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Why I Dont “DO” Childrens Birthday Parties

1
Were Birthdays a big deal when you were growing up?

Well for me it wasn’t! I have never been a massive fan of my birthday; I remember rarely being super excited for my birthday as a child. My parents didn’t make a huge deal of it all, we got presents and a homemade cake but no parties. I was allowed a couple of sleepovers but after my sister pushed the boundaries at one of her sleepovers (let’s say it didn’t involve face packs and ice cream) we were no longer allowed. Cheers Claire!

I had friends growing up who always

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had a party; my best friend’s mum when I was a child had a restaurant and always threw the most amazing fun parties for my friend. Her mum would put on a tape that pretty much ran the party, played games and music and we thought it was the best. I now realise as a grown up and a mum that it was pure genius! The parent didn’t have to do anything and I now know why my mum and the other mums also had a good time…they were plastered! HAHA!

Cora gets invited to one each week (god, her social life is much better than mine) and I see the parents

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running around stressing, spending a small fortune. The average price of these parties is over £300. Your child will no doubt spend whole party crying, because, well that’s just what the birthday boy / girl always does, isn’t it?

I am sure anyone who has hosted a party for a small child or been to one, will encounter issues that you never thought you would. We were invited to a party and only knew one of the children, we didn’t know if we were to provide a gift for both so we played it safe and got both a gift. Turned out we didn’t have

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4
to do that but I just wouldn’t have wanted to be the only one not to bring a present for both! Can you imagine the looks I would have gotten in the playground, oh the shame! (jks)

There is also the invite dramas, I went to a very small school so it was easy to invite the whole class (only 8 of us) if you wanted too but now, well Cora has 30 plus friends in her class and how do you select the ones who come?

Do you invite the ones who invited you, ask my daughters and she recites a random list of only the children names she can

SelfishMother.com
5
remember and doesn’t even play with or do you invite the whole class hoping that most of them will not turn up/decline.

This is the big one, I have to awkwardly talk to parents I have never met before, for like two hours. No matter what you talk about – work, celebs, Donald Trump – it’ll comes back to the thing you have in common. The children.

He’s only four, yet he can speak 10 languages, dive off the high board, and is taking part in his first marathon. Your child is still yet master a fork but Timmy is planning on climbing K2.

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I struggle with small talk so badly and I don’t want to come across as rude but when you are socially anxious and extremely shy the impossible task to interact with grownups whilst having to refill bowls, make sure the kids are not killing each other AND the parents aren’t bored stiff (they will be) without looking like you’re a right moody cow is a hard task.

So this year, we are going to do what we have done every year before. We are going to fake a party for my children.

We go to granny’s house (venue) and the cousins

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come round (guests) and we have a piece of cake (probably Tesco’s) and call it a party!!

I don’t know how long we will get away with it for, as I said I think in another couple of years the children will catch on and start nagging me endlessly but till then I am extremely happy that I am not hosting a child’s birthday party.

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mumforce scottish parenting blogger

Why I Dont “DO” Childrens Birthday Parties

- 9 Mar 19

Were Birthdays a big deal when you were growing up?
Well for me it wasn’t! I have never been a massive fan of my birthday; I remember rarely being super excited for my birthday as a child. My parents didn’t make a huge deal of it all, we got presents and a homemade cake but no parties. I was allowed a couple of sleepovers but after my sister pushed the boundaries at one of her sleepovers (let’s say it didn’t involve face packs and ice cream) we were no longer allowed. Cheers Claire!
I had friends growing up who always had a party; my best friend’s mum when I was a child had a restaurant and always threw the most amazing fun parties for my friend. Her mum would put on a tape that pretty much ran the party, played games and music and we thought it was the best. I now realise as a grown up and a mum that it was pure genius! The parent didn’t have to do anything and I now know why my mum and the other mums also had a good time…they were plastered! HAHA!
Cora gets invited to one each week (god, her social life is much better than mine) and I see the parents running around stressing, spending a small fortune. The average price of these parties is over £300. Your child will no doubt spend whole party crying, because, well that’s just what the birthday boy / girl always does, isn’t it?
I am sure anyone who has hosted a party for a small child or been to one, will encounter issues that you never thought you would. We were invited to a party and only knew one of the children, we didn’t know if we were to provide a gift for both so we played it safe and got both a gift. Turned out we didn’t have to do that but I just wouldn’t have wanted to be the only one not to bring a present for both! Can you imagine the looks I would have gotten in the playground, oh the shame! (jks)
There is also the invite dramas, I went to a very small school so it was easy to invite the whole class (only 8 of us) if you wanted too but now, well Cora has 30 plus friends in her class and how do you select the ones who come?
Do you invite the ones who invited you, ask my daughters and she recites a random list of only the children names she can remember and doesn’t even play with or do you invite the whole class hoping that most of them will not turn up/decline.
This is the big one, I have to awkwardly talk to parents I have never met before, for like two hours. No matter what you talk about – work, celebs, Donald Trump – it’ll comes back to the thing you have in common. The children.
He’s only four, yet he can speak 10 languages, dive off the high board, and is taking part in his first marathon. Your child is still yet master a fork but Timmy is planning on climbing K2. I struggle with small talk so badly and I don’t want to come across as rude but when you are socially anxious and extremely shy the impossible task to interact with grownups whilst having to refill bowls, make sure the kids are not killing each other AND the parents aren’t bored stiff (they will be) without looking like you’re a right moody cow is a hard task.
So this year, we are going to do what we have done every year before. We are going to fake a party for my children.
We go to granny’s house (venue) and the cousins come round (guests) and we have a piece of cake (probably Tesco’s) and call it a party!!
I don’t know how long we will get away with it for, as I said I think in another couple of years the children will catch on and start nagging me endlessly but till then I am extremely happy that I am not hosting a child’s birthday party.

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Gail aka Mumforce, is a Scottish lifestyle / parenting blogger and a mum of two, based in Edinburgh. After giving birth to 2 little darlings Gail focussed some attention towards rediscovering/discovering herself. Being a daughter, sister, friend, wife and mother can take a lot out of the best of us. Whilst in amongst/ dealing with all the unpredictability’s in life it’s an easy thing to go into pilot mode/ forget to catch your breath and although bringing up another human being is arguably one of the most difficult challenges a human can be blessed with – “it can often be the case the we want more in respect to purpose, something that is just me”. Gail is open about her mental health and hopes that through writing, honestly about her experiences she can allow others to open up and no longer feel alone. As well as talking/writing about her struggles with mental health, Gail blogs about daily life, women’s rights and issues that some are afraid to address. Throw in a few family outing reviews, product reviews and mum fashion and we have a very mixed bag which truly represents the addictive randomness that is Mumforce. ​To begin with Gail found writing as a form of therapy and a hobby however through her literacy journey Gail’s lifelong pursuit of seeking acceptance has been redefined – “ I finally understood that it was self acceptance that was being sought and have since embraced every ounce of human emotion and solidified its presence through my words”. A unique character who we can all relate to who gives a fantastic reflection of the main battle we have in life, “the person staring back at me in the mirror”.

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