The best party leaders speak “four year old”

Four years ago at this time, I was literally scaling the walls of my house while my husband hid in our bedroom pretending to go to sleep.

That was short lived. Luckily he threw me in the car, drove to the hospital where they gave me the most fabulous epidural ever. From then on it was smooth sailing to the arrival of our sweet baby girl.

My daughter’s birthday is tomorrow, but we had her party on this past Saturday.

So after plenty of delicious cake, singing, and activities, how was the party? And how does one decide what makes a great party ?

From a service perspective, a great party is where the guests feel included and taken care of. I’ve thrown some hum dingers in the past, but we were completely impressed with the party leaders.

We had the party at Northbrook Academy of Gymnastics, and the party leaders clearly spoke “4 year old”. They had all the kids participating, listening, and genuinely enjoying themselves. Because all the kids were having a blast, the parents were all relaxed and enjoying themselves too. For me, as a parent, the biggest joy is watching my kids smile, laugh, and play without a care in the world. The good party leaders create an environment for that to occur.

I’ve been to more than my fair share of kid parties now ( I think I’m officially an expert!), and I have seen parties thrown in more of an assembly line fashion. The place will rent you their space for 1.5 hours, take a stupid amount of money from you, and give you a few teenagers to “watch over” the party. They have their arms folded, clearly would rather be somewhere else, and don’t bother to make the day special for anyone, let alone the birthday kid. They have thrown so many parties, that they are all the same. Or at least they all feel the same.

When looking for a place to throw a kid’s party, I recommend asking the place about the people who are in charge of leading the kids. Who will you get? Maybe even ask to meet them before the party. What will they do to make the birthday child and the guests feel special? How do they handle a child who might be uncomfortable participating? Can they cater their activities to the crowd? If they can’t answer you, that should be telling.

These parties cost a fortune and last an hour and half. You and your family deserve to have great service, and to feel that the place of your choice has taken the time to really help you celebrate your child….. and you! After all, those kids don’t just birth themselves 😂.