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Party-Planning 101

Pulling off a stellar kid's birthday party doesn't have to feel like hosting a celebrity wedding. Just follow these simple stress-busting pointers -- and put the party back in party-planning!

Keep it small
"There is a huge relationship between your stress level and the number of kids at the party," says Susan Baltrus, author of The Ultimate Birthday Party Book: 50 Complete and Creative Themes to Make Your Kid's Special Day Fantastic!

By Elizabeth Hurchalla

Pulling off a stellar kid's birthday party doesn't have to feel like hosting a celebrity wedding. Just follow these simple stress-busting pointers -- and put the party back in party-planning!

Keep it small
"There is a huge relationship between your stress level and the number of kids at the party," says Susan Baltrus, author of The Ultimate Birthday Party Book: 50 Complete and Creative Themes to Make Your Kid's Special Day Fantastic! (Cook Communications). "When your child says, 'I want to invite the whole class,' it's okay to tell her to pick the eight people she really wants to celebrate with."

Keep it short
It's also a good idea to limit the festivities to no more than two hours. "Don't invite two- or three-year-olds to a three-hour party," warns Baltrus. "One and a half hours is plenty. A longer party may begin to drag, and kids tend to melt down -- so it's better to end on a high note."

Get help
If your child is under four, ask parents to stay for the party. However, if the kids are a little older, you may want to have Mom or Dad just drop them off. As Dina Maiorana of Columbus, Ohio, points out, "Having other parents there can be more stress than help, especially since you then have to feed and entertain them, too. Hire a babysitter to help out instead."
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