Sorry not tot write last Thursday, it was my birthday and I took the day off.
Thinking about birthdays, I thought I would share a few thoughts about toddlers and birthdays. When a child turns one, have as big a party as you want. The party is really a party for you, getting through your first year of being a parent to this little being! When your little one gets tired, just put them to bed and keep partying with your friends.
After that first birthday, you start wanting to have a birthday celebration for your child's benefit. It's fun to think of your child as a social being, and perhaps you remember wonderful birthday parties from when you were a child. Before you get carried away, however, heed my advice: SIMPLER IS BETTER. The birthday parties I remember most fondly fell from about age 7 to age 11; save the big parties for that age. Younger than that, birthday parties can spin out of control really easily. You think you will invite the five girls in your three-year-old's preschool class, and suddenly you have six three-year-olds, twelve parents, and two to four older or younger siblings all crowding into your livingroom and kitchen. You may not have planned on a party for for twenty-three people, but that's what you've got.
In general, a good rule is to invite one pint-sized guest for each year of your child's age (or you can do their-age-plus-one). Three friends over at the same time is absolutely enough to be a party for a three-year-old, and that holds true at almost every age. Additionally, be clear on your invitation if parents are to stay or to go, whether siblings are welcome, and what time things will end.
Another good rule is to plan activites that alternate big energy with quiet energy. It can be so exciting being the center of attention and having so many people over, that children need help calming themselves down. You can give them this help by planning a storytime into the schedule of events, either reading a picture book about a birthday, or telling the story of your child's actual Birth Day, or telling the story of the star child choosing his parents and making the journey across the rainbow bridge. Most of you readers have seen the puppet show of that story that I do for birthdays, so I won't share it here. If anyone hasn't heard it, tell me in the comments and I'll write it out for you. I remember hearing that story every year up until the age of seven, and it holds a special place in my heart.
And finally, keep it short and sweet. An hour or two hours is quite long enough for a party for a child age 5 or younger. Birthday parties can be so exciting that children go through their energy reserves very quickly. Having a wonderful time and then saying goodbye leaves everybody with fond memories, looking forward to the next birthday.
