Party time.

Children’s parties are not what they used to be. For one thing, every child has to win a present during pass the parcel. I distinctly remember crying at my ‘fifth’ because I didn’t win! My mother took me to one side and gave me a good hiding (you can’t do that anymore either). Okay she didn’t smack me, not at the party anyway but maybe later when my spoilt brat-ness reached its’ birthday peak.

Nowadays, you can hire somebody to come and entertain your kids while you sip on your champers in the background. VCA is producing some really excellent children’s entertainers who will do anything for the right money.

If you can’t afford a professional or an unemployable actor, you can do it yourself. There is so much information on the net, websites dedicated to making your little cherubs’ day the best it could possibly be. All you need is a theme and you can bet your bottom dollar some parent will have bragged about every minute detail on-line. There are some very competitive parents out there.

Another option is to limit the number of invited children and pay for them all to partake in some experience like circus skills, cookery or crocodile bating. There is also the play centre party where all the food and entertainment is provided. These parties look pretty tacky but the kids love them and there is no stress.

 This year I decided to host Jake’s party at home, every other year we have battled it out for the pergola at the local park. My theme for Jake’s fourth birthday was pirates and initially all I was thinking about was the costume. But this party caper is addictive and after doing a quick Google search, I had decided on a pirate ship cake and telescopes (cardboard rolls) positioned around the garden.  Then I was thinking about how I could turn our decking in to a ships’ galley and if I could make the kids walk the plank right in to our swimming pool. Thoughts about the party began to consume my mind, how to make it bigger and better. Scott would have to dress up as a pirate and maybe he could make some treasure chests with the kids as they arrived. Maybe we could give them all tatts, real ones naturally as I don’t want the parents to think we’re cheap. The ideas kept flowing and it was all because of one website that had a ratings system. These people had gone to extremes with their chosen theme, from the invites to what the children took home in their goodie bags.  The following party received an honourable mention:

‘…when they arrived, we had them decorate treasure chests at the start which involved cigar boxes painted gold with sequins, stick on jewels and glitter glue for them to use.  This activity gave them the chance to chat to the Good Pirate" and get to know him a little.  They then had to swear to obey their Captain and have a fantastic time. As a reward they got to have their picture taken as a crewmate. For this we used one of those things you put your head through and take a picture of you as a pirate. We got one off eBay quite cheaply. During the party I printed these off and put them into the treasure chest that they had made…. The Good Pirate told them a story.  He used pirate figures that I had crocheted especially for the story…..’

Now I could have paraphrased all of that but I wanted you to see how crazy some people are when it comes to their kids’ parties. Bear in mind this party only got an honorable mention!

I did make Scott dress up as the good pirate and quite frankly he looked like a paedophile. The moustache didn’t do him any favors but on the plus side reminded me of why he shouldn’t do Movember!  I did make a pirate ship cake that turned up trumps; I was so high fiving myself over its success all day! I come from a background of fabulous birthday cakes- my mum is simply amazing in the kitchen. Her cakes are legendary- I have had birthday cakes in the shape of a girl, a guitar and Australia to name but a few. This year she is planning on making Jake a cake in the shape of a dinosaur and she will pull it off.  I went with a ship because my reasoning was that it could always be a shipwreck! Thank you Google, you again have given me the power to rip off somebody else’s’ idea!

The party itself was a success and the children seemed to enjoy themselves but maybe next year I’ll take them all to a play centre!