Whoa, Clive, I realised that you REALLY apply some discipline in your party and you are not afraid to offend the parents.

Have you met any REAL difficult situation like the host insist that you give the balloon even to the brat?

The reason the kid behaved like he did is because he has learnt that if he causes enough fuss he gets what he wants.

You've all seen the mum in the shop when the kid throws a wobbly, because it can't have sweets, 'No! No! I said No! Oh, all right then just this once' The moment she gives in two things happen:

1, the kid has learnt that if he kicks up enough fuss he'll get his way. Mum has now lost control.

2, a huge great sharp edged rod has grown on the Mum's back.

My kids learnt early on that no means no, and I will not give a kid a anything if he's had enough chances to behave and doesn't, and I've then said he can't have something.

If I relent and give in, if he turns up at another party he'll know he can do what he wants and still get a balloon. By not getting one he may remember next time and behave a bit better.

As for upsetting his mum, well, it's only on a very, very rare occasion I've done this 2-3 times in 10 years. If the kid is that bad that he doesn't get a balloon, I definitely don't want to do his party.

As I've said on the rare occasions I've done this, other Mums have come up and said, 'I'm glad you stuck to your guns. He was a little **&^&'. One Mum was a teacher; she was well impressed with my stance.

The kids behaviour will also have been noticed by the other Mums, and you then find yourself booked for the other kids' parties in that group, but the terror will not be invited. They don't want him spoiling their party. Thus his Mum's lack of discipline and parenting skills now gets the kid a reputation as uncontrollable and he/she misses out on all the party invites.

I like the idea. I usually give that brat a balloon last.

Next time I won't give to them to emphasize my point.

If the mum comes over, I tell her why he's not getting a balloon, and she tells him off and makes him apologies. I will give him a balloon accompanied by a little word of advice for the future. If he refuses to apologies or she doesn't even tell him off, then he gets nothing. You play it by ear on the day.

It does work because next time they see you, they think twice before messing you about. If they do come to another party and are good, I always make a point of acknowledging their good behaviour with a bit of praise. This reinforces the lesson. I'm bad, get nothing; I'm good and get praise.

<<"You are so right, Madam," I replied. "I suggest you phone Hillary (the booker) and apologize for your kid spoiling her son's party."

She went off like a firework. I had the phone 12" from my ear wetting myself as she went off on one. >>

Excellent! You always know the right thing to say. Are you not scared of the bad publicity she may bring?

<<Clive, I love your sense of humor concerning your balloon bag!>>>

He ain't joking, I've seen the pics. He-he.

Matt

How do you deliver that message during the show? I mean when you see one brat running on and off or misbehaving, do you mentioned about not giving them balloons? I did it in a pretty stern manner.

I'm thinking of three new scenarios:

1) Let say you tell the brats that they are not getting the balloons and the brats say, "Fine. I'm not interested" and carries on with his mischief?

2) If the kid is a toddler? Such statements mean nothing to him.

3) What if the brat is the BIRTHDAY CHILD? Insist on not giving?

I think the message here is not to take these things too seriously. Both myself and Sue are presently more keen than we have been for a number of years on striving for perfection in entertaining children. But we have such depth of experience that it now takes a lot to make the old thumbs lock in the palms of the hands like they used to.

I'd advise any busy children's entertainer to have lots of fresh air and exercise, and quality holidays. This also gets the mind conditioned to coping. (God, what MUST it be like to be a teacher?)

Tony.

<<<Excellent! You always now the right thing to say. Are you not scared of the bad publicity she may bring? >>>

This lady started shouting she was going to blacken my name. 'Do it,' I told her. 'My reputation is much stronger than anything you can do. Most mum's have seen my show, and as all your friends were at the party and saw how your kid behaved, I don't think you can do me any damage.'

I like your scenarios, Andy, with number 1 and 2. It may then get to the stage where I stop the show and ask the booker to take them in hand. With the toddler it would be as I've described before, make his mum put him on her lap and stop the show every time she puts him down.

No 3 is always difficult. You have to really stretch your patience beyond normal limits. Although I've had nasty birthday kids I've never yet had to get to that stage with them. I have had to sit the birthday kid back down when they've been the helper from hell. The booker understood I had no choice, as he would not stand still or co-operate. He threw things, played lets punch the magician, etc., etc., and was spoiling the show for everyone. He was sat straight down, and his sister came up instead and magiced his present for him.

The thing to remember is these things are not the norm. They are the last resort, and only used after all other methods have been tried. Luckily, although hyper naughty kids are not uncommon, totally uncontrollable ones are very rare. Most kids will react to your gentler control methods before they become a major problem.

Hee, hee. The person asking this question is me, Joseph. Not Andy.

Anyway, it's a good advice. I have just received other 'weapon' in my arsenal.

Hey, if you give that brat a balloon last, make sure it's a pink one, and drop a few choice lines as you hand it over!

I had a new one today. I worked as magician/ringmaster for a bunch of three and four-year olds performing as circus acts. All was cool until I was packing. The typical "Good job, etc."

One little girl came up to me all by herself and said, "You are a BAD magician! Your magic is BAD and NOBODY liked it!" A nearby teacher overhead this, snatched the girl up and chewed her a new ***! The teacher then apologized to me, and I said, "Well, kids are kids," and the teacher said, "Not THIS one!"

I was about to die laughing inside!
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Update: Went back today to work circus program, part 2. One of the teachers made a point to walk that same little girl up to me so she could apologize. She did, and I said thank you, and then during the show I called her up to assist me on stage and she was golden. Must have been the full moon yesterday!

I once had a kid behaving horribly all through a show, and he said he didn't care about getting a balloon. Later on after, I'd made several balloons, he started hitting me in the face with a balloon sword. He'd obviously grabbed it off someone. I smiled and with lightening reflexes popped it by magic. He then went off to find someone else to terrorise.

One of those parties where there were no grown-ups either, except a dad who checked in every few minutes. That's the kind of party where you start to wonder if there is an easier way to make a living. I think, though, that I wouldn't do the popping thing again, unless it was a teenager harassing me. Then I do it with my teeth. (yes, clowns have teeth).

""(To the kid who needs to sit down): "You know what's in this duffel bag?" ["No..."] "The last kid who made me mad; you wanna join him?" ""

This a great line. *laughing.

When I did the show in a 3rd grade class theyall flocked my bird puppet I brought out to do some Vent with as part of a crd trick. Was a mob scene...LOL. Having not done a show in too many years it was a challange to get them seated so I could finish. I have a lot fo great ideas from all of your comments here. =)

Chris