Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Amaze your kids by hosting their next birthday party at home.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Sue Kirchner
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Kids love birthdays and they look forward to their parties with great anticipation. Knowing how important it is to them, some years I want to put on my SuperMom cape and do something special. If you want to a throw a truly memorable party for your child, consider having a fun party right at home. You can do it and not lose your sanity. Here’s 10 reasons why I think you should host your kids' birthday parties at home. Your kids will thank you! 1. You won’t just be a number on a party room door. I have been to so many birthday party places (or mills as I like to call them) where the scarce staff only cares about getting you in and out of your party room on time and with minimal hassle. They don’t even bother to learn your kid’s name. It’s …
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tips for saving money on your child's birthday party plans without sacrificing the fun.
According to the last U.S. census, more babies are born in July and August than any other time of the year. What does that mean? Summer birthday parties! While everyone is watching their spending these days, you still want to give your kids a memorable party, right? Good news! Here are some ideas on how to spend less on a birthday party without sacrificing the fun. 1. A Scribble is Fine. I like a beautiful invitation as much as the next person but let’s face it, it’s going into the garbage as soon as the party date has passed. For adults, a party invitation sets the mood for the event. For kids, it just tells Mom when and where to bring her child. So, why not take one of your kids drawings, write the party particulars on the bottom, make …
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Do parents go overboard and spend too much on kids' birthday parties?
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Sue Kirchner
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Did anyone see the TLC show Outrageous Kids' Parties? I watched a few clips online and while the parties were extreme, it got me thinking about the pressure parents feel to keep up with the "Joneses" on kids' birthday parties. There are plenty of articles out there about how extravagant kids' parties have become and articles on how to throw a great kids party for less cash. At our last Palatine Patch.com Mom's Talk council meeting, the topic of planning a kid's birthday party was definitely an issue for Moms. What do you think? Are kids' birthday parties out of control? Have you ever felt pressure to add more kids, spend more money, or just do more for one of your kids' parties? Or is this pressure just media hype? To what lengths do you…
Steve Zany
5:44 am on Friday, September 30, 2011
Sue, great article. I love your reference to party "mills." Today, even the world of kids birthday parties have become "big-box" businesses run by inexperienced teens. In a related blog post I wrote, http://goo.gl/4fp4Y, I suggest that with home birthday parties,less can be more. Less activity. Less racing around. Less clutter. Less materialism. Less competition. Less pressure. More memories. I … more ›