General Chat

In my day, brothers and sisters were invited because all the kids in the street played together with the older ones looking after the young ones and we all went to the same primary school.. There were no organised 'parties' as such, it was more a spontaneous thing....can so-and-so come round for tea, Mam.

it didn't mean inviting all the kids in the Street, just best friends

and I bet none of you had to invite the brothers / sisters of the invited child did you???



but that is apparently what has to be done .................


and invite all or none of the class .......... a child be be adversely affected if not invited to a party of a class mate.



grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Back in the early 1970s the cinema in the nearest town always had a "suitable for children" programme on Saturday afternoons - they could invite two friends (all I could fit in the car with my own three) and then come back home for a birthday tea - my idea of a treat!

I was born in 1984 and all my parties were held in the house with things like pass the parcel, musical statues and a treasure hunt. We always got party bags though too. It was not until I was around 11 or 12 that the parties stopped and I was allowed two friends for a sleepover. This would involve making pizzas and watching a video before finally going to sleep around 4 am.

My daughter was wise in one way ............................


the first party for this age group that they went to last autumn was held in the local Volunteer Fire Hall ..........................


she went around pricing rentals, and the canoe club was about half the cost .............. plus it is within walking distance.


she said that it saves messing up the house ............. and you ahve to provide space for the parents who stay




We always willingly dropped her off at a birthday party and did our own thing for the next 2-3 hours :-)



and siblings definitely did not have to be invited, as they seemingly have to be now.

A good old party where the kids had all the old games we played and plenty of sarnies,jelly and ice cream ain't the norm nowadays..

It is one upmanship as my daughter found out years ago when her eldest son was 6 yrs old(18yrs now) as his friends mother had booked a big play area with the organiser supplying all food,take home bags and escorts to the play area.

Cost the parents around £400 just for 20 kids..

Madness is the word for parents like that.

I couldn't believe this story when I read it last night!!


RR ................

you asked ...............

Why do people think it's necessary to organise this kind of birthday 'party' in the first place? especially for such young children...smacks of one upmanship to me, what was wrong with some balloons, jelly and icecream and pass the parcel?



We spent Christmas with our daughter and family, her son will be 5 in March. They are planning a party for about 20 children PLUS parents who stay .....................

they will rent space in a local place (the canoe club!!), bring in some one to help entertain, and provide snacks. The entertainer brings loads of lego for the kids to play with and make things, and provides the take-home bag.

They have to pay for the space for 4 hours, and the lady for 2 hours


I asked "why???????"


and "why the parents?????"


Everyone in his pre-school group HAS to be invited .................. they dare not leave anyone out, even if the kids are at daggers drawn ............... that's 12 kids

then there are the ones he was close to at his previous daycare .................. fortunately NOT all kids there have to be invited.


But siblings have to be invited


Many parents now apparently do not leave the kids at a birthday party ............... they hang around to chat and watch their kids ................ so soft drinks and snacks have to be provided for them.


It's going to cost the equivalent of around £250-300 (over and above the presents they buy for him!)





very different from the "old days" :-(

I agree RR and Supercrutch. What stunned me was that parents can afford to pay this amount per child!! There's plenty of fun to be had far more cheaply and there was me thinking parents were struggling with the cutbacks, wage freezes etc and the need for food banks. :-S

I just can't believe this story has gone Worldwide and the birthday boy's mother has got her photo in the press.

Its a shame that birthday parties are a source of one-upmanship. In our circle it probably started about 30 years ago.

We wouldn't/couldn't afford the bouncy castle, magician etc. We had to teach the children musical chairs, statues, blind mans buff etc! As the games/party were 'different', they seemed to enjoy it just as much as the more proffessional organised parties.

Would we have taken them to a dry-slope at the age of 5? Probably not. That could (and did) wait until they were older with a couple of Best Friends.

IT'S GETTING STUPID THE PRICES OF KIDS
PARTIES,MINE WAS AT HOME SARNIES AND
CRISPS,
WE HAD AN DITCH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN
ONE YEAR I ASKED THE MUMS TO PUT OLD TROUSERS
AND BOOTS ON ,THE KIDS ARRIVED AN I TOOK THEM DOWN THE DITCH THEY HAD FISHING NETS CLIMBING TREES GETTING COVERED IN MUD,THEY HAD A GRILLIANT TIME,

This is the Aussie take

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/boy-five-is-invoiced-30-no-show-fee-for-missing-his-friends-birthday-party/story-fnq2oad4-1227190166071

According to this the invoice was sent out under the company logo, but the company say they didn't send it, and don't charge for 'no-shows'

I remember when I was a child that the usual party invite was a knock on the door and one of the other kids from the party family would ask my parents if my brother and myself could go over for tea, in about five minutes.

Fish paste sandwiches, lemonade, and maybe jelly and ice-cream. No presents were expected and certainly no party bags were given out. This, of course, was back in the early 1950's! :-D :-D

I've just thought of a great way to earn some easy money. I'm going to invite loads of people to a party at the north pole; then charge them all for not turning up. ;-)

Dear All

Hello

I checked the date when I heard of this news story.

I thought it was April Fools!

Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

I thought this was hilarious.

I am sure there is more to the story than at first seems but who cares? No doubt it will be blown out of all proportion on Faceache.

Awful, fgs why do people think it's necessary to organise this kind of birthday 'party' in the first place? especially for such young children...smacks of one upmanship to me, what was wrong with some balloons, jelly and icecream and pass the parcel? :-D :-D

I can't believe it! This story just made it on our National CBC News Network here in Canada!

Wonder if it's on CNN?

I ignore party invitations that include the phrase - 'Bring a plate'. :-D

The birthday boy#s parents could always ask ITV to put it on ""Judge Rinder lunchtime programme...

See what he says about the situation....

My reply to sender of invoice....

See you in small claims court.

Absolute nonsense.