Re: learnt lessons and a lot of questions
Posted by Maureen on July 8, 2001 at 08:16:15:
In reply to: learnt lessons and a lot of questions posted by samantha on July 8, 2001 at 01:11:22:
Sounds like my first event with young children many years ago. Don'tgive up on these events. They can be fun and profitable when word
gets around. Here are a few things I have learned. Always establish
your parameters up front with the host/hostess...time, designs, part
of body hennaed, redos and expectations of results when hennaing
young children because of their natural tendancy not to be able to
sit still and wait for henna to dry. I only henna the back of young
children's hands at parties. I found it a waste of time to do
palms. They are sweaty, playing, eating, falling...etc. Use your
henna that stains the deepest, quickest and the fastest. Add some
sugar to it so that it will make a paste that dries fast and is hard
to get off. Then (a little trick I learned) when the paste is dry
enough, put tissue over it and hold the tissue in place with colorful
bandaids. I never put lemon and sugar on little children. They will
taste it no matter what you say. Little children love bandaids and
will tend to keep them on until forced to take them off. Another
little trick I learned that pleased both the host/hostess and parents
of children attending, as an added feature I have someone take a
polaroid picture of each child holding their hand up with the paste
on it (prior to the tissue and bandaid). This allows the child,
parent and host/hostess to have a keepsake and reminder that there
was indeed a henna design on the child before the "little one" stuck
her hand in the punch bowl. Remember, with little children it is the
process and not the product. The experience is pretty much over for
them when you stop hennaing their hand. It is the adults who are
interested in the product so any adult hosting a henna party for
small children needs to be given realistic expectations. Also, I
won't do JUST a henna party for little children. If there are other
activities going on at the same time at the party, I have the hostess
send me in one to two children at a time. I do them and take the
next child or two until I have done them all. Also, designs for
little children can be very simple designs with lots of large flat
areas. Intricate designs increases the chance of impatient children
and your inability to complete all of the children within your time
limitations. If you have five to six pictures to choose from that
will be a lot. Sometimes little children have a hard time making the
decision and other times they all will want the same design the first
child got.
I have found that the host/hostess have willingly paid the extra
expense of the polaroid film and bandaids. If they want to purchase
these things themselves and take over the responsibility for picture
taking. Fine!! Less for you and/or your assistant to do. But let
them know that if they don't get it you will because it is how you do
henna parties for children and let them know what the charge is.
Just call prior to going to make sure they have them. If they didn't
get it then you should as it is part of the service you provide.
Then take the film and bandaids with you and charge your fee for
providing them. Last, establish a definate beginning, middle and end
for how you do these parties. A beginning can be as simple as how
you are introduced. Mine is when my soft music is playing. The
middle is the process of hennaing, what I am saying to the child and
how the children flow in and out (pic etc). The end is when I tie a
ribbon that has my business card attached around each child's wrist
and thank them individually and say goodbye. (When do I get paid? A
down payment when I am booked and the balance when I show up to do
the party. I do not want to chase a grown-up down at a child's party
for my money.) At the same time I get paid I give little after-care
instructions to be given each child as they leave the party. By the
way, the age range I call little for this purpose is a mature 4 to
typical 8 year old. I don't do children who are typical 4 year olds
and younger at parties. Hands in mouth...unpredictable...will try to
understand the design by tasting it...and on and on and on... If
most of the children are 9 and over and they are fidgeting and
smudging the design...well, that is a pretty interesting population
you were dealing with. You should be able to organize a party with
children 9 and over with them understanding instructions of how to
care for the henna unless other party events were not compatible with
caring for the henna. Then that is not the problem of the children
but a problem of party planning on the part of the hostess (if
maintenance of the henna designs are important).
Maureen's lessons learned the hard way in a big ole nutshell...
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