I'm a mean mom and proud
I’m a mean mom!
I have decided against elaborate birthday parties for Molly. Birthday parties for children are getting out of control, in my opinion. At about a year old Molly was invited to a birthday party for one of the kids in her class – I don’t know the child or even the parents and I really doubt they knew Molly. Why did they invite her? Because they invited everyone! They even spelled her name wrong! Why did this irritate me so much? I have seen too many friends who spend their weekends shuffling their kids back and forth to birthday parties (sometimes several in a day!) I have been even told that sometimes there is even a gift $ limit, not on the most the gift is to be, but the cheapest it can be. If your gift isn’t good enough, then your child won’t be invited to another party!! I hope to keep Molly’s birthday parties to a minimum and very special, close friends and family only – and I prefer the gifts be made to a charity. I also plan to have Molly attend only parties for children she actually knows!! My strong belief that children’s birthday parties should be a “non competitive” sport (i.e not about who gives or gets the best gifts) has made me quite unpopular. I can live with that. I do regret that Molly will be shunned because she will not be attending every party she is invited to (only attending those where we actually know the child, not every child in her daycare) and she will not be bringing a $50 to $100 gift! I saw this posted on a yahoo site – it will be my birthday bible: http://www.birthdayswithoutpressure.com/ I am not anti-birthday - I am only against lavish, age inappropriate birthdays, and inviting everyone the child has ever met (in my opinion, in order to get more gifts!) Molly is very active in her playgroup and I will invite most of the children, but there are a few I have never met and a few that I have seen once or twice. While they might be perfectly nice children, but we don't know them. I look forward to attending the birthday parties of the children Molly knows (I just wish we could attend the parties for her friends she left behind in FL) - I'm sure that she will have a blast, especially since she will know the child!
posted by Anna @ 9:41 PM
5 Comments:
hear hear!!! It is SO ridiculous. Sometimes even just within families... my nephews (9 of them) and 1 niece get from EVERY AUNT AND UNCLE, every time. Christmas too. I'm over it because they have so much there isn't anything left to give them!! (Plus I'm going broke in the process). They are so spoiled one time my 8 yr.old nephew got a dvd and said, "Oh I HATE this!"- he had just opened a new deep sea fishing pole and his firt 22 rifle (what the HELL??), so I guess the DVD was lame in comparison. My child will not be raised this way!
Ditto from the Salsgivers!
I love the charity gift idea - a former student of mine had one of those parties where it was requested that guests bring gifts for a children's hospital, then after the fun and games of the party, guest were invited (but not required) to help hand out presents to the sick kids. Another student of mine (who told me about the party) raved about how much fun she and her Mom had picking out gifts for this party! I am looking forward to having a celebration like this when Sarah gets older. Hooray for those who invite us to parties and say "your presence is our present!"
Mikel Salsgiver
I couldn't agree more, Anna! I am amazed by the birthday party stories I have been hearing. I remember when we were children and invited my 3 or 4 of our closest friends over to our house for our birthday... and we ate cake and ice cream around our kitchen table and played together for a couple of hours. No ponies (or Llamas!). No elaborate "treat bags" to send home with all of the guests. Mom made my cakes herself. And it was fun! I bookmarked that site. I'm going to be a "mean mom", too! :)
Molly is always invited to our house for birthdays!!! Wish you lived closer!
Our parties are always homemade. At our house, planned by us, cooked by us, and made by us! Cullen still has kids who beg to be invited because we are different and have a blast!
Sam & Kieren
Totally agree! I'm already prepared to be a mean mom as I just don't get the competition among parties. Can't the kids just have fun playing???
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