Am I the only one who thinks that birthday parties have gotten a little out of control?

Most of our mothers knew how to throw a simple birthday party.  There was cake, balloons, and presents, and dollar store pin-the-tail-on-the donkey.  We wore our best dresses and played musical chairs and didn't even notice the apparently tragic lack of ponies and bouncy castles, centerpieces and tiered cakes.



Here are 8 tips for hosting a simple, meaningful birthday party for your kids.

1. Don't even consult pinterest.  Seriously, don't do it!

2. Keep the cake simple.  Pick it up from the grocery store bakery or bake some cupcakes at home.  Cake from a box is okay.

3. Keep the guest list small.  More people does not necessarily make for a better shindig.


4. Invite the parents of each guest too.  We invite whole families to our children's parties, that way we get to spend some time with the parents of our children's friends, siblings don't feel left out, and there are plenty of adult hands around to help the party run smoothly. 

5. Make your child's favourite meal. Generally this will be something easy, cheap and kid friendly.  And the birthday boy likely won't have a  dinnertime meltdown at his own party.

6. Consider a colour scheme instead of a theme.  It's often much easier to get a bunch of pink and gold decorations than to find princess emblazoned everything.


7. Consider saving parties for every second year.  I have a wise friend who throws birthday bashes for her kids every second year and does something as a family in the in between years. 

8. Skip the party favours.  Pretty pleeeeeease.  Nobody needs a bag full of trinkets and candy sent home with their kid and you can save yourself a little bit of time, money, and stress.  The fun time with friends is reward enough for attending.



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