When you place your child in day care you want them to be happy, and a large part of their happiness is due to the friendships they form. Inevitably children will have birthday parties, and they’ll naturally want to invite their friends. You might be wondering, what is the etiquette when planning your child’s party?
Do I need to invite everyone in the class?
Whilst it is nice to involve every child, sometimes it’s simply just not viable. It is important though to remain discreet if you are only inviting a few select people. Asking your child’s carer to place the invites in the child’s bag is a great way to ensure that there is no one feeling left out.
Do I need to provide food for the parents?
When you are having a party for children of day-care age, it is customary (unless otherwise arranged) for the adults to attend. Whilst you don’t need to provide a full banquet for the parents, it is nice to provide nibbles and drinks for the duration of the party.
Should siblings be invited?
When inviting child-care aged children, the parents are generally invited, but does this extend to siblings? It is good to note on invitations if they are not invited, or if there is a charge at the chosen venue should someone decide to bring a sibling along.
Should my child open their presents at the party or at home?
Opening gifts should ideally be left for home. In the instance that your child doesn’t like their gift, there is jealousy, or someone couldn’t afford a big gift, it’s always best to manage the responses behind closed doors.
Gift opening can take up quite a lot of time and keeping the focus of a group of child-care aged children could become quite difficult.
By opening the gifts at home, you can work out who the gift is from and arrange thank you notes.
Do I need to provide goodie bags?
Goodie bags are a firm favourite with party goers, but obviously not mandatory. Sending children home with a bag full of lollies is also not always well-received. Try and be thoughtful with your choices, opting for more healthy options and small toys and games as opposed to a bag full of candy.
Have fun!
When it comes to your child’s birthday party just try and enjoy the experience, an easy going-host will provide a great vibe for the day. Children of day care age generally don’t need longer than 2 – 4 hours, so keep it short and don’t be too hasty to refuse the help of other parents, after all you want to spend some time with the birthday boy or girl.