 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
By Penelope C. Paine
In the next year, at least 10 million young children will participate in weddings. At these events, they experience one of life's happiest rites of passage and they learn the rituals and traditions that they will most likely carry on. Yet kids at wedding celebrations can pose a real challenge for parents, brides and grooms, and wedding coordinators. Easily bored and full of energy, we all know how hard it is for youngsters to be quiet for the long periods of time that are built into weddings. These concerns, along with the high costs associated with nuptials today, cause some couples to specifically exclude children, even though it's not a popular way to go. From my own experience and observation, the wedding day is too disjointed and too long for children, so finding things they can do during those slow periods is the answer to surviving the day. Here are some suggestions for keeping children happily occupied at wedding events:
During the more solemn and formal parts of the wedding day, it is best to have activities that the children can do by themselves. I also think it's a good idea to find activities that help explain the celebration and incorporate the many symbols and traditions we all bring to weddings. With more multi-cultural weddings happening each year, this is also a great opportunity to build understanding about different cultures and religions. Capture a teachable moment and try providing kids with:
Of course, once the formalities are over, the dancing and music at the end of the day almost always revives the youngest guests, who happily join the grown-ups to dance the night away. Weddings are about love, making a commitment, and celebrating
that commitment with family and friends. Involving children can
enrich the event. The key is to keep the kids busy, and then everyone
will have a great time. Penelope (Penny) Paine is the owner of Paper Posie, 569-0525, www.paperposie.com. Along with Itoko Maeno, a local award-winning illustrator, she has designed and created a line of products for children at weddings, including the Wedding Day Activity KitTM, Love To Color wedding day coloring book, and the best-selling books 10 Neat Things About Being A Flower Girl and 10 Cool Things About Being A Ring Bearer.
|
There
are many things that parents, couples and planners can do to make
sure that children at weddings - taking part as flower girls, ring
bearers, blended family in a second marriage or simply attending
- have an enjoyable time and "behave." The answer is very simple:
Keep them occupied.
