Jenny So, we have survived my daughter’s 7th birthday party! A couple of months ago, I decided to mistakenly ask her what she wanted to do for her birthday: a lovely family day out at the beach? A trip to see Disney on Ice? Going to a pottery studio? No! A pizza party at home with a few of her friends, party games and, most importantly, a pizza cake!
‘Can we handle that?’, I asked myself. The stress of sorting out the house, organising food and entertainment for a group of sugar-fuelled, Katy-Perry-loving girls? In the past, it would have been easy, but nowadays things are trickier due to how quickly tiredness creeps up on me and stops me from having the energy to shop and organise. But yes. I was going to do this – with the help of my husband and some clever planning. The more that I looked into it, the more that I realised that party organisation can be done by a spoonie parent who doesn’t want her little girl to miss out. It can just take a bit of research and time.
Use the Internet
The internet is your best friend when it comes to organising children’s birthday parties – from ordering food to planning the party bags, it can all be done with a few clicks of the button. This year, I decided to forego the usual party-bag plastic that parents everywhere detest and ordered a set of puzzle books from The Book People, which worked out at 80p per book. A book and a cone of sweets (pre-made and bought from Ebay) were well received by the girls. Last year, I did the more traditional party bag – but I didn’t have to trawl through the shops – instead, I searched google for a company that offered pre-made, customisable party-bags and ended up getting some that the girls loved. The internet is also the place for party game prizes, cards, wrapping paper and free invitation templates to print out.
Keep it short and sweet
Run around, party games, food, activity – bam! Done. 2 hours was just the right amount of time for the kids to get sufficiently sugared out, have a couple of squabbles (what is it about 7 year old girls?!) and be ready for home – and me ready for a cup of tea and a nap.
Keep it simple
We ended up having a ‘pizza party’ this year and made it clear on the invites what it was. This made it easy to keep the food simple – we had the girls decorate their own (shop bought) pizza bases and served them with a simple mix of crudités, breadsticks and fruit. Pudding was shop-bought ice-cream cones or rocket lollies and biscuits. The cake was a a joint effort by me, my son (never toI too young to learn how to bake!) and my husband. Last year, however, we bought a packet cake mix to keep it simple. Keeping it simple may also mean buying a shop bought cake… whatever feels right to you and your energy levels is the right thing to do. Kids love cake whoever made it!
If you don’t have the energy for parties at home, have someone else do the hosting. We have had a party at a local soft play in the past – food sorted and no mess to come home to. There’s also bowling, ‘nerf wars’, swimming parties, cinema parties – anything that keeps the kids amused and, if you can sit down for most of the time, that is an extra bonus.
Keep ’em busy
Despite the weather being cold, it was dry, so we were able to chuck the kids outside with a couple of packets of coloured chalk and had them ‘decorate’ our paving for us. A good way to spend 20 minutes of the party whilst us grown-ups tidied a bit and had a sit down whilst slicing up the cake. Other ‘keep ’em busy’ activities include:
- blasting out music for a ‘disco’
- decorating bags/T-shirts with fabric markers
- making simple paper crafts such as fans, flowers or animals
- decorating store-bought sponge cakes/cookies
- making clay models
Enlisting help
Nothing helps more than an extra pair of hands, so if someone offers to stay, say yes! Handing out sweets to the kids who can’t quite manage to hold still during musical statues, putting on temporary tattoos, keeping juice topped up, slicing cake – my husband and I managed well by ourselves this year as the kids were a bit older but, in previous years, having other adults around ensured that the parties ran smoothly. Older kids can also help to bake the cake or decorate the room ready for the party.
Plan nothing for the rest of the day
I prefer to have parties that end by 2pm-ish – that way, the rest of the afternoon can be spent resting if need be. Our daughter spent the rest of the day playing with her new toys and activities, whilst we relaxed with a cup of tea. Dinner was left over party food and the kids were early to bed.
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Having kids’ birthday parties at home can be exhausting, but I was determined to have one this year – simply because I am not sure how long that I am going to be able to do it for. Our daughter is already planning her 8th birthday party – a sleepover – so I am hoping that is going to be an easy chuck-a-movie-on affair (I can but live in hope!)
I would love to hear if anyone has any tried and tested party ideas for spoonie parents that I have missed out 🙂
This is such a great article. I know myself how hard it can be and it’s something most people don’t realise! I thought I had planned around my MS so well for my son’s 2nd birthday. I’d accepted help and prepared as much as I could beforehand only to come down with a virus which completely wiped me out. I rested so much before the party but I still couldn’t make it through and had to take myself upstairs and have a rest during too, which really upset me! My son was too young to notice but I felt so guilty and like I was the worst mother in the world about something that was completely out of my control! I think I need to learn to stop getting so hung up on special days and events, they are nice to celebrate but I can only do what I can do, afterall it’s the everyday things that will matter the most to my son in the long term! x
Thank you so much Natalie 🙂 I definitely agree with you that it is the little every day things that are so important. Kids love ANY effort we make. It can be hard when we feel the pressure of what is ‘expected’ or ‘the norm’ though when the children see what other kids have/get. xx
Am past the party stage. I’ll turn up and smile if I can, but try to push for ‘treats’ rather than a party, e.g. London show and lunch with a best friend, rather than a party
Yes, we’ve said that’s her last ‘party’ now. I’m still tired today! X
Reblogged this on Dream Big, Dream Often.
Being able to shoo them outside for a bit was a definite blessing. It sounds as though you had everything under control but those kids’ parties are hard when you’re a spoonie. My worst was when I had 20 kids over for my oldest son’s 5th birthday and I woke up with influenza. Not “the flu” the way we think of it but the actual, life-threatening, pray for death variety. I didn’t cancel the party because I didn’t realize how sick I was until it was too late. But the kids were amazing. Unfortunately my youngest came down with it that night.
Oh no, that sounds awful Elizabeth 🙁 I think that the hardest part is that we can’t predict how we are going to feel until the day. That is why I find the prep and planning part so important! x
When the grand kids come for their summer visit (they spend a week each year) I have things planned to the minute. But I do have help. My oldest granddaughter is 15 now and she’s been such a help the last few years.
The older my kids get, the more help they are, which is great (they’re 9 and 7). I bet your grandchildren love spending time with you, my kids love their grandparents so much 🙂
I was afraid they’d be bored but they love coming here. Every spring they start asking when they’re visiting. And the older they get the easier it is.
Beautiful article 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Enlisting help is a must that we often forget when it comes to planning a party. We put more than what we have to upon ourselves. Thanks for the advice:)
Yes we do! Thank you for your comment 😊
Plan nothing for the rest of the day. YESSSSSS
Most definitely!
It’s been a couple of years since my kids were 7. However, a party at the playground keeps things simple. Order some pizza, a cake, a pinata, and the playground takes care of the rest.
My daughter turned 13 last year..we have a “few” friends over. We have a spa party. Lol Mommy got to take part of this. 😉
It’s not easy being a spoonie mom for sure, the energy runs low but parties get a bit easier as they get older.
That’s good to know! Unfortunately the weather in the U.K. Means it can be pretty unpredictable as to whether it will be ok outdoors, but my easiest party was in a ‘softplay’ and there the staff sorted everything out 🙂 Spa party sounds great!
Great ideas here Jen and so pleased the pizza party went well!
Thanks – I was pretty impressed with my pizza cake considering I can’t really cook! 😂