Ah, birthdays. A wonderful time of year… for your child, maybe. For you, the pressure is on as you race to organise every last element of the big day so that there are no tears, and yet, somehow, you still have to find time for all the usual routines involved with being an adult. It’s a stressful time of year, and there’s no beating around the bush with regards to that. Still, it doesn’t have to be quite so stressful, and you don’t have to worry about your child’s big day going out with a fizzle rather than a bang. Here is the ultimate guide to throwing the perfect birthday for your little one (or not-so-little one if your child is entering that awkward teenage phase).
A day out together.
Maybe you were expecting the first suggestion to involve some amazing material item that would make your child’s eyes light up, but, no matter how it may seem, the most perfect gift in a child’s eyes is time spent and memories made with their loved ones. I’m not suggesting that you cop out and simply take them to the park, as that is likely the way you and your family would spend time together on any average weekend.
Perhaps you could treat them to a theme park or zoo they either loved in the past or always wanted to visit because their friends told them it was cool. Well, there’s no better day to surprise your child with their favourite place in the world than their birthday. If you want to create everlasting memories of the best birthday they’ve ever had, your kid is far more likely to remember the year that they spent an incredible day at an incredible place with their family or friends rather than the year they received some fancy toy.
No novelty gifts.
Children grow up and change so quickly, which is why buying a present as a parent can be a very stressful experience. You want to buy something that makes them happy, but you just know that the action figure you bought last year was forgotten within days of their birthday. The problem is that, once the novelty wears off, so many of your expensive gifts are discarded. It can be hard to think of a solution, but perhaps the answer is to give your child a gift which keeps on giving.
Video games, films or action figures might bore your child eventually, but a subscription to watch all their favourite children’s shows or play online games with their friends, depending on how old they are, might be the perfect gift for them to use all year round. Whilst you’re doing your research, you could call DIRECTV and other such providers to figure out which kind of subscription package would be best for your child. It’s obviously a judgemental call based on the age of your kid, but as long as the subscription is suitable to their tastes, this could be the perfect gift in terms of it not being discarded five minutes later.
Throw the ultimate party.
Of course, no birthday is complete without the ultimate party. This could be combined with the idea for a day out that I mentioned above or, if you opt for another present, it could be a separate event.
Whatever the case, a party doesn’t have to be a lavish and expensive affair. All you need is a gathering of your child’s best friends in the entire world, maybe a fun theme involving costumes, some party games in the garden and, most importantly, cake.