We all want our little ones to have the best birthday party, but some of us are a little over zealous in our love of a good shindig. What I mean is I love to go all out! Even I’m horrified about the amount of time and energy I put into making a party a success. I have been known to spend weeks cutting out tiny printed Princess Sofia figurines just because I thought it might add a little dazzle. It didn’t.
Once you have the décor, food, entertainment and the all-important cake is there anything left? Unfortunately there’re some important things you might not have considered. Until I heard of a recent accident at a child’s birthday I hadn’t thought of half these things. I have also chatted to friends, venue owners and teachers about what to add. Most of it is common sense that honestly I hadn’t thought about.
So to be the perfectly well-prepared host, here is a list of party safety items to overcome the scarier side of hosting a birthday party.
Allergies and Asthma
I’m probably more aware than most how children forget to tell the host they have allergies. A relative of mine is allergic to eggs and as a child he often forgot to tell the unsuspecting host until he unceremoniously vomited all over the venue. Luckily not an emergency like a nut, bee or shellfish allergy… but seriously gross none the less.
Back-up Person
Having two adults present seems sensible to me, but worryingly I hadn’t thought of it until discussing this blog post. To be able to rush a child to hospital while still leaving your party supervised is a must. AKA get at least one friend to help. Oh, and make sure they stay sober!
First Aid Kit
If the party is at home or at a venue have a basic first aid kit. You would be amazed how few venues have them. Plus there is no point having to race to a hospital for a small scrape or scratch. You can pick one up at most pharmacies. I got mine at Clicks.
Who to Call?
So 9 times out of 10 kids get dropped off at a party but do we have their parent’s cell phone numbers? What if something goes wrong? Luckily we generally know someone who knows someone but wouldn’t it be better to have that parent’s number? Simply swap of digits when a child is being dropped off.
Pools
Can everyone swim? I don’t think much more needs to be said about the horrors of pools and the necessity of pool safety.
Emergency Numbers
Have these numbers on hand. I actually recommend you put them into your phone right now, and have a printed copy posted somewhere for your nanny/maid!
- Ambulance 997
- Private ambulance service MRI 992
- Police 999
- Fire Brigade 998
So that, my friend, is the sensible safety side of a birthday party. I hope it helps and if you have any more things to add please leave a comment below. Because once you have the party safety basics right, you can relax and enjoy the rest. Have a very Happy Birthday for everyone.
