What is wrong with this scenario?......

The great day has arrived and, having paid meticulous attention to every detail of the party-to-be, you are left with just enough time to pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and put on that expression which says "hey I am in control" (there's another song in there somewhere).

Suddenly the peace of the moment is shattered by the ringing of the doorbell. "Surely that can't be any of the guests already" you say, half hoping, half praying that it's only Jehovah's Witnesses or an insurance salesman. As you walk to the door the shadows of both large and not so large people behind the glass confirm your worst fears. A surge of panic now begins to take hold of you and you swing open the door with a fixed almost maniacal grin on your face which attempts to say "I'm cool I can handle this". You are met with the nightmare vision of a woefully early parent, complete with offspring, utterring those immortal words "I'm sorry we're early but........." In the confusion of the moment you find yourself responding, as if in a dream, with "Oh don't worry, no not at all, he/she can come in and play for a while until the others arrive".

In this one simple gesture of misguided goodwill you have relinquished your hitherto total control of the proceedings and taken your first step towards the mayhem you were hoping to avoid. All of this you will note has happened before the party has even started. Far better therefore, to agree with the errant parent that they are indeed too early and, as you yourself still have things to do, would they kindly call back at the appropriate time as stated on the invitation.

Phew, some pretty heavy stuff there eh? Of course we have looked here at the worst possible scenario. In practice not many children arrive half an hour early although it does happen. The principal however remains the same, accept the guests into your home only when you are good and ready. The same line of thought applies to "extras". This situation occurs from time to time when an attempt will be made to introduce a friend or relative of one of the guests into the party, despite no invitation having been issued to the little dear.

Once again this rather cheeky request is in direct conflict with the idea of a well organised party. You will (hopefully) have spent a great deal of time in the run up to the main event making sure that you have the correct amount of everything. Items such as Party Bags, Prizes, places at the tea table, will have been checked and double checked to avoid problems on the day. Therefore accept "extras" at your peril, far better to politely refuse on the grounds of not enough room/food/straight-jackets (just kidding) and remain IN CONTROL.

In the previous chapter I mentioned keeping a note of the invitation details. Here at the start of the proceedings, is where that seemingly trivial pursuit (no advertising intended) pays off. Armed with all the information, you will not only be able to reassure yourself of the party starting and finishing times but also be able to confidently remind the parents of these. Plus you will have a full list of exactly who should (and therefore who should not) be at the party.

In summing up Oh diligent and (hopefully) patient reader, the art of organising a successful children's party lies in having a game plan (Rugby springs to mind again) and sticking to it!

	Rob Grigor. All Rights Reserved
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