Concept, timeline, budget
A good party is an idea, the right number of guests and a timeline. The budget is the easy part.
The child's age plus one until eight, then whatever the venue holds. Small parties are remembered for the fun, large ones for the chaos.
Two hours until six, three hours until twelve, then an evening. Never an afternoon and an evening for children under fourteen.
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Gifts & Celebrations · 7 min read
At eighteen the child becomes an adult in law, in the family and, if the evening is done well, in their own eyes. The party is theirs, the gift is a symbol and the letter is the thing they keep.
Gifts & Celebrations · 6 min read
The party with the pony, the magician, the bouncy castle and the ice-cream van is a party for the parents. Children remember the treasure hunt, the den and the cake. Here is the arithmetic of a good afternoon.
Etiquette · 7 min read
A ten-year-old who can sit through a formal dinner, hold a conversation with the adult on their left and leave the table without being asked is welcome anywhere in Europe. The training takes a decade and happens at home.
