Maybe social media is to blame, or just an ever-escalating case of keeping up with the Joneses. But whatever the reason, kid birthday parties have gotten out of control. While it was perfectly normal for birthday parties in the 90s to consists of little more than a homemade sheet cake and a couple of fast food pizzas, today’s parties seem to require intricate themes, balloon arches bigger than a house, and renting bounce houses.
So, what happens when you can’t afford to have a Kardashian-scale birthday event for you kid, but you still want to mark the occasion? One mom recently found herself the center of ridicule when she got creative to pull off a low-budget park party for her child — a park, some balloons, and a potluck.
“Am I in the wrong,” she asked on Threads. “A few years ago, I couldn’t afford a birthday party for my daughter. She really wanted one. So I sent out invites for a birthday party at the local park, with a note ‘optional: if you are able to bring a plate it is greatly appreciated.’ I couldn’t afford party bags so I set up some balloons & gave them to the kids afterwards. I just found out that local mums still gossip about this, saying ‘if you can’t afford a birthday party, you shouldn’t have one’.”
While the local group of moms sounds like a bunch of judgmental jerks, the comments section was a bit more reassuring about humanity.
“Bring back 90s birthday parties,” one of the most popular comments read. “Cake & balloons at a local park is a wonderful party.”
“‘If you can’t afford a HUGE Extravaganza of a party, you should do what you can.’ There. Fixed it,” one person wrote. “You did great, Mama.”
“My mum threw me a party like this once in our backyard,” another fellow mom wrote. “I didnt know it at the time because I was 7 and she’s a great mum but she had lost her job and we were about to lose our house and she invited my whole class and said please bring a plate instead of a present and everyone came and we played so many games and to this day (nearly 40) my old friends and I remember that party as one of the best ever. I’d hate to think anyone judged my mum who was just trying to make my day special. Great job!”
“I would hundred times over prefer to be asked to bring a plate than any kiddo going without a party,” wrote another mom. “I don’t care if they are my kid’s best friend, or a classroom acquaintance.”
“Birthday parties are about the kids having their friends over to celebrate and have fun with them,” another parent wrote. “Everything else is extra, but really in the scheme of things doesn’t matter! Your child, had their friends spend time with them, celebrated saying, happy birthday to them and at the end of the day that’s really all that matters. Shame on anyone to think anything different!”
The original poster was thankful for the support.
“I really thought ‘maybe I shouldn’t post this. Maybe I will get roasted online’ & then y’all were so nice thank you so so much 🥹🥹🥹.”
It turns out that if you love your kid and put that love into a party — of any size and scale — it’s a good thing.
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