It is important on your child's birthday that you have some time to spend with your child during the party and also can relax a little and have some fun. If you invite other parents try asking to perform a simple helpful task of some description (e.g., be the person

who pours the drinks when the children are thirsty or be the person to make sure only a couple of children are on the jumping castle at the same time). This frees you up to trouble-shoot and to pay attention to the beautiful birthday boy or girl.

Some jobs to give parents if they stay:

• Answering the phones 1: Have someone answering your phone with directions in front of them on how to get to your house. This is only really necessary for the first twenty minutes of your party. This ensures that any guests who are lost can get directions.· 
• Answering the phones 2: Have someone ready to answer your phone with directions to the party for ten minutes before entertainers are due to arrive and ten minutes after they are due to arrive (if they aren't there). This means the entertainer is able to contact you.
• Limbo assistants: Holding the limbo stick if you play limbo with the children.
• Mr/Ms Music: Being the person who stops and starts the music during pass the parcel. They can even wear a silly hat (if they want to) and the children will love it.
• Fun Police: Supervising children on hired toys such as jumping castles.
• Beverage supervisor: Pouring the drinks for the children.
• Refrigerator helper: Have a parent keep an eye on cold food and see when it needs to be refrigerated to make sure it remains delicious for the children.
• WATCHING THE POOL 1: If it is a pool party ALWAYS have an adult watching the pool from the edge. Parents can even take turns and tag team each other or pass on the ‘watching hat.’ Either way this can not be stressed enough. NEVER leave children unattended in a pool, ESPECIALLY children you don’t know.
• WATCHING THE POOL 2: To ensure that everyone is safe it is also important to have an adult IN THE POOL with the children. This means a quicker response time should a child not surface. The presence of an adult in the pool will also inhibit children from trying dangerous stunts in the pool.
• Camera man or woman: Ask one of the parents to be a photographer for the day. Older children will also love having this job. This way you are actually going to be in the photographs which will mean a lot to your child. Explain whether you’d prefer all candid shots, posed shots or a mix of both.

Media mogul: Ask someone to take the video for you as well. It is priceless for a teenager to see the love displayed to them by their parents when they look back at tapes of when they were young. Sure, take some where you are doing a commentary or asking questions, but make sure that, for most of the time, someone else is behind the camera so you can be in front of it showing your child how much you love them.   Make sure that you always choose parents that don't have other small children to look after. Make sure you don't keep the parents so busy that they can't enjoy the party too. The parents will want to be able to keep an eye on their own child, so don't position them away from their child. Also remember to give the parent helpers a small thankyou gift or a card. Even a special thankyou card that has been made by the birthday boy/girl. Make sure you help the parent helpers if they have any complications with their jobs and ensure that they too can relax and have a good time being social with the other parents and enjoying the party with the children.  I hope this gives you a few ideas on ways to help your child to feel special on their birthday. Nothing says I love you more than spending time with your child, so make sure that is one of the gifts you give your child this birthday...and EVERY day :)