LilSugar

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Dropping the Ball

babysugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:00:35 -0800

Life is a juggling act for most moms. With work, school, vacation, and travel schedules, one of the balls is bound to drop every so often. Usually, when it does the consequence is minor – a missed appointment here, a skipped sports practice there.

Occasionally, the results are monstrous and on display for everyone around. Last weekend, a friend, who has always had the enviable ability to remain calm and organized despite the chaos that surrounds her, did just that. Having spent the past few months planning her child's birthday party, she had everything planned out on spreadsheets – even her lists had lists. So when the party was set to begin, and no one had shown up, she was confused to say the least. She soon received a phone call from a friend asking where the party was because there was a group of parents and kids, all carrying gifts, gathered outside the address on the invitation, but the party location was nowhere in sight. It seems, my friend had placed the wrong address on the invites. The snafu was quickly resolved and the rest of the party went on without a hitch, but it is something my highly-organized friend will never live down.

Have you ever put the wrong child's name on a birthday cake or shown up for your own child's party on the wrong day? What is the biggest snafu you have encountered with your lil one's birthday parties?

Thrown a party that rivals one Martha Stewart would plan? Share your pics and party tips in our new Kiddee Soirees group. They could be featured here on LilSugar!

Mommy Dearest: How Do I Handle Special Needs at My Party?

babysugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:00:18 -0800

Mommy Dearest –

I am planning a gym party for my son's upcoming fifth birthday and am having an internal dilemma about whether or not to invite one particular child. The child in question has special needs that often involve her not listening well to instructions. At our party last year, the child did not listen to the teacher's directions and ended up interfering with the other children's art projects. When the teacher said something to her, her parents ended up yelling at the teacher for "coaching" their special needs child. I'm nervous about inviting them to the party this year because of the somewhat rowdy nature of a gym party, but at the same time, don't want the child to be left out just because of her differences.

What would you do?

– Should I Include Mommy

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Dear Should I Include Mommy,

It does sound like the child has a special circumstance that needs tending to. Her parents should know better than to yell at the party coaches during someone else's party. You have the right idea to include her so she doesn't feel left out. By inviting her, you are teaching your son, and the other children there, that everyone deserves to be included in a celebration. That said, I suggest notifying the coaches at the gym about the situation ahead of time. I am sure they have handled similar situations before and by giving them advance notice, they can better prepare for possible scenarios with her parents.

– Mommy Dearest

Reader Tips: Birthday Party Dos and Don'ts

babysugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:00:36 -0800

Though they occur just once every 365 days, birthday parties can be the most thrilling, magical, exhausting, and stress-inducing events of the year - for parents and tots. Readers had some strong opinions on our birthday party dos and don'ts guide, so I asked you to share your tips for a perfect party. Here are some of your spectacular fiesta suggestions:

Don't plan an activity that is going to send the kids home dirtier than they arrived. Face painting may be fun, but no parent enjoys cleaning the party off their child. - Findingmyway
We've found that you shouldn't over plan activities for the little ones. Many times a few activities to do with them and some free play time is best. The kids most likely are just happy to get together to play and will flutter through many different activities on their own if they have the stuff. We also make sure to plan little kids parties for the morning. Many kids need naps or down time after lunch, so they are often in the best moods and behave best if you get them when they're "fresh" in the mornings. - Anonymous
Make sure to have food for both the adults and kids, nobody wants to be hungry! - elisabeth
Same as any other event - have fun, relax, and don't worry if things don't go perfectly. Go with the flow. - Anonymous

To see other great dos and don'ts, read more.

My niece's first birthday was very fun until we put her in front of the cake. We tried to put a adorable hat on her combine this with the attention from all of these strangers and she LOST it. I think if I ever have child, I will avoid those uncomfortable birthday hats and keep the first birthday small. - Lauren
Do plan a major activity and backup for partygoers who can focus and play on their own, but don't get upset if it turns into a nicely decorated, but disorganized playdate. Do put care into your menu and have simple and tasty veggie and meat options, but don't think you need to deliver a gourmet spread. It's a kiddie party, not a dinner party! - Angelica
Do incorporate games into your day of fun to keep the kiddies occupied! This can range from using your Nintendo Wii as a group play station (four controllers and a scheduled rotation = happy kids), to outdoor games where the attendees can win prizes (bean sack toss, wheel of fortune, duck duck goose, etc.). My favorite part of my cousin's birthday parties when I was a kid was the interactive games my uncle used to build. It was like a circus midway in their backyard! - GeekSugar

Do you have a treasure trove of party suggestions? Share it in the comments of this post, or start sharing your advice and tips in our The Mommy Club! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Are Party Favors Necessary?

babysugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:15:44 -0800

At the end of every birthday party, there comes that moment where the invited guests start looking toward the door. Before saying thank-you and filing out, they pause, knowing that there is one last party ritual to go through before heading home – the goody bag.

