Fall is in the air and that can only mean one thing; Halloween is just around the corner. The early birds have probably already picked out their costumes, but many of us are still deciding what to dress our children up as (or waiting for them to decide what they want to be).
Whatever the choice is, there are a few things to consider before making your purchase:
1. Size matters.
You need to know what the weather is where you live. I am in Canada where Halloween usually requires a jacket and sometimes even a winter coat. When selecting a costume we always buy a side that will fit over the warm clothing. Otherwise, the costume is going to get covered up and that is no fun on Halloween night.
2. One piece suits and infants and toddlers
If you have a child in diapers or a toilet trainee on your hands you might want to look for 2 piece costumes to make diaper changes and potty breaks more manageable. (trust me)
3. Costumes and School
Many schools do not allow scary costumes at school because some children are afraid. Most schools do not allow weapon replicas either. When choosing a costume that will be warn at school it is important to know what the guidelines are for your school.
Remember to also keep your children safe on Halloween by ensuring they have something reflective on their costume and that they do not go trick-or-treating alone.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Why I Like Loot Bags
There is much controversy lately as to whether children should receive loot bags or not. Some feel they promote greed, while others feel they show gratitude to your party guests. For me I like them because I feel they are a developmentally appropriate party staple, especially for younger children, and especially when gifts are opened at the party.
We have all been to parties where young children want to touch all the gifts and perhaps even cry that they want something they see. It's hard for young children to understand why one special kid gets everything while they sit and watch. While I will not argue the fact that this is a part of life and children need to learn they won't always get what they want, I find that when kids learn that they do get a loot bag at the end of the party they feel less left out.
Some parents don't like them because they are often filled with junk that breaks at first touch. Loot bags don't have to be this way though. There are many other cost effective alternatives that have a more useful lifespan and still keep children excited.
Some loot bags that we have done over the years include:
1. For an Elmo themed party the children each received a gold fish. The total cost for this 'loot bag' was less than $4 per child. I printed themed labels to put over the fish food container and added a thank you note.
2. For a Ninja Turtle theme I made these bags using green craft bags and construction paper. Inside was a TMNT comic book, crayons, colouring sheets and some TMNT candy. Total cost per child was less than $3.
3. For a Blues Clues theme I made Pail and Shovel by drawing faces with permanent marker. Inside I put a small beach ball, Blues Clues notebook, and crayons. I also wrote the children's names on the back of the bucket. I wrapped them in cellophane for presentation, and added Blues Clues stickers for extra detail. The total cost for this loot bag was about $5 a child.
4. I forgot to take a picture of the loot bags, but for a bowling party I bought the plastic bowling sets from Walmart. They came with 10 pins and 2 balls. I divided them to give each child 5 pins and 1 ball. I wrapped them in cellophane for presentation. It was $5 a child.
5. Now that my kids are older we have been giving a sport ball as a loot bag. My 6 year old gave each child a playground ball in a mesh bag and my 9 year old will give a soccer ball in the same mesh bags at his party. The total cost for this is about $6 a child. While slightly pricey, it promotes active play and is useful.
There are countless ideas on the market for loot bags so you are sure to find something that works with your theme and age group. Try to think outside the 'bag' and find something cost effective and useful.
Giving loot bags can also teach the birthday child a life lesson in thankfulness so it's win win all around. Happy Looting!
Use the comment section to share your favourite or least favourite loot bags. Do you like the idea of loot bags or wish they would just go away?
We have all been to parties where young children want to touch all the gifts and perhaps even cry that they want something they see. It's hard for young children to understand why one special kid gets everything while they sit and watch. While I will not argue the fact that this is a part of life and children need to learn they won't always get what they want, I find that when kids learn that they do get a loot bag at the end of the party they feel less left out.
Some parents don't like them because they are often filled with junk that breaks at first touch. Loot bags don't have to be this way though. There are many other cost effective alternatives that have a more useful lifespan and still keep children excited.
Some loot bags that we have done over the years include:
1. For an Elmo themed party the children each received a gold fish. The total cost for this 'loot bag' was less than $4 per child. I printed themed labels to put over the fish food container and added a thank you note.
2. For a Ninja Turtle theme I made these bags using green craft bags and construction paper. Inside was a TMNT comic book, crayons, colouring sheets and some TMNT candy. Total cost per child was less than $3.
