Planning essential to avoid stressful children's birthday parties

By Eva Neumann Dec 22, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - A birthday party can be the high point of the year for a child, but for parents, it can bring on nothing but stress. Planning in advance and limiting the number of guests, however, can help avoid major problems.

To ensure the party is a hit with both children and adults, planning should start no later than three weeks before the date.

The first thing to consider is the guest list. While it's up to the child to decide whom to ask, parents should limit the number of guests to one for each year, said Peter Thiesen, a sociologist pedagogue at a college in Luebeck, Germany.

A child celebrating 5, would thus have a limit of five guests.

The guest list goes hand in hand with the location of the party.

'The best place is the child's home or garden,' said Thiesen. This gives the entire group plenty of space to romp around in.

In the winter and in bad weather, it's best to use a roomy space in the house. People who don't have that should think about finding a location.

Elementary school children in particular love to celebrate their birthdays at places such as bowling allies, indoor playgrounds and in the cinema.

This can be stress-free and relaxing for parents because they have less to do, said Angelika Muxfeldt, a Munich author who writes on the subject.

'But you've got to be aware that you take on a large responsibility to watch and take care of the children and make sure they are safe,' she said.

As soon as the location is fixed, the invitations can be sent. The home-made versions are always more personal, but that takes time and effort, which can also result in a stressful situation. The most simple - and therefore costliest - variation are pre-printed invitations with blank lines for the essential information.

'The invitations should be sent or handed out two weeks before the party if possible so that all the guests and their parents can make the necessary plans,' said Muxfeldt.

The next step is the shopping list. Themed parties make the preparations, especially the decorations, easy, said Muxfeldt. There are books to provide assistance in throwing a themed party.

When it comes to food and drink, ideal are foods that can be made in advance. Nutritionist Dagmar von Cramm said muffins, waffles and cake in small portions are good examples.

A few days before the party is the time to shop for party supplies. Fresh ingredients should be purchased the day before. As much of the menu as possible should be prepared the day before.

Lastly, the room should be cleared of any items that should be kept away from children, and the items needed for games should be gathered and set aside.