Mama's Guide To Mamas

So you are taking your child home from little Sally's birthday party, and you can't seem to figure out how Sally's mom pulled off such a great party.  She remained completely calm, and the children were all on their best behavior, enjoying activities and playing well with each other.  You start to think that she must have a level of patience that you will never have.  Wrong!  In order to pull off this seamless affair, little Sally's mom did one of two things:

She hired Occasions by Mama to plan her party or

She was organized and prepared 

Sure, if you need help getting your child's birthday under way, we are here to help.  But if you are looking to give it a go on your own, don't feel overwhelmed.  Throwing a birthday party for a child can be a great deal of fun- just be sure you plan ahead!  A little bit of preparation and creativity can go a long way.  Here is a list of tips that will help all you mamas out there plan the party of your child's dreams! 

1. Let your child help plan the party.   Young kids love to be involved in everything that we do.  Sure, it is much easier (and it will probably go faster) if we just do it ourselves, but allowing your child the chance to feel needed and useful will be well worth the extra effort.  Try to get started about 6 weeks before the date of the party.
2. Choose a theme.  Your theme can be anything your child is interested in such as sports, disney, or even just their favorite color.  By choosing the theme you will be creating an outline for all of your planning.  It will be a lot easier to organize your thoughts and plan party activities and decorations once you've nailed down a theme. 
3.  Mind your manners! If your child plans on handing out invitations to his friends in school or day care- make sure that every child in his class is getting one.  If you are having a small party and only want to invite a select few from the class, send the invitation in the mail instead of handing it out.  
4. Plan activities in advance.  There is nothing worse than a group of 15-20 kids yelling "Im bored", and tearing up your house for entertainment.  Why not set up an arts and crafts table for the kids to have some creative hands on fun- and their project can double as their goody bag!! if you want to set up games at the party- Mama suggests you try to avoid competitive games.  Avoid a fit of tears or a potential melt down by playing games that will allow each child to come out a winner. 
5. Ask for help.  It is a good idea to recruit the assistance of your babysitter, or a close friend or relative to help you keep the party on track.  For very young children, you should encourage the parents to stay for the party as well.   The more helping hands the better!