Planning a birthday party for your child is already stressful enough for any parent. You’ve got to deal with who your kid wants to invite, arguing with them about what theme they’re going to have, what your going to feed your guests and so on and so forth. I could have kept going with the list but I don’t want to stress you out even more.
Do I stay or Do I Go?
One of the biggest questions that concerns almost all parents with a young child is: are you supposed to drop your kid off and head off or stay and hangout? This may give parents a wave of anxiety entering a party to drop them off. They aren’t sure if they need to stick around and supervise their children or let the kids be for the day. We’re going to give you some tips and ideas on how to deal with this difficult topic, so sit back and try to relax (as much as you possibly can).
First things first as a host that’s throwing a party for a young child, to avoid parents from feeling awkward or anxious, state on the invite whether you want the children’s parents to stay or not! You could do this by saying something like, “please feel free to stay and have fun at the party!” or “you’re free to stay or leave and pick your child up later.” It’s nice for you to give them an option because some parents may feel uncomfortable leaving their child’s side, especially if they aren’t familiar with the parents holding the party which is completely understandable! Here is an example below:
Once you determine what parents are staying at the party, try to make them as comfortable as possible because they may need just as much time as their child to warm up to their environment and people attending the party. You can set out tags that the adults can write their name on and stick on their shirts (as cheesy as this sounds, it can make it easier to start conversations with other parents). Now, we want to distract the parents from their kids and yourself so they aren’t judging every move you make.
Now, you want to create some space between the children and their parents by designating a table for parents at the party. Also, by separating the parents from the children, this will allow the children to be more independent and comfortable at parties without their parents hovering around. For the parents table you can put out drinks, more adult snacks, and even games to try to get them to spark conversation and have just as good of a time as their child is having with their friends. You’d be surprised about what things can start conversations between parents, and who know, food may do it or a game of uno (because we both know how intense uno can get).
The most important thing when planning a young child’s party is to communicate to the parents whether they are supposed to stay during the party or drop their kid off and pick them off when the party’s over. By doing this you’ll avoid a lot of questions, confusion or awkwardness from your guest’s parents.
The post HELP! Hosting a Kids Party Where Parents Stay and What To Do appeared first on How to Plan a Party, Party Ideas & Activities.