Mon 21 May 2007
This weekend, I attended my fourth four-year-old birthday party in as many weeks. I guess it only makes sense that the children in Aitch’s preschool class and playgroup, who are grouped by age, would have their birthdays clustered together. And given the monsoon weather we’ve enjoying, I haven’t really minded the weekly opportunity to feed and wear out the kids at a venue that I don’t have to clean up.
Unfortunately, Aitch is one of the younger kids in his class. By the time his birthday rolls around in August, not only will all of the good party venues have been used, multiple times, but parental fatigue will have set in. This leaves me limited options. The first is to come up with something even more fun and exciting for the kids (and the parents) to do. Pony rides! Pool party! Rock climbing! I am reluctant to do this, and not only because I’m cheap. I think the other parents are only going to resent such one-upmanship (I know I would). Worse, it seems like the beginning of a downward slide that will culminate in an eighth-grade graduation at the local yacht club to which the kids are chauffeured in stretch Hummers and at which they are entertained by a hip-hop artist famous enough to have shot someone and gotten away with it. My (acquired) Yankee sensibilities recoil in horror.
I could go the other way. My friend told me that her sister has a theory that birthday parties should be home-made affairs. The simplicity appeals to me, but do I really want a whole preschool class of four-year-olds running around my house? My house that has no backyard? We’ve done that, of course, for both Aitch’s and Minor’s Tol parties. But having expended a lot of effort there, I really wasn’t planning on having a big party for either of them for another couple of years.
I could limit the party to just family, or family and a few friends. Another guideline I’ve heard is one friend for each year of the kid’s life. That seems reasonable to me. Husband thinks that Aitch will be disappointed if he can’t have all his friends, like all the other kids. I say that a little disappointment will strengthen his character. Of course, four preschool friends will be accompanied by up to eight parents and four younger siblings, so if I’m having it at home I still have to feed a passel of folks.
What are the preschool party customs in your neck of the woods?
May 21st, 2007 at 10:58 am
No kids, so I can’t give you any local comparisons, but can’t you just have a cookout on the beach or in the park? Let the kids run around and be crazy for a few hours, maybe have a pinata, organize a few games, and call it a day? It’s homemade, yet not at home.
May 21st, 2007 at 11:30 am
I will admit that I did the pony ride thing for my kid’s 4th birthday–BUT! We had the party at a stable that was kind of a farm. The kids got to gather eggs, go on a hayride, etc, and it was cheaper than the (significantly shorter) gymnastics party that was our other options.
We will be moving to a place with a bigger backyard and fewer neighbor issues, so I want to have this year’s party (also in August; I feel the pain) at home. The Birthday Girl To Be, however, wants to go to the pony place again. (Never mind that she was the ONLY kid who refused to ride the pony.)
I’d like your take on goody bags, while we’re talking about preschool parties.
May 21st, 2007 at 1:53 pm
For our playgroup, we have one joint party for all the playgroup kids at one of the homes — usually in the middle of the September to November birthday season. We each bring one gift then swap. The kids love it, and we have a no-gift rule if the playgroup kids are also invited to any individual family parties.
I think parties will only get more extreme as the years go by, so you should set the bar low for the 3 and 4 year olds. We’ve been to parties at Chunky’s theatre in Haverhill, Little Monkeys and Imagine That, in Lawrence, and at various Little Gyms and My Gyms. We’ve also been to pottery parties and karate dojo parties. All good options. I’ve heard some negative things about Amazement in Haverhill. The best ones are where someone leads the kids in activities so the moms can sit around and gab.
I don’t think any kids are disapointed with their birthdays at the preschool age. And for goody bags, I say, keep it simple. It’s nice for the kids to take a little something home, especially if they’ve gone through the agony of picking out then giving away a present. Bubbles, pens, stickers, matchbox cars, whatever.
How about having the party at a park or playground and just bringing cake and ice cream? You could set a rain date.
As for the guest list, at our preschool, we tend to either invite every child in the class or just those of the same gender. Girls have princess parties and boys have pirate or Cars or Thomas parties. Then, you have half the number of little tykes running around.
Good luck and have a fun time!