Mom Tip Tuesday. Birthday Parties for Preschoolers

First ever Mom Tip Tuesday so I thought I’d do it right and officially introduce you to Dumb Mom!

I used to write a blog/column/random gathering of meaningless words on the site of my local newspaper. It was called Maybe Mommy’s a Dummy (detect a theme yet?).

Part of that column was Dumb Mom’s Guide to the Universe.

Dumb Mom is an expert on nothing who knows pretty much everything.

She is outsmarted by her kids on a daily basis (hence the name) but she does it in cute shoes, with a friendly smile, and a ridiculously awesome handbag.

She may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she’s the best dressed.

Which is wasted by being inside of a shed.

Anyway.

She knows what she’s talking about for the most part so listen up and you will survive.

Motherhood never looked so easy, or cute, or fashionable.

You are welcome.

In light of upcoming events I’ve decided to make this week’s tip about birthdays for children.

Specifically, birthdays for a whole butt load of rowdy, hard to manage children who are not quite or just barely five.

Enjoy!

Dumb Mom’s Guide to Planning a Preschool Birthday Party

1. Face the facts. Fact one: you don’t really like other people’s kids. Fact two: even if you did like other people’s kids, you don’t like other people’s kids all at the same time. Fact three: you are crazy. It’s difficult to like children in groups because all of their unlikeable attributes are magnified. They are louder, and meaner, and more energetic than when you are with them alone. Plus, for whatever reason, when groups of kids get together some parents take that as the perfect opportunity to ignore their own horribly behaved difficult to be around even in small doses child. It’s like they assume the know it all mom whoever is in charge of the party is also in charge of their child. Get your mind right. It will suck, but you are crazy so in the end it will be worth it.

2. Buy booze. And drink it. Definitely before, if possible during, and immediately after the party. Just be sure to drink vodka or something else that won’t make you smell like a winery. You know how moms like to talk and before you know it you will be the Ms. Hannigan of the preschool.*

3. Bribery. Always works. Every situation. Believe me when I say this: money talks. Even louder than kids hopped up on sugar and life. This means that there are people who make their living hosting parties for hard to manage groups of children just like the one you have in mind. You can go to their special designed, brightly colored, kid-friendly place and they will make magic. You don’t have to make magic all alone. If you have cash you can hire people to make it for you. This is why I sell myself to anyone interested in buying work, for the necessities in life that people just shouldn’t be asked to live without.

4. Invite the whole class. I used to get all annoyed at this mandate some schools have in place. Before I had kids in school I was a huge get-used-to-exclusion-and-rejection-it’s-a-part-of-life kinda girl. But one of my children had the unfortunate experience of not being invited to the birthday party of his alleged best friend and then, he had to sit and listen while the confirmed best friends discussed the party in his presence. He was crushed. He had questions. And the only answer I could come up with was, “Well, Dude, some people suck and the fact that they do just makes us look more awesome.” Okay, I didn’t actually say that, but I totally wanted to. I still don’t think this is a necessary requirement for school aged children, but for preschoolers, in a classroom with only 10 children (only 4 of which were boys) would it have been so horrible to invite them all? Possibly I would have declined because the site of his mother made me ill, but still, my little dude would have been able to say that he was invited and couldn’t go because his mommy mysteriously came down with the shingles (or some other sudden, random, and completely faked ailment), as opposed to thinking, and feeling, and having everyone believe that he wasn’t invited because he wasn’t cool. Invite them all, the ones whose mommies are jerkwads probably won’t come anyway.

5. Say thanks. I know I skipped right over the actual party element, but that’s because I covered that in the first three tips: realize it’s hopeless, show up drunk, and pay some perky high school chick to do all the hard stuff. All that’s covered. It’s after the party that people tend to forget. You know, once you’re home and sobered up, and your hangover has worn off, and your kid has broken 65% of all of his new stuff. That’s the time that repeatedly gets neglected. And, I’d like to argue that next to having a banging cake, this is the most important element: the THANK YOU CARDS. Yes, your child needs to send them (or watch you send them) so that he understands that having a party and getting gifts is not compulsory. It is a benefit of mommy bribing people and having nosy friends who want to talk about her inability to make quality goody bags privilege. Every child doesn’t get them. Every person that came didn’t have to. And bringing gifts is optional (although just good etiquette). Learn to be thankful and people will love you, or at least pretend to.

