Celebrating a child’s Birthday is much more than an excuse to have a party. These experiences are important for children’s development and seeing your little one’s eyes light up with joy is good for the parents’ mental and emotional wellbeing as well.
Those are a few of the reasons that explain why the children’s party industry is booming today. However, the growing popularity of extravagant celebrations is presenting some issues for many parents. The biggest one is finances.
How much money should you spend on your child’s party?
There is no “right” reply to this question because there are no set rules that govern birthday celebrations. Therefore, the only correct answer is “as much as you can comfortably afford to spend”.
However, many parents today might feel pressured by the growing trend of organizing outrageous kids’ parties. These can cost a few thousand dollars and include anything from full spa treatment experiences for little kids to renting an entire castle or creating a magical setting at some hired venue.
Mike Jennings, who works for an event furniture rental in NYC, says they’ve been getting progressively more specific, and outright strange, orders for the last few years as people are trying to create fantastic setups at their events. He also notes that this has helped their business to build up quite a collection. “A furniture rental that wants to survive in the industry today must cater to the needs of all customers, no matter their age”, says Mike. He also notes that this has created opportunities for more parents to offer special celebrations to their children.
With many businesses now stocking the kind of supplies that are used at such parties, these items become more affordable. This means that savvy parents today can organize a big and memorable themed event even if they don’t have an “outrageous” budget.
Therefore, now it has become more about good planning and using what money you have for the event in the most efficient manner. There are businesses offering all kinds of services at a wide range of prices, so parents can get creative. For example, you can save money on a venue by hiring some big empty space and creating a fairy playground there by renting furniture and decorations. Or, you can turn your own home into a magic castle with some creative and cheap decorations, or even something you can make yourself. Your imagination is the key factor here, not your budget.
Should you try to throw a big party for your kid’s birthday?
There can be no doubt that many parents will struggle with the decision of whether they should be spending extra on a big birthday party. It’s a sad reality of life that when money is tight, you are forced to prioritize. But just how big of a priority should this celebration be?
It’s definitely not an event you can afford to miss, says Jacquelline Woolley Ph.D., who is writing for Psychology Today. She cites multiple studies, which show that for young kids, birthday parties have a much bigger significance than for their parents. Children under 5 years of age literally believe that parties are the manifestation of their aging. This belief erodes as kids get older, but it can still be present to some extent until your child is 9 or 10.
The grandeur of the celebration doesn’t really matter for young children, but the fact that it happens at the same time every year matters for their development. Therefore, throwing a party for your kids is essential, but what kind of festivities to fill it with – not so much. Keep this in mind when planning your next birthday celebration.
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