I love a party, where they have the atmosphere

It’s my kid’s party and I’ll cry if I want to!

I heard on the news recently that the average children’s party apparently costs around £500 – it seems an extraordinary amount. My dad who, has always been a voice of doom and is somewhat in his element currently, constantly reminded me that,’ bad times are coming’ even before the recent, ‘credit crunch’ and possible ‘double dip’ recession finds this figure staggering, if it were up to him a party would consist of out of date tunnocks snowballs, stick chasing and playing the radio. (His party speciality is curried eggs)

Not true actually, I had fantastic parties as a kid, ‘Disco’ in the dinning room with my mum organising games with balloons and handing out refresher lollies to the best disco dancers and  my dad dishing out the hot dogs. Me - glitter eye shadow and a side pony tail blowing out the candles of a Cash and Carry Cake.

I have a friend who basically dropped  out of circulation for a while due to the sheer number of parties her 4year ols was being invited too every weekend………quite a competition!

Here in South Manchester there is no shortage of professionals who will take the stress out of organising your child’s birthday party for you. None of it comes cheap, but mostly it takes a lot of the stress and hassle away.

My three year old went to a party at a house recently and I said,’ You are brave!’ to the mum, who had labelled the fruit shoot bottles and had a big bag of prizes and a bouncy castle. However this mum has a big house, with mostly wipe down surfaces, she has 4 kids including a set of twins and does the school run and life in a way which appears effortless. She wasn’t being brave she was just getting on and being a mum.

So for my son’s 4^th birthday party. I didn’t spend five hundred quid but I did really want it to be a hit! It surely won’t be too long till he is permanently embarrassed by me and I want to savour spending time with him now…in a few years time he’ll be asking for money to take his mates dry slope skiing or go carting or laser shooting.

I hired a hall and a magician. I served carrot sticks and organic raisins. I bought fair trade treats for the party bags and even had a go at making a space cake (no not the kind we had as students, just one with Lunar Jim on it!)

My mum can’t understand why I hired the magician, she knows I’m quite capable of pressing pause on the stereo to play musical statues or bumps. She also knows I know all the words to the Okey Cokey – and that’s what it’s all about!

My baby is one this month and I think it’ll be a quiet affair, family tea and a little cake with single candle…….