Now, wish me luck at #2’s Super Sweet 5 Birthday Party we are hosting on Thursday (his actual birthday is tomorrow which explains the St. Patty's Day inspired header) Bounce-a-roo center in my hood. Should be a blast.

*Due to the bum kidneys I'm not a huge lush myself. I have my moments (which some of you have been lucky enough to witness first hand), but I'm not gonna be at the Oscars with my flask George Clooney style. The suggestion to drink is for those of you who turn to booze as an answer to your problems...you know who you are. Don't worry I don't judge.

Link up your favorite Mom Tip below and I’ll stop by for a look; I need all the tips I can get!

Thank Me Later Thursday: Inaugural Edition

BOOM BABY!

It’s here.

The very first soon-to-be-famous edition of Thank Me Later Thursday, hosted by the probably-more-likely-to-be-infamous blog parenting BY dummies.

Since it’s our first time, I’ll take it slow and start with explaining exactly how this little naughty is supposed to work.

Kay.

I write a post about something that happened in which the other person/place/thing involved behaved in an annoying, embarrassing, or otherwise unfavorable way and then had the gall, the audacity, the galldacity to demonstrate inadequate amounts of gratitude towards me for not sweeping the leg, punching them in the throat, and/or putting them in a headlock.

Or.

I just give you some much needed advice that you can internalize or share with people in your life who really need it.

Easy, right?

Well, let’s jump right in then.

Since I am feeling in a particularly benevolent mood today, I’m gonna hook you up with some advice (which you can go ahead and feel free to use as the answer to one of Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop prompts for the week. You know, the one about advice from someone who knows stuff? I’ll be that someone for you.).

Now, I know that I’m not exactly an "expert", per se on any of these issues, but I do feel that I have tons of years of training in all of these departments.

I mean, I’ve been a mom for over 8 years now. I’ve been preggers three times. I’ve been married for 7 years (oops, guess that skeleton just fell outta the closet!). I’m a trained educator (among other largely useless things).

Plus, I consider myself an expert on nothing who knows pretty much everything. Maybe not ‘cause I’m super smart, but because I’ve had more fail days than most people in similar situations and, while I may not be savvy enough to avoid the recurrence of such days, I am smart enough to at least take notes.

So, please enjoy Dumb Mom’s Basic (ever growing) Guide to Life*.

And, um, you can THANK ME LATER!

Dumb Mom’s Guide to Dating

1. Don’t hook up with guys who live in your apartment building. Unless you are rich (in which case hook up with whoever you want). Otherwise they are likely to have similar earning capabilities as you and will therefore not be able to support you should you require that after you get fired for stealing paper from the printer at work.
2. Don’t spend countless years looking for a perfect 10. Find yourself a 7 when you are young and make him a 10. Man remodeling is one of my favorite past times. It’s hard work, but it’s so rewarding. Be aware though, that no matter where he started, they all turn out to be 4s once the baby shows up.

Dumb Mom’s Guide to Marriage

1. Develop a celebrity crush. This is to ensure that there is someone to focus on (other than the guy who empties your trash at work) when hubby acts like a caveman. You’d be surprised to learn how awesome the trash dude can look when Hubby’s antics have you in a tizzy.
2. Spend time doing things you love. Not together, silly. SEPARATELY. This will allow you to enjoy your awesome pre-married life without having to get all wrapped up in his totally-unawesome-gaming-addicted-sports-aholic-pre-married life that you married him in spite of, not because of.
3. Communicate better. Meaning, give him a list (handwritten and taped to the refrigerator so he can’t lose it) of actual words to use (like frustrated, lonely, proud, etc) that a responsible human with a brain (aka you) will respond to. This should eliminate the grunts, head nods, and it-was-goods that he automatically resorts to during conversation. Details people. It’s all about DETAILS.
4. Use tears. They work.

