Hiring Extra Help for Family Parties

I'm a real kid person. And if you are planning a backyard family party this summer where kids will be attending, I can't stress enough how important it is to think ahead and plan out a few things for the kids. Taking that extra planning time will help both you as the host and your guests with kids feel a little more comfortable.

Hire Extra Hands:
If you or several of your guests have children under the age of 7, hiring a babysitter to help at the party will be the best money spent!!! This is especially true if it is your children who are still little. Having an extra set of hands and eyes to watch over the kids is sooooo helpful. It frees you up to mingle with your guests, handle the food, refill drinks, etc.

And even if your kids are a little older and the guests have younger ones, hiring some extra party help will put everyone at ease and allow your guests to sit back and relax and have fun. I was just talking with a friend of mine who had a wonderful summer party a few weekends ago. They have a beautiful backyard facing the mountains and a great play area for the kids with a lot of fun things to do. And while most of the children were above 9, she has a toddler and not hiring a babysitter to help at the party is the one regret she had! Of course she loves spending time with him, but it is difficult to get around to your guests when you have a toddler trying to join in the water gun fight with the 10-year-olds!

Have Kid-Friendly, Age-Appropriate Toys and Activities Available:
Setting up yard games like croquet or volleyball, filling up a wading pool and buying a selection of water guns, renting a bouncy house, grabbing bottles of bubbles and sidewalk chalk, setting up a craft table with colored sand and containers or rocks and paint, pulling out trucks, balls and other age appropriate toys are all great options to think through ahead of time and get set-up before guests arrive!

Again - I like to be with my kids, that's why I like family entertaining. But having kid friendly activities available allows the kids to be happy and the adults to have a little adult relaxation time as well.

Happy Summer!
Barb