I tried to create a fondant volcano for his birthday party. Twenty minutes before the event, I was furiously driving to the grocery store to buy a cake after having to trash my whole cake idea. Not pretty, I tell you. Don’t drive yourself crazy by trying to outcake the Cake Boss. Just buy a cake that goes with the theme and give yourself a break. The kids don’t care what the cake looks like; they just want to eat it.

A houseful of guests, many of which are little kids, is bound to be a mess. Try to ignore it during the party and enjoy the day with your child. After all, it’s not going anywhere, right? You don’t want to miss presents because you’re scrubbing frosting out of the sink. And hey, if you wait until the end, you might get some offers of help!

With all the digital media at our fingertips, it’s easy to watch your child’s whole life from behind the camera or camcorder lens. Instead of trying to capture every moment on film, take a couple pictures of each part of the party and then enjoy the rest of the event in real life. Memories are powerful and you won’t forget the day just because it’s not all recorded permanently.

How do you enjoy your child’s birthday parties? I love to watch their joy when they open presents from their friends. Nothing matches that!