It has come to the time for Helena's birthday party preparation. As every other baby who started early in the nursery, she has already been invited to various baby parties. Unlike the last generation where birthdays for babies were generally celebrated with a handful of parents' friends and relatives. It is now the baby's friends that are invited mainly. The popular choice is to choose a soft play area where it also includes some food and a messy area where they can eat and drink, the other choice is to hire a place where parents can then tailor their own party.
The other option is to invite them all to your house and prepare for the stampede of at least 15 three year olds and their parents in your house!
Hence, this would call for meticulous attention and early preparation.
1: Choose the date and venue (clean, spacious, warm with parking spaces)
2: Send out the invitations ( as early as possibles)
3: Decide the theme of the party (Helena has chosen a 'Dora Explorer' party!)
4: Decide the birthday cake (It will be a pink fairy castle cake)
5: Plan the party activities which we include : face painting, passing the parcel and hitting a pinata that is as far as I can imagine so far.
6: Goodie bag for the guests we would like to include: a soft toy, a mug, a stamp, a pad and some sweeties, that would keep the babies and parents happy.
7: Thank you cards to those who come
8: Decide what present to buy for Helena
9: Remember to charge the camera.
So, yes, this would cost a bomb and yes we don't need to do that. But when you as a father and husband look at the faces and longing looks that your wife and daughter give when they mention about birthdays, then you would then feel like a failure if you just say: well, just buy a cake.
I can't remember I have ever had a birthday party myself when I was a child. It has always been a quiet and private event. In those days, life being a child was not the centre of a family life at all, especially when you have two much older teenager sibblings and a younger brother who was and still is three years younger than you who most of the time was only interested in playing cars and building drainage for the water to flow( He has now become a Civil engineer, surprise surprise.)
Psychologically I think I am trying to relive my childhood yearning but openly would merely say that this is for my daughter. Afterall, how many 3 year old parties can you organise for your daughter especially by next year she will go to school, being exposed to the harsh environment of competitions, assessments and examinations. Poor child!
With increasing pressure and influence from the materialism. Childhood is no longer something that is left alone and it will flourish and prosper but instead has become more of something that needs protection from the harsh real world.
And I somehow feel vulnerable and protective towards the family while clearly I am over exagerating and over critical with some of the real threats.
You may advice me that I should have a balanced parenting so as not to exhaust myself, over protect them and hence to prevent reducing the confidence in all parts inlvoved. Well, how easy to say that and how hard to achieve that balance!
The other option is to invite them all to your house and prepare for the stampede of at least 15 three year olds and their parents in your house!
Hence, this would call for meticulous attention and early preparation.
1: Choose the date and venue (clean, spacious, warm with parking spaces)
2: Send out the invitations ( as early as possibles)
3: Decide the theme of the party (Helena has chosen a 'Dora Explorer' party!)
4: Decide the birthday cake (It will be a pink fairy castle cake)
5: Plan the party activities which we include : face painting, passing the parcel and hitting a pinata that is as far as I can imagine so far.
6: Goodie bag for the guests we would like to include: a soft toy, a mug, a stamp, a pad and some sweeties, that would keep the babies and parents happy.
7: Thank you cards to those who come
8: Decide what present to buy for Helena
9: Remember to charge the camera.
So, yes, this would cost a bomb and yes we don't need to do that. But when you as a father and husband look at the faces and longing looks that your wife and daughter give when they mention about birthdays, then you would then feel like a failure if you just say: well, just buy a cake.
I can't remember I have ever had a birthday party myself when I was a child. It has always been a quiet and private event. In those days, life being a child was not the centre of a family life at all, especially when you have two much older teenager sibblings and a younger brother who was and still is three years younger than you who most of the time was only interested in playing cars and building drainage for the water to flow( He has now become a Civil engineer, surprise surprise.)
Psychologically I think I am trying to relive my childhood yearning but openly would merely say that this is for my daughter. Afterall, how many 3 year old parties can you organise for your daughter especially by next year she will go to school, being exposed to the harsh environment of competitions, assessments and examinations. Poor child!
With increasing pressure and influence from the materialism. Childhood is no longer something that is left alone and it will flourish and prosper but instead has become more of something that needs protection from the harsh real world.
And I somehow feel vulnerable and protective towards the family while clearly I am over exagerating and over critical with some of the real threats.
You may advice me that I should have a balanced parenting so as not to exhaust myself, over protect them and hence to prevent reducing the confidence in all parts inlvoved. Well, how easy to say that and how hard to achieve that balance!
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