For her birthday, she’d, planned a small-scale party, with three of her, best friends in class, translated…
Back when, because of work, wed moved our family to France. Because we believed that our young would adapt well, we’d, selected to send our son and daughter into the first grade class in France
The elementary school in France focused on letting the children explore their own nature, not that much homework, and, helped them established the life skills more, so, the children didn’t, object that much to school; two years later, our children started, assimilating with the children there, and, the social events, my children were, involved in, including, the birthday parties.
My daughter first brought up this topic, and immediately, gotten the consensus from mom, and, she was left, to execute the plans, with the rest of us, as her, backup.
First, she’d, invited her best friends in the class, and, seeing this was the first time, we are not yet, familiarized with the process, and, she’d, invited only three friends, one from Malaysia, Cuba, and Poland to our home, on the weekend before her birthday.
My daughter found a French birthday invitation, I’d, printed it out of the computer, and she took it to school.
On the day of the party, we’d, posted the notice—on the outside of our apartment building, the entrance of the elevator, our floor, and outside our door, and, the foods, we’d, allowed our daughter to decide, she’d, ordered four sets of McDonald’s value meal, saved the time, the energies, it’d made all of us, happy.
On the afternoon, the guests were dropped off by their parents, and, we’d, told them when they should pick up their young.
The four meal boxes, already on the upper table, and my daughter worked as a hostess, and, the rest of us, out. After the meal, she’d, led her classmates to her bedroom to play, Barbie, Rainbow horse, along with an assortment of her, favorite toys. The girls even started, face painting too, this was one of the activities of their school carnival.
After the face painting sessions, they all ran out into the courtyard to play hide-and-seek, my son and his boy classmates from our apartment building joined in, they were having, a blast! Later, my daughter climbed onto the plum tree of the courtyard, her friend from Poland wanted to follow her, but, got stuck between the branches, I’d, pushed her upward, and it’d, made her happy.
Mrs. Santos who was the super of the building, who normally made the rounds around the apartment selected to stay inside at this time, knowing that it’s the children’s social gathering. Until the games were over, as the little monkeys all left, then, she’d come outside, to check to see if the plum trees were, all right.
At sunset, the parents came, and, the children who were having a blast playing to red in the face, and hair all messy, ran toward their separate parents, turned around, said goodbye to our daughter and us, and, we were all, in smiles.
This first small social function with my daughter as the hostess was, a success, her scholastic performance was, outstanding, I’m sure, this is, going to, add to her experience on how she can, get along with different people in her life.
But, I’d, wondered on, how that Polish girl would describe this experience of coming to my daughter’s birthday part, with me, giving her that boost onto the plum trees?
And so, this is a unique experience this parent allowed her daughter to have, to host a birthday party, allowing her to plan out all the activities to do, this helps cultivate autonomy in the child, and, it’d, allowed her to enjoy the company of her best friends at the same time, and I’m sure, that this experience, will enrich the young girl’s life a lot.