Taking Back the Childhood Birthday Party!!!

[curvymommy]

Ok guys, my kid is turning 4 years old next week. I am single handedly taking back the simple and sane birthday party! The parties are getting out of control! I live in a pretty affluent area but at this rate we'll be attending parties at the Space Needle in a couple years.

In the past year I have been to the following kinds of partied for kids turning 3, 4, 5.

~Laser Tag ($10/kid)
~Fishing Hole Party (cost $12/child)
~Bounce House Party (costs $200+)
~Chuck E Cheese ($300 after pizza and tokens)

Those costs are ONLY for the entertainment/location. You still have to buy cake, decorations, party favors, ect.

What ever happened to an at home, sweet party for kids? Anyway, I'm DOING it next week!

I'm gonna make a Texas Sheet cake with gooey frosting, play "pin the mask on the Power Ranger", play games and send them home. Hopefully this will inspire other parents to get off of the "top this" birthday party train.

Any Thoughs?

 

[cindylou]

i had no idea the world of kid's bday parties was like that

 

[curvymommy]

i had no idea the world of kid's bday parties was like that

IT's very competitive. I am formulating a plan to make at home, economical b-day parties cool again. This is insane.

 

[heatherrae]

Ok guys, my kid is turning 4 years old next week. I am single handedly taking back the simple and sane birthday party! The parties are getting out of control! I live in a pretty affluent area but at this rate we'll be attending parties at the Space Needle in a couple years.

In the past year I have been to the following kinds of partied for kids turning 3, 4, 5.

~Laser Tag ($10/kid)
~Fishing Hole Party (cost $12/child)
~Bounce House Party (costs $200+)
~Chuck E Cheese ($300 after pizza and tokens)

Those costs are ONLY for the entertainment/location. You still have to buy cake, decorations, party favors, ect.

What ever happened to an at home, sweet party for kids? Anyway, I'm DOING it next week!

I'm gonna make a Texas Sheet cake with gooey frosting, play "pin the mask on the Power Ranger", play games and send them home. Hopefully this will inspire other parents to get off of the "top this" birthday party train.

Any Thoughs?

I completely AGREE! When I was married, I lived in an affluent golf course community. All the moms were always trying to "one up" each other on the parties. It was ridiculous. I didn't have any babies then, but I would not have done all that nonsense.

Our next door neighbor had to hire a MOVING VAN to deliver all their presents for their 2 kids! Both kids had their own TV screens in their big SUV.

The same neighbor was pissed at me that I wouldn't put a big elaborate Christmas display outside at X-mas. I told her to kiss my fanny...lol.

 

[ceo]

I never had any birfday's like dat.

Birfday's was da worst days,
now we sip champagne when we thirs-tay!

 

[Basic_wonder]

Those seem pretty normal to me, laser tag and paintball were pretty regular birthday events up through middle school ....

 

[vixensghost]

I'm broke giving the lil brats gifts for all these parties too. Since when do 11 year olds require $25 + dollar gift cards for gifts? Yikes. Times are a changin I guess.


Good for you CM. I love the idea. The kids will love it too. They will have MORE fun with your clever party ideas/games too.

Three year old kids have NO concept of all that kinda fancy crap you listed above. I mean really!The parents are the ones who do it to make themselves feel "good".

 

[curvymommy]

I completely AGREE! When I was married, I lived in an affluent golf course community. All the moms were always trying to "one up" each other on the parties. It was ridiculous. I didn't have any babies then, but I would not have done all that nonsense.

Our next door neighbor had to hire a MOVING VAN to deliver all their presents for their 2 kids! Both kids had their own TV screens in their big SUV.

The same neighbor was pissed at me that I wouldn't put a big elaborate Christmas display outside at X-mas. I told her to kiss my fanny...lol.

It IS all the mom's getting competitive. In the end you really are competing with yourself as well. I guess I want to keep my kid's standards low, lol! For real though...if I'm gonna drop $500 for something fun it's not going to be to entertain someone else's kid.

Ya know? I think on the invitation I'll put this, "In lieu of a birthday gift, please bring a new pair of summer jammies for the children of the ____ Mission."

LOL!

 

[curvymommy]

I'm broke giving the lil brats gifts for all these parties too. Since when do 11 year olds require $25 + dollar gift cards for gifts? Yikes. Times are a changin I guess.


Good for you CM. I love the idea. The kids will love it too. They will have MORE fun with your clever party ideas/games too.

Three year old kids have NO concept of all that kinda fancy crap you listed above. I mean really!The parents are the ones who do it to make themselves feel "good".

Don't get me wrong...when my DD turns 10 or 12 and can APPRECIATE it and help plan it, we will rent a limo, rent a hotel room, ect. But for preschoolers...gimme a break. They really don't care!

 

[needtogetaas]

I hired a face painter to come to the house. 50 bucks to do all the kids.