Party Planning Tips: Start a Family Tradition

image source: Creative Jewish Mom

If you have multiple kids, you know how hard it can be to celebrate each party with a huge (and expensive) celebration.  But if your kids are like mine, they're going to want that party for EVERY birthday or celebration.  Starting a fun family tradition can help make it feel like a party without having to go crazy with guests and decorations.

Family traditions can come in many different flavors.  Some can be tied to your own childhood memories or be inspired by a cultural or religious affiliation.  And some traditions can be thought up, right on the spot, with no good reason other than it just seems like fun!

Your traditions can be as extravagant or small as possible.  Just make sure that they are helping you with your goal - making it a celebration without excessive fuss and money.  When your kids know that they get to do something special for their important day, it will set the stage no matter the size of the cake or the amount of guests present.

Here are a few traditional suggestions that might help you come up with a few of your own:

• Have a special dinner.  Your family is going to have to eat anyway - let the birthday kid decide what to have.

• Make a special hat that only comes out at birthdays (or baptisms, or graduations, etc.).  Each child can have their own hat, or the family can share one as long as celebrations don't land on the same day for multiple people.

• Have a celebratory "throne".  Grab a chair at a second hand store and decorate it to the nines - then pull it out when there is cause to celebrate.

• Have Grandma come over.  If you have family members that can only visit a few times a year try to plan events or celebrations around them.  Just seeing them will make it feel like a party.

• Give a special gift that only happens on special occasions.  It could be a certain kind of collectible that is only given at birthdays.  Or you could have a traditional family gift for graduations.  Kids can look forward to this for years, if it's good enough.  :)


So now it's your turn.  What traditions can you come up with for your own family?  While big parties for all occasions is fabulous - remember that happy memories are not always about the number of people, the brightness of the decor, or the tastiness of the appetizers.