| Mum Said / Dad Said: Outsourcing Birthday Parties |
| Written by Jayne Kearney and Chris Howe | ||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 03 May 2010 12:57 | ||||||||||||||||
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What makes a good kids’ party? Is having your party at an outside venue the scourge of modern times or sanity saver for busy parents? Jayne Kearney and Chris Howe have very different ideas on the subject, and aren’t afraid to speak their minds.
MUM SAID... I sometimes get the feeling that there’s a hierarchy when it comes to the various things we do as parents. Disposable nappies bad, cloth nappies good; shouting bad, time out good; home-baked good, pre-cooked not so good.And when it comes to parties I have the sneaking suspicion that those of us who go the outsourcing route may be seen as just not trying hard enough. Well I’m here to say that I’m a kids’ party outsourcer and proud of it. It took me a while to embrace my non-party making self. Of course I love the idea of an old-fashioned kids’ party– the fairy bread/pass the parcel/Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Cookbook kind. Who wouldn’t? In fact, my daughter’s first few parties were exactly that type of party. I made both the Trampoline Cake AND the Swimming Pool Cake - complete with those tiny little dolls on top - cakes I had pored over and coveted as a child. And yes, the parties were fun and the kids loved ‘em. I, on the other hand, was less enamoured. In a parenting funk at the end of each home-made party I could be heard grumbling - in something more than a stage whisper - that there would be NO MORE PARTIES UNTIL EVERYONE TURNED 18. But - my slightly more rational side countered - aren’t parties about making memories for the kids?, And isn’t that important? Well, yes, but maybe not quite as much as my sanity. And there I had me a full-blown parenting dilemma. That is, until my outsourcing epiphany. One day, while on the party circuit - probably at a fast food joint - I realised that the kids were not at all bothered by the venue, the food, the cake, the decorations. Got games? Got prizes? Got my mates? Got lolly bags? Is good. Because that’s what makes a party a party when you’re under 12 – celebrating with friends. Fullstop. I started to wonder if some of the other stuff is there to please the grown ups. “Oh, look, Jasper’s mother made gluten-free miniature cupcakes from scratch.”, “Did you see the organic, free-range, non-plastic spread at Isabella’s party?”, “The Langley-Smith triplets had a zoo-themed party and their father fashioned all the animals from chicken wire and papier-mâché!” Maybe home-baked parties are the new black when it comes to on-trend parenting. All well and good but, it has transpired, it’s just not me. Being at ease with the choices we make as mums and dads is one of my key philosophies, and so I have decided that, in order to keep myself nice (in the non-nervous breakdown kind of way), the best choice seems to be party outsourcing. And, at this point, my kids have made no complaints about parties at ghoulish-themed theatre restaurants; parties with reptile talks; parties with magicians; disco DJs and the like. Heck, they even loved their party at the local hamburger place. Of course, that’s not to say they won’t complain about it when they’re grown ups… but, I’ll take my chances.
DAD SAID... You’d think outsourcing parties would be right up my alley. My parenting style is hands-off. Push ‘em outside. They’ll work it out. If I could find one of those giant triangles I’d hang it from my front porch and ring it twice a day while yelling, “Lunch-time!” and “Dinner time!” You think I’m joking, but my wife knows I’m not. If fact, the rule would be that if I saw you inside the house before I rang the giant triangle I’d give you a chore to do.
ORIGINS: The whole point of a birthday party is to make the birthday boy or girl feel special. That may be spending time with a few treasured friends, or inviting the whole neighbourhood for cake and games. After you’ve set the date and worked out who to invite, you might like to consider these options.Home-grown parties: Decide on a theme and plan accordingly. Consider the games you want to play and decide on the cake. Enlist help from family or friends with the party cooking. Think about what you want to have in the party bags, or even if you want to provide them at all. Think outside the lollies and plastic trinkets square, and try seeds in a pot or cookie mix and a cutter. On the day tie balloons to the letterbox, set out the musical chairs and prepare for some noisy, kid-fuelled chaotic fun! Out-sourced parties: Once you’ve chosen the venue and paid the deposit, most of your hard work is done. Keep a list of guest numbers and update your party co-ordinator. Advise of any food allergies. You may need to provide games like pass the parcel, or your venue may include games. Check if you need to provide prizes, and if the birthday cake and candles are included. On the day, make sure parents know if they need to stay at the party venue or what time they should return to collect their offspring. It can be a good idea to take along some large boxes or plastic containers to transport the gifts and assorted party paraphernalia home. Just for fun take a look at all the fan pages on Facebook dedicated to the Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Cook Book. Lots of happy memories and nostalgia.
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Comments (4)
Meredith @ thinkthinks
said:
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... I've done one of each, the massive free-for-all in the backyard and the massive free-for-all in the indoor playground. Cost difference was negligible. Headache difference was about even because the squeals amplify in those tin sheds. Cleaning up afterwards was relatively painless. Even at the backyard party, as children, much like vampires, should not be invited across the threshold of your home if you want it to remain the same. Thank heavens for good weather that day! So it seems I am casting a vote each way this time. I'll take care not to shift my position on the fence too much, or I might get splinters in my butt. |
TudorGrrrl
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Same outcome, different reasons I've done both over my 11 years of parenting. Lately we've gone to homemade parties mostly because of the expense! I'm not dropping $500 on the party when I can do it myself, I'll use (some of) that money for a present. We've had some fun with charades, treasure hunts, one year it was all about cupcake decorating. They're often quite happy with a few friends for a sleepover, with a movie, pizza and do-it-yourself ice-cream sundaes for dinner and some pancakes for breakfast. Not really a big hassle. That said, for my youngest daughter's 10th, we'll have a science theme and do experiments. It'll be exhausting but the memories are pretty gold and I do enjoy it. So maybe I'm already past the nervous breakdown stage and into full insanity. Now I'm going looking for a big triangle... Ah, found one! http://www.wroughtironhaven.co...-bell.html With free worldwide shipping. Go on, we dare you.  |
Jacquie
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birthday parties every 2nd year Birthday parties are hard work, especially home parties.Fast-food restaurant parties are rubbish (in my opinion) as there is nothing original or memorable happening here...more like a present/gift harvest.I think guests should be given a good time so they associate the memories with the birthday child. Party bags are a thank-you and should have something different about them. My kids prefer home parties and they take a lot of planning. As they get older the outsource party locations like a swimming pool is a good alternative. |
KylieL
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... LOL at the Langley-Smith triplets AND the dads covertly ogling Snow White... great piece, especially as I expected you both to take the opposite stances. Afraid to say I am with Jayne though. I work so as I don't have to have other people's kids in my house (well, other reasons too, but that's a good one). My son's best birthday ever was last year, when I took 8 boys to Luna Park for the day. Cost a bit, but was a massive success, and I came home to a clean house and some cold wine at the end of it. In contrast, my daughter's last birthday party was at home- because she begged. It was a 12 hour sleepover and I reckon I watched the clock for at least 10 of those hours. Mind you, she loved it, and I do know that's the main thing- but given a choice it would be Luna Park every year! |
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