Birthday Bullies: Keep Your Party Bully Free

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516-794-9770

Planning your child's birthday party is exciting, but when it comes to creating the guest list you may find yourself stuck in rut. How many of your child's classmates can you invite? Should you invite the whole class or just a handful of kids? And what about that one kid who bullied your child or their friends all year? While birthday parties are supposed to be an exciting time for both you and your child, you can't ignore the fact that instances of bullying may be present from the time you mail your first invitation to the time the party is over.

Parents, we know you can't possibly invite everyone from your child's class, but you can talk to your child about how to deal with it. It's likely that the invitees will want to talk about the party at school, but to avoid hurting others' feelings, explain to your child that they should refrain from discussing the party during school hours. In the event that word spreads quickly and your child is approached by uninvited peers, teach your child a handful of polite responses they can use to not hurt anyone's feelings. To maximize your efforts, avoid having your child hand out invitations in school or other public settings where those who are not invited are present; instead, obtain the addresses of those you are planning to invite and mail their invitations separately.

Now that you've taken care of how to minimize bullying before the party, what about during the party? If you plan on having specialized activities take place, make sure there is plenty for all your guests to do; you don't want to see one or two guests sitting on the side while everyone else is having a good time. Similarly, if you decide to hand out favors at the end of the party, make sure there are enough for each one of your guests. All too often children leave empty handed because favors weren't properly accounted for. Lastly, one of the best things you can do as a parent to prevent bullying at your child's party is to supervise everything that's going on. Keep an eye out for physical signs of bullying, but don't forget to keep an ear out for any verbal abuse that might be happening.

For more information on how to handle birthday bullies, click here.

Birthday parties are supposed to be a time full of smiles and laughs, not one where kids are left out and brokenhearted. Here at Zacharys we look to provide a variety of special events to ensure all attendees have something to enjoy. Let us host your child's next Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Sweet 16, or Quinceanera. Join us in our efforts to minimize bullying at parties; call us at 516-794-9770.