My 5-year-old granddaughter Megan loves to have tea parties, particularly when Grandma comes for a visit as I'm of English extraction and often use my "Cockney" accent as we have tea. When we decided to do a tea party article for a child with diabetes, I decided that I'd plan a tea party for Megan to hold with her little friends during my upcoming mid-May visit to help celebrate her 6th birthday.
Megan and her friends love to dress up in play costumes with all the finery-feather boas, floppy hats or sparkling tiaras, high heels, a wispy dress that fans out when twirling around, jewels around the neck and on every finger and arm. At this party we're inviting three of her girlfriends along with their favorite Barbie doll for a dress-up tea party from 3 to 4:30 on Saturday, May 12. Megan drew invitations showing her tea table set with her favorite tea set to mail to each friend. A follow-up phone call to the parents will insure they understand just what the party entails.
Although Megan has several tea sets-a Princess set and a Minnie Mouse set from Disneyland, a Bunny set which has carrot-shaped cups, a set whose cups change color when holding a liquid (even water), her very favorite is a white porcelain set painted with pretty springtime flowers in shades of lavender and pink. It comes with four cups and saucers, a teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, and a large rectangular tray, which will nicely hold the food for the tea. Her play table comes with four chars, making a perfect setting for the tea party, covered with a small square of yellow cloth. Lavender paper napkins will be folded into a triangle and for a centerpiece, we'll use a small empty Perrier bottle filled with a few fresh daisies. Megan wants to give little favors for her friends so we will go to a local Dollar store where they sell tiny white china kitties. She can tie a pink ribbon bow around each kitten's neck.
Megan does not have diabetes, but one of her friends does. Although Megan is occasionally allowed to indulge in a sugary dessert, her parents are health conscious and have taught her to enjoy fresh fruit and baby carrots as a treat, rather than a cookie or piece of candy. For the party Megan decided to serve triple-decker peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches made with Light Sugar Free Preserves and cut into triangles, miniature carrots, fresh strawberries, and sugar-free cookies that we would purchase at a popular local bakery. Tea will be of the pre-sweetened variety, served cold. Since the diabetic friend's mother was told about the menu, we were able to determine how much her daughter could have at the party, then we multiplied that amount times four. That way each guest will get exactly the same amount.
A good deal of the time will be spent in the interaction of the girls, admiring each others outfits and role playing activity during the serving of the tea. Since they have their favorite Barbie with them, once bored with the tea party, they will move to Megan's play area where she has a Barbie Town House and all sorts of Barbie play accessories to more than fill the remaining time.
Have boys instead of girls? I did, and the boys often entertained their friends with a backyard party, complete with tent and food. We happened to have some metal plates and cups which were perfect for serving "trail grub," but paper or plastic-coated plates and cups would do just as well. Plan some yard games to follow the 'chow-down."
It's important that children with diabetes be treated like "normal" children as much as possible, and that includes educating their friends about the dietary, and sometimes physical restrictions, that they must live with on a daily basis. A tea party can be a perfect training ground for everyone.
FTG
