5 Ways to Survive A Birthday Party

If you have young children with food allergies then you already know, birthday parties can be very difficult to manage especially if it is not your birthday. My son gets invited to birthday parties all the time from friends at school and I used to panic but now I’m prepared.

{5 Ways to Survive A Birthday Party}

1. Find Out the Theme:  If your child is attending a party based on Toy Story 3 then be sure to bring his/her snack with the same matching colors and possibly treats in the same bags, etc. I’ve found my son has a much easier time with his food allergies if he doesn’t stand out from the crowd. He doesn’t want everyone asking about it, so he has much more fun when his ‘special’ treats and toys come in the same themed bags.

2. Plan the Snack: Find out if the host is having cake, cupcakes, ice cream, etc. Then, bring the exact same items only in allergy-free form. For example, a recent army themed party we attended served cupcakes. I brought my son’s safe cupcakes in army cupcake holders. He looked just like everyone else, only we knew the difference.

3. Call the Parents: My son is still at the age that I attend all the parties with him so that makes it easy. However, I always call the parents ahead of time and tell them about our situation. Then I find out about the theme, snacks, etc. Every single time I have called a parent, they get super concerned. This means, you’ll spend about 10 minutes reassuring them that you will be there and all will be ok.  I just like everyone to be aware so they do not even offer my son snacks.

4. The Goody Bag: Every party offers goody bags for the kids to take home. While you’re on the phone with the mom or dad, ask about the bag. Sometimes, these bags are filled with candy that your child cannot have. In that case, you’ll know to bring your own goody bag with ‘safe’ treats. I don’t want my son to feel like he was the only kid walking away empty handed, he is very sensitive about that. So, I always ask and bring a back up plan.

5. The Alternative: Sometimes it is not even safe to go. A few of my son’s friends have had birthday parties at certain pizza locations that are not safe for my son. That is a hard conversation to have. I learned early on to provide a rockin’ alternative. That conversation usually goes something like this…

“Honey, you can’t go to X’s birthday party because it is at Pizza Palace. However, we want you to have fun so, let’s go pick out a gift for your friend then, we’ll go see a movie!”

He’s six years old, so for right now, that plan works well for him. You’ll have to vary it up with age. This is just one of those things you have to do and it’s not fun, but sometimes it’s the best for your child.

Typically speaking, birthday parties do not have to be stressful as long as you plan ahead. You’ll likely still watch your child like a hawk but at least you’ll know he/she is fitting with his friends and having a great time.