Children's Party Etiquette

Many of us know etiquette for weddings and baby showers, but what about children's birthday parties?

Lisa Kothari is a party planner who has written a book on proper behavior for such parties. She joined Jennifer Leslie on 11Alive News Saturday Today.

Many parents wonder whether they have to invite all their child's classmates or whether they can pick and choose. Lisa's rule of thumb is to take your child's age and add one to it. For example, if your child is five, you should limit the amount of guests to six.

She also says parents shouldn't be put off if requests for RSVP's go unanswered. Lisa suggests parents set an RSVP deadline and wait until it passes before contacting people who have not responded.

She says five to ten dollars is plenty to spend on a gift. If the birthday boy or girl is a special friend of your child, you can spend more.

Lisa says some parents have turned to children's gift registries. It might sound off-the-wall, but it's one way to reduce the possibility of duplicate gifts. The key is to choose gifts that are reasonably priced.

If a rude parent refuses to leave the party, the best thing to do is put them to work. That way, they are too busy helping and won't interfere.

There is more advice in Lisa Kothari's book.