Party favors are supposed to serve as a token of thanks for attending a tot's celebration. While some families opt for bags prefilled with candy and dollar store items others go more elaborate, giving children personalized gifts that tie in with the overall party theme on their way out the door. Even the best-behaved child can turn into a greedy, present-starved monster when the favors come out.

Tired of finding little plastic trinkets scattered about their cars and playrooms, some parents simply toss the bags in the nearest receptacle, while others have chosen to forgo the practice of handing the goody bags out altogether.

What's your opinion on loot bags?

Source

What's Your Birthday Party Do and Don't?

LilSugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:15:00 -0800

Celebrate good times, come on! Readers had some strong opinions on our birthday party dos and don'ts post, so it's time for you to give your advice. When planning pint-sized festivities for your children - what's your do and what's your don't?

Birthday Party Book Keepsake

LilSugar — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:00:02 -0800

Books with inscriptions make for wonderful gifts, but LilSugar reader schnappycat had an even more inventive idea when it comes to incorporating children's texts in celebrations and building her son's library. Here's what she said:

We do something similar for my son's birthdays. We choose a book that matches the theme of his party and ask the guests to write a greeting inside. It acts as a guest book so we can remember who was there, but it's also a really nice keepsake. I hope to continue this tradition!

If you want to put this tip to good use, here are a couple of books that fall in line with popular party themes.

If you're throwing an animal affair, Never, Ever Shout at the Zoo or We All Went on Safari might do.
When pirates are walking the plank at your celebration, have them gather around to hear The Barefoot Book of Pirates.
If it's a royal celebration, check out The Princess and the Pea.
For an art party, try When Pigasso Met Mootisse or Art Dog.
If the celebration is going to get kids cooking, check out Fanny at Chez Panisse.

Share your party theme and book suggestions below!

The Dos and Don'ts of Birthday Parties

babysugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:00:25 -0800

If mommy's wish is to have a worry free birthday party for her tot and guests to enjoy, there are a few easy dos and don'ts that will help her along the way. Make stains a nonissue, memories a sure thing, and meltdowns minimal. Check out our tips and let us know what you would add to the list.

View Slideshow ›

What Would You Do?: Stranger "Chewed Out" My Child?

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:00:28 -0800

What happens when a parent acts like a child? We were at a private jumpy house party when my son came running over to me in hysterics- choking on his words and pointing in the direction of the blow-up slide he had been on. Before I could calm him down to figure out what happened, the grandfather of another partygoer came over to tell me that he had "chewed out" my 3-year-old because he had pushed the man's granddaughter on the bouncy stairs. Almost as a reflex and before I could comprehend the situation, I had my son say sorry for his alleged behavior.

It was only after a few minutes, and we had been ushered into another playroom that the man's inappropriate behavior began to sink in. Who "chews out" a preschooler and where did this guy (a complete stranger) get off disciplining my child? It was then that a representative approached me about the "incident" that had occurred. I apologized to her saying I hadn't seen what had happened because I was on the opposite side of the slide waiting for my kiddo to come down. As it turned out, she had witnessed the entire thing and wasn't concerned with my child's behavior, but that of the grandfather. To find out what he did and why I was perplexed, read more. After explaining that my lil guy hadn't done anything more than help the girl when she fell down on the stairs and then pass by her, the woman said the man "crossed the line" and screamed in my son's face while standing over him in an intimidating manner and pointing at him. I felt nauseous, then enraged. I wanted to march over and confront the guy, but I didn't want him to create another scene and ruin the child's birthday party. I also didn't want him near my son so I let it go.

Once we were in the car heading home, I apologized to my son for what had happened, particularly for having him say sorry when the man was in the wrong. I also explained what the kids should do if anyone (especially an adult) ever approached them in that manner. This situation taught me to never feel too comfortable and that bad things can happen when you are just feet away from your kids. What would you have done?

Birthday Party and Uninvited Guests: What Would You Do?

LilSugar — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:00:10 -0800

Can a mom and her kids have their cake and eat it too? My daughter gets invited to a lot of school birthday parties and many require that parents accompany the children. Most celebrations are on Saturdays when my husband works so I've got all three of my kids in tow. Usually thrown at venues, the festivities have per child rates attached to them. Toting my newborn is no big deal since he can't participate, but it'd be rude to bring my 3-year-old. It also seems ridiculous to hire a $20 an hour babysitter to watch my sons while I take my kindergartner to a two or three-hour party. What would you do in this situation?

Lots of moms find themselves in need of advice outside their own circle of friends so join the What Would You Do? group over in our LilSugar Community and talk about the situations that leave you wondering what to do.

Kiddie Soiree: Regal Cake Molds For a Princess

babysugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:00:37 -0700

Now that the theme has been set and the invitations have been sent out, it's time to start stocking up on the necessary items for my 3-year-old princess's royal affair. First on the list is a regal style cake pan. In the past I've ordered the dessert from our grocer but this year I'm thinking of making it so she can help me with the decoration. It may turn out looking like a mess but at least we'll have fun doing it. Now I just have to decide which mold to go with: tiara, carriage, castle, or cupcakes with crowns on top.

Which one wins your vote?