Loading ...
Recently, the Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and MSN have all done articles on “Over the Top” birthday parties for kids these days. It is a huge phenomenon just now, but many parents want to do their own party for their own kids’ friends and not feel they have to invite the entire neighborhood, including complete strangers, and spend an enormous amount of money making birthday fun for 90 minutes. Is it all really necessary?
Take for example a family who moved into a new neighborhood and hardly knows a soul and her son who has been invited to 4 extravagant parties in the neighborhood already. While they don’t know these people, the parents are wondering if they are then meant to invite all of these kids to their son’s party – the one they have been planning for months for 10 of his best friends. Second, does her son have to attend these parties where he doesn’t know anyone and bring a gift, etc. What to do?
Stick with your original plan, guest list, and budget. To accommodate people into your party whom you don’t know in the least will be quite awkward for you and your child. Although it may be difficult to not invite all of those people who have invited your son, maintaining your original plans are most important so that the party you have planned is the party you get to have.
Don’t feel obligated to attend parties. Usually people are so over-booked with “stuff” during the summer, unless you really want to meet your new neighbors and share some time, I would not feel obligated in the least. If your son wants to attend to meet the new kids of the neighborhood, well, that is a legitimately good reason to attend the party, but if not, then don’t push your kid to attend. One cautionary note, however, since you are neighbors, if you tell them you have other plans on that very day/time, definitely have another plan on or they will be able to see otherwise or have another neighbor “report” that you are all lounging around your yard. That would probably be awkward.
Maintaining your boundaries in regard to both hosting and attending parties is very important. Your kids will appreciate your consistency to maintain the original party plans, even in the face of trying to keep up, and they will also learn how to consider random invitations that are less about the people actually there and more about the show of having so many people there. Your kids will learn a lot by the way you handle “keeping up with the Jones’.”
