Doing DC birthday/ party alone

[MummysInvisibleFriend]

Hi
ExH left last year. Christmas was really hard for Ex related reasons. I don't see him. He sees kid 2h every 2 weeks. I asked for more. He does it to make my life hard and so I cant move on.

Had teens birthday. All fine.

Now younger child birthday. Im scared about managing the whole party. The presents. Party is 2w after birthday. Party venue is good, I know them. But its a party room. I take all food and drink. Nowhere to heat stuff up or wash up.

How can I make it as easy and simple as possible?

I thought sandwich platter or remake sandwiches, and crisps and biscuits, blueberries. I don't want it to be completely crap.

Order gift bags. Buy supermarket cake.

Thanks

Plan sounds good. Ive ordered in pizza before for similar. I tend to do sweet cones as party bags are a faf

£1 Easter egg each (or cheaper) instead of party bag. Permanent marker name of each kid on each egg, that way the one left behind can find its rightful home.

How old is the younger one? I had this last year. I took rolls, cheap ones. Made early the morning of the party. Cheese, ham and jam. Stickers on naming each filling, piled on a tray. I bought too many wrapped chocolate biscuits, a variety. Kits kits, penguins, whatever was on offer. A few varieties in a plastic bowl. Bottles of flavoured water, it was on offer. Apples and oranges, and a mountain of packets of crisps. Gave each kid a brown paper bag, ordered online, told them one thing from each bowl and when everyone had that, handed around the rest. It was just about all eaten.

That was for upper primary. For younger kids id make up a picnic bag for each child. 4 things in, pom bears, satsuma, chocolate something, drink and hand our wrapped small rolls so they can choose.

Think now about the evening meal you eat at he that night. Make it and freeze it so you have as easy an evening as possible. Take bin bags with you to the party. What are the timings of the party?

How well do you know the parents of the children who are coming, @MummysInvisibleFriend? Would any of them be willing to help out?

Sandwich platters sound very sensible - plus crisps and some fruit, perhaps.

Ive had hundreds of these moments. Any other worries?

Can you ask other parents for help? Something along the lines of “would be very grateful if some parents could stay and help with setting up the party room as i will be on my own - coffee provided!”
I had to do that before, and it worked well.

You could the card lunch boxes and do every child a sandwich, crisps, yoghurt, fruit, biscuit. And then party bags a sweet cone. Everything just goes in the bin at the end and you dont have 47 uneaten (but heavily.touched) cheese sandwiches! There'll be loads less waste that way, much simpler xx

The cost. Losing it at my son. Being late.
Not enough kids coming.
Mums thinking the food is low effort.
My kid being upset his friends are not coming!
My ex throwing a spanner in the works from a distance, again.

Ive done lots of parties and did do almost all of it before my ex left. i don't know why im struggling so much. He was / is abusive and my brain us frozen most of the time.

Thank you. ❤️

That's great thank you 😊

Oh turning 6

Great thank you. Easy clear up sounds good

Thank you. I think i find it so excruciating to ask. 🙄

Thanks. Will do that!

Cool thank you

Hi its 1-3. Yes I will need a bin bag lol. This is great. Im making a list of everything. Thank you everyone so much 💓

Thanks. The parents i know most aren't coming but I will look at who is. Thanks

Is there entertainment at the venue?

Yes there is so i dont have to do that at all!

Don’t try to do it all on your own if poss. Do you have a family member or friend to help and support you?
I’d probably get some paper gift bags with handles and put bag of Pom bears, small roll with jam on it ( not healthy but you can make them all the same and it will be a treat for some!), tangerine, 2 biscuits wrapped in foil and a drink carton. Wrapping things in foil makes it look interesting and takes the chr a bit longer to open them. Everyone gets a bag - all the same.
Take some bin bags and a packet of wipes for afterwards.
Easter egg with name on sounds great to go home with.
Shop bought birthday cake to light candles, sing happy birthday then cut up straight away for the chr to eat.
Do you mean that you are doing party games as well or will the venue sort that? Nice paper napkins with current cartoon character on will be quick and simple to serve cake on.

Yea sandwiches and crisps a few cut up veg is absolutely fine. Maybe ask a couple parents to stay to manage the kids? I’m surprised the be ie doesn’t have a set ratio of adults to kids anyway.
The other mums will not judge you fur low effort food - isn’t that what most parties have?

I think your party will be great!

The plan sounds brilliant and you are a wonderful mum OP. Seriously.

I (probably like you) have been to eleventy million kids parties at this point and I need to say - a) most of it doesn’t matter and b) lower the stakes and expectations. They’re six. Cold pizza? Fine. Jam sandwiches? Fine. A lucky dip of Easter eggs on the way out, as a party bag? They’ll love you forever.

Don't forget candles, matches and a knife. And party rings in abundance. Who cares if the Mum's judge the food, no one needs judgy friends. All kids want is a sarnie, a bucketload of cheap crisps, those cheese puffs go down well and some sweet stuff. That's it.