You're invited to … Consider the Cost of Kids' Birthday Parties
It's kid birthday season. Every Sally, Danny and Susan have their birthdays in July, August, September. Or is that just me? My weekends are full of kid's parties at the moment. Including two of my very own kids. My son and daughter's birthdays are...
It's kids' birthday season. Every Sally, Danny and Susan have their birthdays in August and September. Or is that just me?
My weekends are full of kids' parties at the moment. Including two of my very own kids. My son and daughter's birthdays are in August and September. I wrote last year around this time about my battles, challenges and compromises around hosting a birthday party for them. It was post-Covid lockdown times and my partner and I thought it would be nice for them, considering they had never had one.
In out minds, we thought we could do a party every other year, for big milestone years. But this year it snuck up on us. Before we could explain the gap in parties, our kids had already decided on and invited people to their parties. The horse had bolted.
So yes, we're in for another round. But don't worry, the rules have been laid and hopefully we don't have to do this again for a few years.
Kids parties… why do we do this to ourselves?! I thought I'd keep it simple. Have my daughter's at a park and my son's at a community hall and just have snacks. But the pressure! My "just snacks" idea has turned into a fruit platter (because you have to give the illusion that you're a healthy family), a cheese platter (so parents can think you're cultured with elite cheese varieties), a homemade cake (to show that you care about your child – don't worry I just use packet mix), chips, chocolate and lollies (to show that you're also an easy breezy non-uptight mum).
You've also got to have lolly bags because essentially that's all the kids care about. You have to create an invitation in collaboration with your child on Canva that truly expresses the person they are.
And you have to have games – pass the parcel, where you have to put a prize in each layer, or you absolutely cannot put a prize in every layer because they'll grow into non-resilient adults who can't get a job!
So now my easy kids' party has turned out to be as expensive as it would have been to hire out an indoor play park that the supplies food.
You just can't win!
Why do we do this to ourselves? I guess you could say for the joys, smiles and happiness of our children, but at what cost?!
