*This is a guest post
Parents view children’s parties in different ways: sometimes as a great way to celebrate a monumental milestone in their little sweethearts’ lives, and in other occasions as a source of enormous stress that comes with organization and preparation. No matter which point of view is closer to yours, there is no denying that these parties have one hidden benefit: they help children develop emotionally, cognitively and socially. This is especially true for children who are going through some difficult times or having trouble making friends. In these cases, parents should pay special attention, and sometimes even ask a psychologist for advice. Let us dive deeper into this topic and see some of the ways parties can be good for your kids.
Boosting their self-esteem
Kids, regardless of their age, are constantly learning new things about themselves. Sometimes, some of the things they discover will make them feel bad about themselves. Low self-esteem is something you should talk about with your kids. Social gatherings, such as parties where kids are at the centre of attention can also be very helpful. Primarily, because they will be surrounded by their parents who will do their best to organize a nice party. Secondly, because they will be surrounded by their friends and peers who accepted them as they are.
The development of social skills is one of the most obvious benefits of parties. The kids will be surrounded by numerous friends and they will have to work on their negotiating skills (after all, there is only so much room in a single trampoline), sharing capacity, generosity (giving away party favors) and fairness (treating all guests equally). Tolerance is another important quality that kids can acquire while spending time with other kids, because there are no two same kids in this world, and they will need to understand and support their differences. Attending other kids’ parties can contribute to this cause in similar ways. Finally, parties are always a good way to make friends and become more accepted in your environment.
Building personality
Children start developing their personalities in the early childhood which are very closely connected to their interests and emotions. Birthday parties can be a very interesting way of discovering those interests together. Discuss the theme of the party with your kids and try to see what are they interested the most in. Those can be superheroes, princesses, movies or even historical figures. Organize the event according to their likes. Set the décor, find themed children’s party supplies, make theme-inspired food and prepare interesting games.
Attention and thinking
Attention and thinking are integral parts of cognitive development, and although parties don’t always have to have a significant impact on them, they can be used as opportunities to develop these two skills. The development of these two skills can be achieved through games and quizzes that kids usually play on these parties. Depending on the children’s age, you can come up with a number of fun games that involve problem solving, reasoning out tasks and processing information. However, it is imperative to be aware of kids’ attention span in their specific age so that you could adapt the games to their possibilities. Otherwise, they can become annoyed or bored.
Making memories
Finally, making beautiful, lasting memories will help kids build a base of experiences, knowledge and observations that will affect their future behavior. Photographing these events is another way to capture moments that can later be used as a reference of how small they used to be and how big are they now. Photos of parties can also be used to highlight certain achievements, which will further boost kids’ self-confidence.
Children grow, change and develop in accordance with their environment. They learn how to cope with different situations and treat different people from experience and observing others. It is obvious that any bigger social gathering where they can spend time with their peers can only help this cause and improve a large set of skills along the way.
About author:
Tracey Clayton is a full time mum of three girls. She feels she knows a thing or two about raising happy, healthy and confident kids, and offers helpful advice in hers parenting articles. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.”
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