There is also a craft to make and a fun movie to watch. It is a loud, crazy, messy three hours, but loads of fun. The movie comes with popcorn sprinkled with M&Ms. That's just how we roll around here!
We have a ready-made clientele through our grandkids friends from school and word of mouth has spread as well. Some parents, however, say they don't like to inform other parents about the evening for fear their kid won't get a spot! We usually have from 12 to 15 kids.
At first parents dropped their kids and hung out a little bit. Now, they mostly "dump and run"!! Some of the kids have been coming for years and we have watched them grow up a lot. In fact, last night, I noticed several of them seemed so much taller and older this time. It made me a little wistful. As I have always said, days are long, but years are short.
Why do we do it? As an event planner, I learned long ago that if you wait for people to hire you, sometimes you can be waiting a long time. Creating events has been a great avenue for me to make some money (yes, the parents pay me!), spread the word about my services, and it satisfies my crafty, organized, planning self to be creative. Plus, I realize that many of these families do not have the support system of family close by (especially grandparents) and they need a break. They are very grateful for three hours of peace. Several of the parents have used the evening to go out together with other couples for a quiet dinner. Some go to Target alone!! It may sound silly, but if you are a parent (mom especially), you know the value of a quiet shopping trip.
These evenings would not be possible without the aid of my husband. He is another set of hands for helping serve dinner, cleaning up while we do our craft, and fixing any audio visual problems we have with the movie. He truly enjoys all the kids and he knows, on PNO evenings, he will be getting a really good dessert!
Why do we do it? As an event planner, I learned long ago that if you wait for people to hire you, sometimes you can be waiting a long time. Creating events has been a great avenue for me to make some money (yes, the parents pay me!), spread the word about my services, and it satisfies my crafty, organized, planning self to be creative. Plus, I realize that many of these families do not have the support system of family close by (especially grandparents) and they need a break. They are very grateful for three hours of peace. Several of the parents have used the evening to go out together with other couples for a quiet dinner. Some go to Target alone!! It may sound silly, but if you are a parent (mom especially), you know the value of a quiet shopping trip.
These evenings would not be possible without the aid of my husband. He is another set of hands for helping serve dinner, cleaning up while we do our craft, and fixing any audio visual problems we have with the movie. He truly enjoys all the kids and he knows, on PNO evenings, he will be getting a really good dessert!
Love it
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