This topic is quite a tricky one to cover. Every parent is conscious of their own child’s behaviour but it is in the spotlight to other parents at your little one’s party and can be a cause of stress. Unfortunately due to over excitement behaviour can be quite exaggerated on your little one’s big day. Obviously you don’t want to stop them from enjoying themselves and to do so will possibly cause them to play up even more. So what to do…?

The two biggest dangers for children at parties (isn’t the dodgy sandwiches and sausage rolls…) It is over excitement and burning out too soon. If your child has a tendency to get irritable when tired then it is probably a good idea to organise the party earlier in the day. This prevents them from getting more and more worked up as the day goes on and then not enjoying their party when it comes. I have seen many many children weepy in a corner hugging a parent whilst watching their friends have a great time because they have literally run out of steam too soon. The last thing you want is to go to all of that effort for the benefit of the other children.

So try and keep your little one calm during the day. If they start to bounce, keep reminding them that the party will be soon and that if they behave they will get extra treats later. You know what your child responds to best. The worst thing to do is to let them work themselves up and you leave them to it because you are too busy organising food etc. This may be a big ask but it will pay dividends later on and will ensure that they enjoy all of the party.

Another element to consider is that your little one may well be an angel for you but with their school friends they may start to show off and become boisterous. This could end up needing them to be reprimanded causing upset and mood changes. The best way to prevent this is to set out in advance that your child is the party host and that they should set a good example to the other children. They should welcome their guests and thank them for each present. This is not designed to stifle their excitement it is to ensure that they dont encourage the rest of the group to run wild.

GROUP BEHAVIOUR

Any good entertainer will be able to generally control a group and insure that the overall behaviour is good, but from time to time there will be the ‘problem child’ who will not respond to any requests. Strangely enough this often happens when their parents are still in the room. The parents just think that they have time off from their child and leave them to the entertainer or you to sort out. As unbelievable as it seems, there have been party almost ruined by one child who’s parent just leaves them to it!!

It can be awkward as you dont want to chastise someone else’s child, but it is necessary to take some steps in order to insure the party flows. Entertainers are aware of this problem and so if you work together then this can be dealt with in a very casual manner. Reassure the entertainer that you are aware of the problem and agree steps to counteract it. Possibly taking the child in question to find their parents and sit with them for a few minutes (putting responsibility back onto them) Or just asking them to move to one side breaking them away from the main group. Any direct change to the situation is usually enough to stop the behavior. Another good idea is to have a couple of extra adults around to help with this, whilst you may be busy with food etc.

TINY TOTS

Often parents will bring their child’s younger sibling along to a party. Now whilst they are not directly connected to the party, these tiny tots will often roam around the room to find their own entertainment. This can often be very disruptive to the entertainment as they will wander into the middle of the action and break the groups attention. Again this can often be left unchecked by the parent as they don’t see it as a problem. The first few times can often be amusing but continual disruptions can have a negative impact on the group and the show.

Again it may be worth addressing this with your entertainer up front and encourage parents with toddlers to sit further towards the back of the room. Also it is worth providing some snacks for them to keep them occupied. This is not to stifle their enthusiasm but to help create a calm environment and to allow your entertainer to what they do best, and also to allow you to sort food without tripping over little people.

CONCLUSION

There really is no predicting how children will behave. Groups that look wonderful when they arrive can turn out to be awkward and unruly, and vice versa. But if you are aware of it in advance then you can counteract any potential problems and ensure that the party is controlled and much more enjoyable for everyone. The behaviour of other people’s children is often the biggest fear when organising a party. From experience taking a firm stance is always best. Parents don’t question a teacher being firm, so treat it in the same vain. Stop bad behaviour before it gets out of hand and work with your entertainer to ensure that the group sees that bad behaviour wont be allowed and culprits will not be allowed to enjoy all of the surprises in store.