your party, the options are many.
“Invite less people!” says Christine
Mann Smith. “And if you can manage
it, just ask parents to drop off so you’re
not catering to two to three times the
number of actual guests.”
If your child has trouble
shortening his guest list, aim for simple
activities over an entertainer. Sushi-
making or cake-baking parties at
home have proved popular, and take
care of what goes on the treat table,
too. At one Fancy Nancy-themed
party recently, girl guests sewed simple
bags, stuck shiny bits on glasses, then
donned “fancy” make-up and feather
boas before parading up and down
on a makeshift catwalk. Their bags
became the goodie bag, stuffed with
all the bits they’d made. As one five-
year-old constructed her ice cream
parfait at this party, she grinned at the
birthday girl and proclaimed, “This is
the best party ever.”
Skimp on the venue by heading
outside – a move that still allows for
big guest lists. One mum says she
carted a picnic hamper and champers
up to The Peak for her baby girl’s
first birthday, for an outside picnic
for 40. Caryn Banker says 100 people
(including 40 tots) attended her son’s
fourth “pirates and princesses” party
at the beach. She hired a clown,
but needn’t have bothered, she says.
“They were completely entertained by
being together.” What started out as a
morning event wound into afternoon,
with Caryn seemingly achieving the
impossible: a huge yet laid-back event.
Some mums limit special parties
to once every few years, or significant
milestone ages; others offer special
outings like skating, movies, or horse
riding with best friends. The good
news is, according to experts, by
about eight years old, even the kids
themselves stop asking for whole-class
extravaganzas, having grown closer to
select groups of friends.
What we can all agree on is
that your special person should feel
special on his special day. So should
you go big or stay home? That’s up
to you – just don’t be swayed by what
everybody else is doing. A happy mum,
it seems, is also a happy party.
October 2014
89
