Proper birthday invitation etiquette will help you keep everyone aware of the nature of the party and help you avoid some potentially sticky social situations. Birthday invitations are an important part of planning a kid’s birthday party. They let the guests know the theme of the party and inform them on the important information, such as date, place and time. 

The most important part of sending birthday party invitations is sending them out well in advance. Just like you, other parents are probably very busy. They need to know as soon as possible when their Saturday or Friday afternoon will need to be spent at a kid’s birthday party. Make plans to send out the invitations at least six weeks in advance.

Even though e-vites, invitations by email, are becoming popular, you should make the effort to send invitations by mail. This is especially important if you are inviting kids whose parents you don’t know very well. Different people have different Internet skills. You don’t want to annoy or confuse parents who may not have experience with using e-vites.

Make sure to include a map to the location, a start time for the party and an RSVP number. If you are holding a party at a business, like a pizza parlor, you should let your guests know when you need a firm “yes” or “no” from them. This will help you avoid paying for extra children who won’t be showing up.

Once you’ve nailed down your child’s guest list, make every effort to get the addresses of the guests. If your children are in the same class, you can use the parent phone list to contact the guests’ parents. This also gives you a chance to chat with the parents so they are comfortable with you, which is very important if this is a drop off party or slumber party.

With younger children, parents and siblings are normally included on the invitation. However, if your child is older and only the children will be invited to the party, make sure to address the invitation to the child only. This is a subtle clue that will let parents know that this is a kid only party. If your party is at a recreation center or other business, you can easily let parents know that extra kids aren’t welcome by including the phase “We’re only allowed 10 guests, so let us know ASAP if your child can attend.”  

By including these points in your children’s birthday party invitations, you can avoid many of the common problems with kid’s parties.