A non-party for a 2-year-old
This year I outdid myself in party-organising economy: I didn’t even get the party hats out. Last year taught me party hats are only good for ruining photos as Timmy helplessly grizzles about having elastic around his head.
I didn’t make a cake, either. Or order one. No. I strolled right on in to our friendly neighbourhood petrol station, and bought a cupcake. And a coffee. The coffee was for me.
We had no elaborate dinner. We had hot chips. With tomato sauce. Except Timmy, who had a few chips with a main course of tomato sauce, enjoyed in a finger food capacity.
We didn’t make a friends/extended family deal out of it either. It was just us.
On the whole, it was a much more pleasant experience than my attempts at festivity last year.
Timmy loved it: he wasn’t forced into a party contraption with elastic around his face for the sake of photos, he got distracted with a novel new water play table that he got all to himself (try accomplishing that in a party of 10 kids), and he got to have a meal of tomato sauce twice in one day (we’d gone to Burger King for morning tea).
I loved it: I wasn’t pressured to make the day a Scrapbook Moment to prove my worth, I had a surprising amount of time to myself with Timmy being so entranced by the water play table, and I didn’t have to cook dinner.
Daniel loved it: Timmy didn’t want his cupcake ribbon.
And I presume Husband loved it. I hope so, otherwise it would ruin this entry’s poetic rhetoric.
29 Apr 2014
What a wonderful lesson to be learned here. These parties can be such an ‘impress the friends and family’ ordeal, and as you so clearly expressed, the birthday child is miserable, the mum is stressed, the dad is overwhelmed having a stressed mum around… it’s just not worth it! And that’s why, my dear friend, I must hereby confess that in a combined 29+ years of parenting (12+9+6+2+(-)5 weeks) I have thrown my children a grand total of ONE combined party, and one other party which was 100% planned, organised, and hosted by a sweet party-loving friend…. and that’s it… will my children be emotionally scarred for life… time will tell 🙂 At least they’ll have a mother who will live for an additional 25 years than she would have if 4 parties were held each year! 🙂 Keep up the great work! xxx
30 Apr 2014
That’s so reassuring, Tehila! Your children certainly don’t seem any worse off for the lack of parties — on the contrary, my observations of them have seen them with precocious maturity. They don’t seem to subscribe to the popular attitude of self-entitlement that’s ‘normal’ and ‘expected’ among children. Honestly, your children are the most amazing kids I know!
30 Apr 2014
Eve, your response to my comment was SO encouraging that I called my husband into the room to soak in the blessing of it with me!!! Thank you for your kind words. I know you mean them, and they have deeply touched our hearts and encouraged us today! Love and hugs… x