Throwing your first birthday party for your kid may sound like a lot of fun, but be prepared to be stressed out. However easy you thought it would be, you can just write “I told you so” on your mirror so you don’t have to come back and let me say it the day after. It is an exciting time and one that you want to remember forever. As such, you will want to make sure that you keep some tips in mind for taking the stress out of the party.
Delegate What You Can:
Many parents think that they have to do everything on their own. This is far from true. Relatives are very excited about the 1st birthday party as well and will be more than glad to lend you a hand. Take their help if they offer and reach out for help if they don’t. If you are stubborn, then you will feel the pain after the day is over when you don’t even remember the party because you were running around with your head cut off. The following items can be delegated to those you choose.
- Picking up food and cake – You can place the order, just ask someone else to pick it up on their way over. This will save you a little bit of time while getting ready for the party. You will not need to leave the house as every second is precious on the day of the party.
- Photography – You will be too busy to take photos so just assign this task to a few people up front. I said a few people as you always want to plan for someone either not coming through or something happening to a set of pictures. If all works out right, you will have plenty of pictures to choose from you will be able to focus on the party and see things in real time as opposed to looking through a camera lens.
- Decorations – See if someone would be willing to come over prior to the party to help you set up decorations. This is something good for a relative as you can actually spend time with them prior to the party and also get a little help from them in the process.
Hire A Nanny:
If you have someone who helps you on a regular basis with the baby, make sure to have them at the party. You will want to focus on your guests so changing a diaper or cleaning up spills is just going to take away from your focus. If you have a babysitter who can come over, pay them for their time and they will help you keep things organized. This will also help your kid as there will be quite a few faces at the party that they do not see very often. It is important to have someone they are comfortable with helping out (such as a babysitter that they see on a regular basis).
No Last Minute Surprises:
Treat the birthday party like a wedding. The longer you wait to plan, the more difficult it will be for you. Book a caterer early and order your cake a few months in advance. This will take away the stress of going to a baker at the last minute or finding out a week or two before the party that the food you wanted at the party is not available as the caterer is already booked.
Regardless of how prepared you think you are, make sure to read as many tips as you can about planning a 1st birthday party. It doesn’t matter if you are throwing girls’ parties or parties for boys, these tips will get you through one of the most stressful, yet rewarding, time in your child’s life.
