Children's Birthday Parties

dotti34 · 27-08-2018, 04:31

What has happened to children’s birthday parties? There are parents these days who go so overboard with them that it is ridiculous. Recently I was reading about some very fancy ones and have to say I wasn’t impressed at all. Huge amounts of money spent, some even had special party planners, but I wonder if it’s for the benefit of the child or whether for the parents themselves, trying to outdo each other, especially (dare I say it) the mothers.

When my children were growing up they had simple parties at home but boy! did they have fun. Children’s fun games, lots of food they could enjoy, birthday cake decorated with smarties and marshmallows – my speciality! - (I’m not that good with cake decorating), and if they went a bit wild for a couple of hours so be it. If they looked like grubs when they went home they were happy little grubs. Yes and we actually did have a party planner – me!

dotti34 · 27-08-2018, 04:33

Funny story. There were a number of children in our street at that time and they were all automatically invited to each other’s parties. One year I told my oldest son (he was about 8 at the time) that he could also ask any of his classmates who he liked and was friends with. When I asked him how many had he asked he said ‘all of them’!!!!! Apparently there were only two in his class he didn’t like and he felt sorry for them and couldn’t leave them out so he invited them as well. The class wasn’t all that big and some couldn’t make it but there was still a bit of a crowd but who cared, just meant more cooking.

Disappointment was when one of the two he didn’t like cheated at a game.

Margaret Pilkington · 27-08-2018, 08:30

I have never been invited to a children's birthday party....and in the whole of my life I have never had a birthday party....now, how sad is that ?

cashman · 27-08-2018, 08:36

Yer lucky Margaret i have been invited to a few.

monkey hanger · 27-08-2018, 09:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotti34

What has happened to children’s birthday parties? There are parents these days who go so overboard with them that it is ridiculous. Yes and we actually did have a party planner – me!

kids birthday parties are like this end of year proms thing that school leavers have. a total load of someone trying to do one better than the others. leave it to the yanks as they do nonsense much better than we do.

Margaret Pilkington · 27-08-2018, 09:05

I think tha today's children's birthday parties are a way of 'showing off'....each party being more lavish than the last.
Gone are the days when you could get away with bloated paste sandwiches(did anyone ever eat those) washed down with Kia-ora and jelly and Carnation for after....with a bit of sponge cake wrapped up to take home.
If the party was a bit posh, then there might be fairy cakes decorated with jelly tots.
Not having been to any parties myself....all this is hearsay.

Hill Walker · 27-08-2018, 09:27

The only children's parties I remember were those organised to swap the common childhood ailments such as chicken pox.

A Birthday Party was a normal family tea with ice cream and/or cake and possibly followed by a trip to the cinema.

Less · 27-08-2018, 09:47

Up until the age of 10, my birthday parties were a rather grand affair, all the family around disco's and games well into the night with lavish gifts being handed out to one and all.

Unfortunately, being an unpopular child, I was never invited to them.

dotti34 · 28-08-2018, 09:21

Hill Walker, you have reminded me of when I was a young child if anyone got measles or chickenpox other children really were encouraged to catch the disease and then it was over and done with. Every child expected to get both. Just take care of eyes with the measles and stay in bed for a week. Calamine lotion to sooth the itchiness. People didn't realise the possible dangers. Certainly different these days.

monkey hanger · 28-08-2018, 10:04

once i got into double figures i never had a birthday party. never bothered me as my earlier ones consisted of my old man taking me down to seaton for the rides and amusements. funny though as he did the same thing the sunday before.

Hill Walker · 28-08-2018, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotti34

Hill Walker, you have reminded me of when I was a young child if anyone got measles or chickenpox other children really were encouraged to catch the disease and then it was over and done with. Every child expected to get both. Just take care of eyes with the measles and stay in bed for a week. Calamine lotion to sooth the itchiness. People didn't realise the possible dangers. Certainly different these days.

Calamine EUCK! I wish you hadn't reminded me!