The Ultimate Birthday Party Planner Blog
by Paul Mordoff, owner of Party Talent, LLC
Paul Mordoff performs over 300 shows a year in the Northeast as Mr. Bungles, a comic clown character without makeup, whose act includes a comedy show, juggling, magic, and huge bubbles. For more information, visit PartyTalent.com or call (203) 846-2000. (This blog may be copied or reproduced in its entirety as long as this byline is posted.)
Once, when a mom planned her party on the phone, she told me that she was expecting between 10 and 15 kids. When I arrived, she looked very stressed and said that the guests had increased unexpectedly to 40 energetic kids. She was relieved that I had plenty of extra goody bags because she didn’t have enough party favors to go around. The dad also seemed at his wit’s end coming in the door with six more pizzas in his hands. When I started my children’s birthday show as Mr. Bungles, I got control of all the kids and everyone started to laugh and have fun. The best thing you can do is to prepare for as much as you can think of and know that you will have to go with the flow as things happen and not allow yourself to become upset.
As Mr. Bungles, I do 300 shows a year during which I entertain thousands of kids. I’ve learned to channel their energy in positive ways so that they have fun; and while doing so, I help to relieve the stress that parents experience when they are the host.
It is very hard to plan the perfect party because there is no way to predict everything that can happen. Special moments can be missed because one- and two-year olds sleep through their birthday party after weeks of planning. Parents may not respond to RSVPs and bring siblings, creating additional guests. Children can have short attention spans, tons of uncontrollable energy, personality conflicts with others or cry and become upset over anything. This is where hiring a birthday performer becomes so helpful. A trained children’s entertainer allows you to focus on your guests, and the kids will have a truly fun experience. Although parents will need to step in if there are behavior issues, the children’s performer will be able to handle almost anything. Professional performers learn from years of experience how to deal with the restless child, the wondering two-year-old, and the distractions of the moment. We end up making the host’s job much easier.
