Birthday parties are an important and essential part of everyone’s childhood. Some of the same factors play a role in our lives as adults when confronted with social situations—the awkward first few minutes before the whole party has arrived, the dilemma of what gif to give, the cliques, the loners, all of it. But once all together, the stresses go away, kids forget who is in which social circle and all that’s left is a group having fun together. All this will happen, unless of course, no one shows up.
So many of us have schedules jam-packed with our own appointments and obligations that, once we add all the activities and events for our children, it’s overwhelming. Often, parents decide that it would be better to just miss a birthday party here and there. But what if all the parents decided that and that child was left with a horrible, lasting memory of being the kid who had the party which no one attended?
Growing up, when we made fun of a classmate or spoke about them in a way that was unkind or just repeated what the gossip was about them, my parents would always remind us, “that is somebody’s baby.” What they meant was “how do you think we would feel as your parents to know someone thought that way about you?” We would feel so badly about it, so sad that our baby wasn’t fitting in. The thought of them feeling sad, or someone else’s parents resonated with us and taught us a valuable lesson. It really boils down to the age-old adage “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
So, going to the parties is almost a duty, a stepping stone for children to remember that it’s not about them, that they are part of the greater good that can be bestowed upon their classmates. You never know when just showing up can make all the difference in the world – new friendships can be forged and fun will certainly be had. If you don’t believe me about the lasting effects it can have to host a party that no one attends, read this article: “Parents, take your kids to all those birthday parties – here’s why”.
We are big advocates of “the more the merrier” at Art Fun Studio because we believe in the power of creativity and fun shared between children.