3. For a Blues Clues theme I made Pail and Shovel by drawing faces with permanent marker. Inside I put a small beach ball, Blues Clues notebook, and crayons. I also wrote the children's names on the back of the bucket. I wrapped them in cellophane for presentation, and added Blues Clues stickers for extra detail. The total cost for this loot bag was about $5 a child.
4. I forgot to take a picture of the loot bags, but for a bowling party I bought the plastic bowling sets from Walmart. They came with 10 pins and 2 balls. I divided them to give each child 5 pins and 1 ball. I wrapped them in cellophane for presentation. It was $5 a child.
5. Now that my kids are older we have been giving a sport ball as a loot bag. My 6 year old gave each child a playground ball in a mesh bag and my 9 year old will give a soccer ball in the same mesh bags at his party. The total cost for this is about $6 a child. While slightly pricey, it promotes active play and is useful.
There are countless ideas on the market for loot bags so you are sure to find something that works with your theme and age group. Try to think outside the 'bag' and find something cost effective and useful.
Giving loot bags can also teach the birthday child a life lesson in thankfulness so it's win win all around. Happy Looting!
Use the comment section to share your favourite or least favourite loot bags. Do you like the idea of loot bags or wish they would just go away?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
You're Not Invited to my Party and That's OK!
I am not sure when our society turned into such a coddled environment for children. The children of today seem to have to be protected from every possible 'bad' feeling. Soccer teams can no longer keep score for fear of upsetting a losing team, Some schools have banned 'best friends' because it can make other children feel less special, and parents of today are pressured to invite every child in the class or no child at all to their children's birthday parties.
While I can't do much about the first two items I want to provide some relief to the whole party inviting thing. It's ok to not invite every child to a party. It's ok to invite 5 of your child's closest friends at that's it.
I find the all or nothing concept very unfair because many families simply cannot afford to throw a party for 25 children leaving their child party-less which is still exclusion in my books. Why should only the 'rich' kids get to have parties?
As a parent I don't want my child invited to every party because I don't want to buy gifts for children my kid doesn't even play with on a daily basis. It's ok with me if they sometimes are left out.
I am not for the mentality that all children need to be friends with all children. As adults we don't invite the whole work place to our parties. We invite our friends and that's ok.
What is not ok about selective inviting is being mean about it. It's important that we as parents instill this value into our children. Here are some tips on how to teach your child to be a nice non-party-host:
1. Set the limit to the number of children your child can invite. Review the list together and make sure no one was accidentally left out.
2. Don't invite all the kids in the class except for a couple of kids. The child that picks their nose and the one who is allergic to everything shouldn't be the only exceptions. This starts to be mean and more of a 'bully-like' issue.
3. Tell your child you don't want to hear of any birthday taunting. Meaning she is not to rub it in other children's faces that they are not coming.
What do you think about all the hoopla of inviting the whole class or no one at all? Do you invite everyone? Do you send your child to everyone's party?
While I can't do much about the first two items I want to provide some relief to the whole party inviting thing. It's ok to not invite every child to a party. It's ok to invite 5 of your child's closest friends at that's it.
I find the all or nothing concept very unfair because many families simply cannot afford to throw a party for 25 children leaving their child party-less which is still exclusion in my books. Why should only the 'rich' kids get to have parties?
As a parent I don't want my child invited to every party because I don't want to buy gifts for children my kid doesn't even play with on a daily basis. It's ok with me if they sometimes are left out.
I am not for the mentality that all children need to be friends with all children. As adults we don't invite the whole work place to our parties. We invite our friends and that's ok.
What is not ok about selective inviting is being mean about it. It's important that we as parents instill this value into our children. Here are some tips on how to teach your child to be a nice non-party-host:
1. Set the limit to the number of children your child can invite. Review the list together and make sure no one was accidentally left out.
2. Don't invite all the kids in the class except for a couple of kids. The child that picks their nose and the one who is allergic to everything shouldn't be the only exceptions. This starts to be mean and more of a 'bully-like' issue.
3. Tell your child you don't want to hear of any birthday taunting. Meaning she is not to rub it in other children's faces that they are not coming.
What do you think about all the hoopla of inviting the whole class or no one at all? Do you invite everyone? Do you send your child to everyone's party?
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