My super sweet spoiled kid? How to avoid party wars
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Inexpensive, creative ideas for entertainment:
For kids’ entertainment, go beyond the usual clown or magician — these are also less expensive than traditional entertainers:
1. What could be cooler than having a fire truck pull up to your house? Many fire departments will send over a fire engine for kids to clamber on while they learn about safety from a real firefighter. Some supply helmets to guests (you should make a donation to the fire station).
2. Hire two high schoolers to play CDs and lead a dance party. Or have a couple of cheerleaders demonstrate a routine for the kids. Toddlers and preschoolers love to wiggle around and can try to copy the moves.
3. Hairstyling appeals to nearly all girls; see if a local stylist will create updos, French braids, ponytails or crooked hair parts.
4. Ask a music teacher to lead a sing-along. Gather (or borrow) drums, shakers, tambourines or musical toys so kids can play as well as sing.
5. Run, kick and jump: Your child's favorite camp counselor or a high school athlete could teach soccer skills, run a T-ball game or practice gymnastics with the kids.
6. Find a crafty professional (art teacher or preschool aide) to design an art project such as holiday cards, candy wreaths or nature designs.
Party-Game Makeovers:
Pointy party hat
Why: The elastic pinches chins and necks, the pointy tops poke, and they never stay on during the whole party anyway.
Better: Inexpensive plastic headbands turned into antennae with the addition of pipe-cleaner stems and Styrofoam balls as adornments; make them ahead of time or let the kids paint or decorate the balls as a party activity. Or make paper-bag hats, which can double as name tags: Just roll up the edges of white deli-size sacks into a brim and decorate ahead of time or at the party.
Cardboard noisemaker
Why: They get spit-soaked, and after being in circulation for a half hour or so, no one can identify his own (used) one.
Better: Buy plastic kazoos (about $1 apiece at toy or music stores), write names on them or put on stickers to lessen germ-swapping, and let everyone hum “Happy Birthday.”
Perilous pinata
Why: Who thought of blindfolding kids and giving them sticks to swing wildly about? And the candy grab afterward requires crowd control worthy of riot police.
Better: Do-it-yourself treasure balls. Scrunch a small toy favor inside a wad of construction paper. Tape into a ball shape, then wrap with a long crepe paper strip, taping stickers, tattoos and small toys along its length. Secure the end of the roll with a sticker. Let kids toss, roll or unravel their treasure ball (make sure they're light and won't hurt partygoers).
Sugary party favors
Why: They've had their cake; they don't need candy too.
Better: Think nonedible, interactive and instant fun: Sidewalk chalk, stickers and a sticker book, a puzzle or a jar of bubbles are all fine, sugar-free alternatives.
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Make them give thanks
Seventy-one percent say that their child sends thank-you notes to her party guests, but 41 percent say that they never get them from other kids. They're a gracious touch, and learning this early is a nice idea. Young kids can draw a picture of the present, then you fill in the words yourself. An older child can sign his name and, by age 6, should be able to write his own note. Don't worry about the spelling.
Lost track of who gave what? Don't mention the gift specifically — thank your guest for coming and being part of your child's special day.
Finally, remember that following guidelines is all well and good, but as every parent knows, sometimes the rules simply have to go out the window. Just so long as they don't all go out at once.
For more great parenting tips and information, visit Parenting magazine online.
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