Children’s birthday party- FOOTBALL

According to me children’s birthday parties are meant to be a fun time for the child as well as the parent. All the years that I have had birthday parties for my children until today have been loads of fun. Yes,it is a fair amount of work involved ,but once a year, I think is totally worth it ! As long as you stick to doing what you enjoy and don’t feel that you have to keep up with the others ,it will be a fantastic celebration for all. As the kids get older ,the number of guests dwindle down to their immediate friends…and the food is also more or less what the children like to eat at that point of time !

From having 35 kids to just 10-12 kids,we’ve come a long way. I’ve always had great birthday parties growing up,with mom doing everything at home. It was but natural that I would want to do the same for mine too. From making the cards at home and blowing the balloons and cooking up yummy treats ,it’s been a wonderful journey,this far,with a lot of help from family and friends. Now,we’ve graduated to e cards and phone calls and whatsapp messages in lieu of invitation cards. From butterflies,pirates,art and craft ,music,cooking , cops n robbers,farm,detective,kites,sewing,sports,gardening and so much more,we have many memories of great times and the pics speak more than a thousand words. In recent times,a part of my home is completely steeped in ‘football’ and all that goes with it. With FIFA 2014 going on the same time as our birthday,the whole attention was centred around it undoubtedly !

This was 1 and a half kgs of vanilla sponge cake made by our local bakery- Hot Chocolate.

The few rules that I follow for a stress free kid’s party is;

Organize your stuff well ahead of time.

Give yourself a week before the party for last minute details.

Order your cake about 4 days before the party. Give the bakery a clear picture of what you want along with the dos and don’ts

Decide on a budget,your child’s interests and go with it.

Pick up stuff that has utility value and looks good.

Decide on the food you’d like to order out,make the baked stuff like cookies and cakes,the previous day. (If you are reading this ,you must be interested in food and do like to cook/bake )

Set out your plates,napkins,bins for disposal ,food tags if any,candles,party favours,decorations and other things you may need about 2-3 days ahead in an appropriate place.

Do your grocery shopping also 2 days ahead for things that you need to cook at home.

Make sure you have lots of water for kids get thirsty constantly and some other beverages outside,when there is a lot of outdoor play.

Give your guests a start and end time,that way you won’t have to keep parents wondering when to pick up their wards.

Set your ground rules with the kids,then you don’t have to worry about bad behaviour. I always insist that my kitchen is off limits and no running outside once it gets dark !

On the day of the party,just focus on having a good time,keep your own attire comfortable and keep it simple. A happy parent is what they remember more than all the fancy arrangements…I think !