Young Kade from Toronto got quite the birthday surprise after a disappointing party where no one showed up. After the party, his father took to Twitter to share their disappointment and ask his online friends “to show him some love today”.
The post went viral, and before long, CBC reports members of the Toronto Maple Leafs, actor Ben Stiller and even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – along with 25,000 other people – had sent Kade birthday wishes!
It’s a happy ending to a disappointing situation… But here are a few things parents can do to avoid this happening to their kid!
1 – Be Organized
All parents know this – but people have busy lives with full schedules! Make sure you’re organizing the party at a time that is conve3nient for most people – weekend middays usually work well.
Send the invitations out in advance – generally, two weeks or more is a good amount of notice to give. Did you know that well-crafted paper invites are known to get a better response rate?
Once the invitations have been sent out, if you’re still not getting RSVPs… Follow up! People forget about these things. Don’t be shy to send out a reminder and even make a few calls – that personal touch really helps get responses. If that still doesn’t work, don’t be shy to reschedule the party. Try doing it at another point during the week.
2 – School Party?
If you’re having trouble organizing a house party – or if you know your child is shy or introverted – you could consider organizing a birthday party at school. Many parents report schools being happy to accommodate this…
As a bonus, these parties are often easier to organize – just bring a cake, and all the kids will be happy to celebrate together!
3 – Have a “Plan B”
If all else fails, it’s highly recommended to have a backup plan. So much can go wrong: what if no one shows up, the weather goes bad, or people cancel at the last minute? Make sure that you already have an alternate date in mind when you first start organizing the party. That way, it won’t be as heartbreaking if things go wrong.