As the current trip around the sun comes to a close and we ready ourselves for 2023, there’s no lack of parties and events around town to help ring in the new year with a bang. If you’re a single mom, however, your party options become much more limited as child-friendly events to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids are pretty scarce. 

So where will you be when the ball drops, and what will you do to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids? 

Connect with other moms and celebrate New Year’s Eve with your  kids together

Remember there is strength in numbers, and getting together with other moms can be a great way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids. Bring child-appropriate snacks to the party, think of some age-appropriate games, and enjoy the company of like-minded women who also find themselves trading sticky toddler fingers for champagne flutes that evening. 

Ask the kids what they would like to do

Any outing (or night in, for that matter) is much more fun when you get to participate in the planning. Ask your kiddos how they’d like to spend this special evening and accommodate their suggestions if you can. Younger children probably won’t have the stamina to keep their eyes open until the bell tolls midnight, and a game or two may be enough to keep them busy for a short evening. Older kids, on the other hand, may need a lineup of venues, games, and snacks to keep them happy until the ball drops. 

Step out of your comfort zone, try something new

Children have an intense enthusiasm for trying new things, and the uncanny ability to drag adults along in their quest for adventure, whether they’re willing or not. It’s one of their magical super powers! If you find yourself longing for a quiet evening on the couch, try to be sensitive to your child’s wanderlust anyway. A stroll through the park to watch the fireworks over the trees? Why not? (As long as the area is safe, of course!). A night at a nearby hotel or resort that puts on a fireworks display? Great idea! Rent a cabin and roast s’mores and tell stories? Sounds like heaven!

Also, be sure to check venues in your area that may host family-friendly New Year’s Eve events on Google and Eventbrite. Chuck E. Cheese, Dave & Buster’s, and your local church or community center come to mind, for example. 

Make a New Year’s resolution

As adults, we know that New Year’s resolutions are, more often than not, made to be broken sooner or later. Nevertheless, these proclamations of self-improvement and goal-setting serve a wonderful purpose by expressing hope and a positive outlook for the future. Help your child articulate what is important to them and encourage them to think through the steps they need to take to make it happen. Keep it light-hearted, especially for the little ones.

Even young children can make a New Year’s resolution. Perhaps they want to learn how to ride a bike, for example, or eat more broccoli even though they hate it. Talk to them about their intentions, help them in their introspection, and assist them in outlining the baby steps to get there. New Year’s resolutions keep us all responsible, accountable, and cognizant of the possibility that we can always start fresh.

Let there be noise (and messes)

Give your kids that time of the year when they’re free to be a little rowdy. You can have them spend their energy banging pots and pans, popping balloons, or with homemade noisemakers. Confetti? Yes, please! Take a deep breath…and be patient. 

Play dress-up

The beginning of a new year, more so than any other time of the year, is a time when we get to reinvent ourselves. What better way to celebrate the metamorphosis than to make it a costumed evening? Kids love to dress up at every opportunity (even older ones, regardless of the eye-rolling you’ll receive), so why not this one? Throw yourself into wacky costumes or make it a dressy dress-up affair, complete with princess dresses and grape juice in flutes. 

Leave the planning up to the children

You get the idea by now – allow your children to participate in the planning of this special evening. You’ll create a memory they’ll treasure and may even start a new family tradition in the process. The ability to participate in adult projects helps children grow in their autonomy, independence, teamwork skills, and organizational prowess. Plus, they’ll beam with pride and confidence when their idea is sanctioned by you and incorporated in the evening’s agenda. 

For tweens and teens – don’t be surprised if their New Year’s Eve plans involve their friends. Encourage these interactions and try not to let it hurt your feelings. Instead, welcome the opportunity to help your kid explore and refine their social skills.

A few things to consider when you celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids

  • Be sure the event or venue you attend is appropriate for your child’s age.
  • Only allow fireworks items that are age-appropriate. Children should never be allowed to ignite fireworks (even the relatively harmless ones like smoke bombs) and should be directed to watch from a safe distance. 
  • If you organize a child-friendly party with other moms, be sure to have a list of food allergies on hand to ensure the safety of all guests.
  • If your child gets sleepy before midnight but fights to keep their eyes open, not wanting to miss out on the big event, that’s ok. Build a pallet on the floor and let them nap until the moment arrives. If you promised to wake them up, keep that promise!
  • Alternately, if your young child wants to stay awake way past their regular bedtime – say yes, if you can. The excitement and memories of the evening outweigh a temporary disruption in routine. 

Whether you like it noisy or quiet, at home or at a party…New Year’s Eve, with all its noise and fanfare, is a sentimental and often emotional day of the year. Just remember that where a door closes, windows open. However you choose to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids, it’s a wonderful time to dream, create memories and traditions, have fun, and just be together.

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Neferteri Plessy is a trailblazer for mom entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders. A sought-after motivational speaker, Neferteri has coached over 5,000 women into living their best life now. As the founder and CEO of Single Moms Planet, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, she has developed programming, events and resources which have not only uplifted and inspired thousands of mothers, but also celebrated their amazing achievements. She is the creator of the “Smart Mommy” brand, a global movement that empowers mothers in business. Neferteri has been featured in The Huffington Post, BBC News, MSN Lifestyle, KIIS FM, and the cover of LA Weekly.

 

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