Tough Birthday Decision

We’ve decided to throw Nathan’s birthday party at Cosmic Adventures this year.  I think the kids will have a fantastic time and it means I don’t have to worry about set up or clean up.  But there has been a difficult decision to make.

Does Alex get to come or not?

On the having-him-come side of the argument, I don’t like the idea of excluding him from family events.  He’s a part of our family and I already feel that sometimes we feel too much like a 3 + 1 family.  He generally likes Cosmic.

On the other hand, he’s very difficult to control at Cosmic.  There are too many places it’s difficult to follow him and there are too many exits to keep track of him while he’s on the playstructure.  If he comes, the lion’s share of our attention will have to be focused on him and what he’s doing.  He won’t be compliant with the schedule and won’t enjoy the cake or structured activities.  Given his aggression, I would have to worry about the safety of the other kids.  Not just our guests but anyone else at Cosmic.

It makes me sad but in the end, it’s Nathan’s birthday.  He should have his parents’ full attention and be able to enjoy his party without having to worry about what his brother is doing.  So we’ll arrange for Alex to do something fun with either a grandparent or a sitter and let Nathan be the star at his party.

It’s a difficult decision but sometimes you have to focus on how things are rather than how you would like them to be in a more ideal world.  If you want things to go smoothly, then you have to deal with reality.  No matter how much you don’t like it.