On the surface, weekday birthday parties may seem like second-best, squeezed into schedules already busy with chores and work. On the other hand, a party that breaks up the week's routine may be just the ticket. Two suggestions for weekday adult birthday parties and two for weekday children's birthday parties may change your view about second-best. After all, birthdays come on a different day of the week every year.

Consider a birthday breakfast for a stay-at-home mom and friends during the week. As soon as children are off to school, all are welcome at your house for coffee, muffins with candles or another birthday munchy, and a brief visit before the chores of the day take their toll. This gives your birthday girl a cheerful start on her special day.

Birthday breakfast also makes a great office birthday party. Supplies are easy to carry in, and it's seldom that a colleague will complain of spending too much time at breakfast before coming to work. Bagels, spreads, fruit, and cheese let everyone pick up a treat as they arrive to start the day.

Plan a child's weekday birthday party so that it ends with dinner. Serving pizza, pasta, or burgers before the cake lessens the customary party sugar-high and lets the guests' mothers serve dinner at home on their usual schedules. Children who still have chores or homework waiting will have better stamina if they go home with dinner under their belts.

If your family has reached the stage where birthday parties need to be celebrated in a restaurant or entertainment facility rather than at home, greet the weekday with a smile. Restaurants and other facilities catering to children's parties are usually much more easily booked for weekdays than for weekends. Ask also about possible weekday discounts; some advertise and others do not. The same may apply to entertainers who conduct parties in your home.