How to survive parent toddler parties!

River started nursery 8months ago, but all of the dreaded parent toddler tea parties have been cancelled due to good old British weather or infectious diseases. That is, until today. Some rich bloke is getting a new hat and this is apparently cause for celebration, so off we all go to sit on tiny sticky chairs and make small talk in a room full of chaos. Sounds fun right? 

I'm sure for many parents these things are fine, but for neurospicy brains like mine there are so many possible hurdles to consider for ANY party situation. Add to that any other minority issues such as being an older mum and it can leave you feeling very anxious about the whole situation. 

Then there are the chairs. These are most certainly NOT designed for "curvy" middle aged women with arthritic knees and the worst ovulation cramps you can imagine (god knows how I'd have managed if actually pregnant).

Now I love my two year old to the moon and back, but when they swarm around me on mass like locusts with snotty noses I want nothing more than to get out of there asap. Luckily there was an outside play area. However this was a whole new nightmare as it was designed for older children and I can't help but constantly risk assess every situation.

Needless to say after 1.5hrs of this I was mentally exhausted, River was covered in a mixture of glitter, face paint, playdough, dirt, paint and ice cream, and my sensory overload was off the charts. However, she had THE BEST TIME, and for that reason I was able to mask like a pro until we got home and I took myself off to sit in the garden for 10 minutes with a cup of tea while she watched Bluey. 

So here are my top tips for surviving these parties:

1. Do whatever you can to make yourself feel confident before you go (I put a little make up on).

2. Minimise the time spent there as much as possible (ours was on River's normal nap time so we had a reason to arrive a little late). *

3. Focus on how the situation is benefitting your child (do not assume your child has your sensory issues).

4. Take time to decompress afterwards (even if it means you miss Bluey).

5. Allow yourself to be proud for getting through it! (Not everyone will understand, but I do!). 

6. Finally, talk to someone about it. Tell your partner/friend/me how well you did and all the issues you overcame for your child. (If they don't say well done, trade them in for a new model.)

Let me know if this helps!

Kerry - Shooting Star Creations

* Don't do what I did and chuck your sleepy kid in the buggy quick only to get there and realise you'd forgotten her shoes...good job she has wellies at nursery, and they even matched her red "coronation party" dress 🤣 #trendsetter