5 Steps to a Stress-free Children’s Party

There’s no doubt about it – children’s parties can be incredibly stressful and exhausting. Not only do you have your own child to worry about, but there could be as many as 30 other children running around screaming, feeling sick from eating too much cake or having a temper tantrum after losing a game. It can sometimes feel like a bit much, but luckily for you, we’ve come up with 5 steps to a stress-free children’s party that will leave you feeling positively serene (well, almost).

#1. Take the party outside

If there’s one thing guaranteed to stress out even the calmest mum, it’s the thought of a party in their house with 30 screaming children. When it’s sunny outside, take the party outdoors and enjoy a picnic in the garden, with competitions, races and arts and crafts activities the kids will love. You can consider getting some foam machine rentals to make the party that much more fun. The kids are sure to enjoy a messy party with lots of foam to throw around. There’s no need to worry about mess and you can get as creative as you like! Even better – get someone else to take the whole responsibility off your hands… A great kids party idea I saw recently was a Go-Kart Party. They are nationwide, and are very safe, but above all – fun!

#2. Watch your e-numbers

Kids need to have fun at their birthday party, and nobody is going to have fun with bowls of celery sticks and hummus, so let them have crisps, cake, ice cream and whatever else they fancy. You can make life a lot easier for yourself by making choices which contain less e-numbers. Opt for snack foods without artificial colourings and flavourings and you’ll find the kids are a lot calmer, which in turn will make you feel less stressed! You may also want to look for various drinking choices (for example, check out Orangina drink) to keep them hydrated at all times.

#3. Be organised

If you’re planning your party yourself, you need to be in control and organised. Kids’ parties need to run like clockwork to prevent them getting bored and disaster striking. Make sure that you’re organised and have planned things thoroughly to avoid temper tantrums. Have everything you need in hand for games and other activities. If it is a superhero-themed party, make sure every kid gets his or her superhero cape or costume and no one gets left out.

#4. Celebrate with a friend

A great way to feel less stressed at your child’s party is to co-host with a friend whose child has their birthday at a similar time. Whether you celebrate in your garden or split the cost of venue hire and entertainment, having another adult in the same situation as you present will lighten the load and make you feel much less stressed out. You’ll also save money on food, venue hire and entertainment by splitting the costs with a friend, and will have a helping hand to clean up the chaos afterwards.

#5. Relax and have fun

If there was ever a time to get in touch with your inner child, this is it. Forget the stresses of adult life and throw yourself into the party, after all, how often do you get to run around in fancy dress with a bunch of kids and eat cake on a weekday afternoon? By relaxing and enjoying yourself, you’ll be so busy you won’t even have time to get stressed, and your kids will have a much better birthday for it!

Children’s parties don’t have to be stressful – just make sure you’re organised (rope in a friend to help if necessary) and concentrate on having fun.