Unless your child is super social and friendly, it will be difficult to fill up a big venue by inviting just her friends and their families. But before you start handing out invitations to just about everyone you know, here are a couple of things to remember when it comes to inviting members of your extended family to the party:
4 Questions To Answer Before Inviting Your Family
1. Do they know your child exists?
If they don’t know that you have a child, chances are they weren’t important enough to be informed, or you’re not even friends on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media sites for them to know about your little one. Someone who doesn’t know your child at all will just be a warm body in the party that will take up space—best to drop their names off the guest list.
2. Have you gotten in touch with them recently?
If the last time you saw a particular Tito or cousin was when you were 7 years old, you’re setting yourself up for an awkward, sort-of family reunion during your child’s big day. Don’t give yourself the stress of catching up with family members while making sure the party is going as planned.
3. Does it feel awkward to invite them?
There are a lot of ways that social media has helped parents send out invitations to their little ones’ parties, and the more popular ones is sending the invitation via text message or creating a Facebook group. If you doubt whether or not to text or add someone, thinking it might be weird, or you’re scared they might think it was a mistext, that’s a big sign that they shouldn’t be invited.
4. Will your child enjoy the company?
The length of time that you haven’t seen a particular family member, or the possible awkwardness all don’t matter if you feel like that person will be able to contribute positively to your child’s birthday. Maybe your family members have their own families and can bring in their own kids (aka new playmates!), or perhaps they’re naturally happy, positive people who you’d love to see and talk about the good old times. Either way, if you feel like your child will be happy with them being around, go ahead and send the invitation out with a smile.
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