Dumb Mom’s Guide to Pregnancy

1. Eat whatever you want. It is the only time in your life that it will be okay for you to be fat.
2. Get new friends. Like pregnant ones. Because you will be a huge drag to all of your never-been-there buddies who really just want you to shut up about your back, and your feet, and your vag. I mean don’t get me wrong, you can still kick it with them from time to time, just try to find a pregnant friend or one that has a baby too so you don’t make yourself the fat-annoying-whiny-seriously-with-the-effing-baby-crap buzz kill friend. I mean already you can’t drink anymore, you can’t dance on the bar anymore, and despite the halfhearted mumblings to the contrary, you really don’t look that cute in the fitted jeans anymore. And, none of these things are gonna change too much once baby is born. Well, actually, I lied. It will change, because it’ll be even worse.
3. Buy your soon-to-be-born kid cute clothes. Because it is fun.

Dumb Mom’s Guide to Motherhood

1. Don’t be nervous. You honestly are not expected to know what to do. Being anxious and exhausted all the time is like part of your divine punishment for having so much fun creating the little crumb snatchers. When you’ve worked off your had-too-much-fun-time-to-pay debt to the universe, things will mellow out a bit and your kid will start acting like a human, as opposed to an alien sent to Earth specifically to torture you.
2. Don’t compare your kids. Not to other kids, and not to each other. All it does is make you and them think they suck. Nobody likes to think they suck.
3. Don’t bother learning to cook. Pretty much everything they are gonna eat without puking can be made in a toaster oven or a microwave. Instead spend your time coming up with creative way to punish evil creatures that are small. This is an effective use of your time that will undoubtedly come in handy.
4. Don’t waste money buying 100s of dollars in fancy picture books. Chances are good that they are only gonna let you read the one, most annoying title in the house over and over and over again. You know, the repetitive one, with the bad illustrations? Yeah, that one. Plan to memorize it ‘cause your kid will and if you can recite it without actually having to look at it you may be able to sneak a few peeks at Ellen while you “read”.
5. Don’t encourage them to love music. They will just become little ipod Nazis and make you want to run your car into a ditch by screaming that you, “PAY DA BAYARGIGANS AGAIN MOMMY!” repeatedly. Or, if they are particularly evil, they’ll learn the words to inappropriate songs like Birthday Sex and I Kissed a Girl and sing them in public just to embarrass you. It’s sorta cute at home, but not so much at Mommy and Me class.
6. Find a good hiding place. Have one built if necessary. It’s the only way you’ll ever have a moment alone with an ice cream sandwich again.
7. Don’t require them to socialize with each other. Actually, the less time you allow them to spend with each other the better. It limits the time they have to concoct hair brained activities that are devised to inflict suffering up on you. And, it decreases the rate at which your littler, not-yet-ruined children learn to torment you.
8. Don’t use the word no around them when they are babies. They will learn it and immediately use it against you.
9. Don’t try to keep them from farting/burping/etc. At least not if they are boys. Being in full control of their bodily functions is extremely important as at some point in their lives they will be involved in fart wars, burping contests, or peeing matches. You want your kid to rock these as they are an important test of manhood. Not being able to perform well at these events is almost as damaging as “throwing like a girl” or “screaming like a bi*#@”. Besides, everybody needs to be good at something and being able to fart the National Anthem without deucing himself could be your boy’s one and only claim to fame. Don’t take that away from him.
10. Don’t sweat it if they say they hate you. They probably really do (or at least think they do). But really, who even cares?

Whew!

Anything else you need to know about?

Seriously, I could go on for days.

But I won’t.

I’ll get to the part you really care about and let you go ahead and add your own links to Thank Me Later Thursday.

Please feel free to add my brand new, hand crafted, was-it-custom-designed-by-a-bloody-two-year-old? button to your post if you’re participating (or to your sidebar if you’re not, but you love me anyway).

(It's over there, on the left, down a little, under the other, above the rest.)

And, don't forget to head on over to visit Kmama at The Daily Dribbles and link up to her Thank You Very Much link as well.

*PBD's If You Die Disclaimer*- Should you or anyone around you suffer fatal or irreparable injuries, including, but not limited to accidental loss of limb and fiery death (two of my biggest concerns), while carrying out any of the aformentioned jewels of advice don't look over here. I am ans UNofficial knower of stuff and as such can not be held accountable when my UNofficial advice causes your husband to leave you, your friends to desert you, or social services to make unscheduled visits to your house. If questioned I will deny. Wholeheartedly.