There is a season when the birthday parties are many and it is yet another nightmare for parents who do not enjoy the socialization with unknown strangers. I was unofficially designated the party taker in our home. I take my kid so that she gets the chance to make new friends, hang out with old friends, and think about others for a change. But sometimes when the parties are large, kids are nervous too and prefer to stick by their parents. I have seen other parents having to entertain their kids too at a party and I have done that myself a few times.
But what happens when your kid is very comfortable mingling? Then you are stuck wondering – how to pass the time, where to sit or stand, whether to look at your phone like there is something to read, or whether to make small talk with other parents who are feeling the same. Some parents are happy social birds and enjoy the mingling and those are the ones I envy. When there are so many kids at the party, there is no personal touch from the host. At times, there is no one to greet you or your kid when you come in. The birthday kid is never to be found to wish him or her. No one knows if they can eat the food laid out on the table so when my kid says, ‘Can I grab something to eat?’, I’m unsure what to tell her. I do think having 20 kids or more can be hard to handle for a host and it can be overwhelming keeping track of who came and if you greeted them or not.
All that aside, there are a few things I can appreciate about parties. For one, I finally know who my kid talks about at home by name and who their parents are. Once, I got to ride a bumper car in the ice rink because my kid wouldn’t do it herself. I have also met some really nice parents that probably feel the same way. No matter how I feel, the bottomline is that we do these activities for our kids.
These awkward situations are going to exist no matter where you go if that is your personality. What you can do is acknowledge that these quiet moments with strangers are ok. And with that thought, I will troop to all the Birthday Parties that are yet to come like every other mom and dad and make an effort to have a good time for my kid.
