How to Survive Your Child’s Birthday Party

Our first guest post is by Sherry Ellis. I've known Sherry for a few years now - she even came to my first book release party just before moving from Ohio to Atlanta! She's awesome! And her Mama Diaries posts are adorable and relate-able, so she was a natural for us to have over here with the Housewives. Take a listen...


After fourteen years of planning birthday parties, I’d like to think I know what I’m doing. The reality is that no matter how much planning you do, there are always surprises.

Like when you send out fifteen invitations and thirty kids show up at your house. How does this happen? I asked my fourteen-year-old daughter about this phenomenon after it happened at her thirteenth birthday party. “It’s easy,” she said. “Friends tell friends, and they all show up.”

Right. Easy. Just be sure to order ten boxes of pizza and have a cake that feeds fifty in case this happens to you.

And then there are the unplanned activities. Like when fifteen girls are standing on each other’s shoulders, making a cheerleading pyramid in the middle of your family room. These sorts of things can give you a heart attack. I’d advise having parents complete a health waiver before they drop off their kids. You’ll feel a lot better about the pyramid thing if you do.

Did I mention the messes? You’d probably expect them at the end of the party. But did you know you could have some major ones before it even starts? Like exploding soda bottles. This happened to me on two occasions. One Sprite bottle fell out of the refrigerator on my daughter’s tenth birthday, spraying soda all over the ceiling, walls, and floor – fifteen minutes before the guests were about to arrive. And recently, before my son’s eleventh birthday party, he opened a bottle of Strawberry Fanta, and the darn thing exploded all over him. It got the paper plates, paper napkins, and floor, too. If this happens, arm yourself with a bucket of water, a wash cloth, and a good sense of humor. If anyone comments on the sticky floor or the pink spots on your ceiling, just say it’s part of the festive ambience.

Yes, birthday parties can be a lot of fun. You just have to expect the unexpected. When you’re done cleaning up the remnants of pizza, cake, drinks, wrapping paper, crepe paper, balloons, Legos, and Nerf bullets, sit down, put your legs up, and take a deep breath. You survived. (A box of chocolates wouldn’t hurt, either!)

Sherry Ellis is a freelance writer and award-winning children’s author. Her books include, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, That Mama is a Grouch, and Ten Zany Birds. She's also a professional musician who plays and teaches violin, viola, and piano. Sherry lives with her husband and two children in Atlanta, Georgia. You can learn more about Sherry Ellis on her website, You can also follow her on Facebook or Twitter