For children, a birthday party is one of the most exciting and anxiously awaited days of the year. There’s usually a delicious cake, themed decorations, and some entertainment. Moreover, children have their and their friends’ parties to look forward to. However, one mom shared a bizarre story on Reddit that sparked outrage on the internet.
A Seemingly Normal Birthday Party
Imagine, a child’s birthday party, at the famous Build-a-Bear; a place where children can create a cozy little friend to cherish, with adorable outfits and accessories. An anonymous mom shared that she recently took her child to a friend’s birthday party at Build-a-Bear. She gave the little one $30 to cover their share of the birthday party expenses. “We know these things can get expensive,” she wrote on the post. “The invitation said each kid (about 8 total) would get to make a bear.”
An Unexpected Birthday Party Twist
“We get to the store, and the kids go wild getting their animals and accessories,” she continued. “As far as I know, the parents didn’t really put a limit, but I made my daughter stick to just a standard dog with a shirt, which about half the parents did as well.” When the kids had joyfully finished making their creations something strange happened.
The anonymous mom and Redditor, like most parents, assumed that her child would get to take home their new stuffed friend. However, the mom who threw the party had other ideas. According to the post, the mom insisted every birthday party guest hand over their new creation.
“Angry” Birthday Party Guests
Unsurprisingly, the birthday party guests, and their parents, were shocked and “angry.” “They all disappointingly handed over their animals, and friend wasn’t even being nice about it either,” the post explained. However, not all were happy to oblige to the upsetting birthday party request. “Another little boy didn’t want to, and friend ripped it out of his hands,” she continued. “I probably should have said something, but I didn’t. The other parents seemed pretty baffled too.”
Confronting the Mom
To make matters worse, the birthday party-throwing mom couldn’t understand why people were upset. Apparently, a follow-up post disclosed that another parent confronted the mom and her response was astonishing. “We wanted [our daughter] to have a special animal decorated by each of her friends,” was the mother’s explanation. “Well I didn’t have enough money for each of the guests to make their own, that would get pretty expensive!” She added when pressed for more answers.
The Internet is Stunned
Naturally, most people on Reddit didn’t side with the mom who threw the birthday party. Rather, they were understanding and empathetic toward the children who had to give away their creations. “All the parents probably also bought this child a gift,” one person commented. “What a sh*tty thing to do. Way to make your daughter’s party memorable for all the wrong reasons!”
“It gives you an opportunity to decide, ‘Hmm, these people sound sh*tty. We’re not going to this party,'” wrote another user.
“Those kids will be 30 and talking about this birthday party,” a third person wrote. “You don’t forget this kind of thing.”
Throwing a Joyous Birthday Party
The Build-a-Bear workshop is great for a child’s birthday party. It’s a memorable and joyous occasion but can become costly. A great solution would have been for the parents to each chip in a few bucks for the birthday girl’s bear, but even that is quite generous considering they all brought her a present. Either way, throwing a child’s birthday party can be costly yet all parents want their children to know how wonderful and loved they are. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to do so. Here are some affordable birthday party ideas that children will talk about for years, for the right reasons
Timing Matters
According to Danielle Walker, a party expert, the best time to throw a child’s birthday party on a budget is between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM because “people won’t expect a full meal.”
Share a Birthday Party
If your child and their friends have birthdays that fall around the same time, consider sharing the cost and the celebration. It’ll make sticking to a budget easier and offer a valuable lesson on the importance and satisfaction of sharing.
Decorate on Sale
Decorations can be done one of two ways. Firstly, you can keep an eye out for things like small toys, banners, tablecloths, and plates on sale throughout the year. Many feature children’s favorite characters and can be thrown together to create a decorative and memorable theme.
Secondly, DIY everything from centerpieces to cake and food. However, this tip is only helpful if you’re crafty, or have a creative friend you can recruit for help. Alternately, stores like Target or Party City have various products that range from affordable to more costly but are color-matching and will make for an unforgettable birthday party. For example, kids love candy, and Party City has several candies and treats that are color-coordinated. Therefore, a brightly colored tablecloth laid out with various pieces of brightly colored candy in matching shades will be more than enough to impress your tiny birthday party guests.
Additionally, Etsy has various creatives who can create everything you need, allowing you to help a small business and set up a whole birthday party while sticking to a budget.
Consider Outdoor Spaces
Although plenty of memorable locations can rented out for a birthday party, there are several other, more affordable venue options. For instance, a birthday party at the park or your house won’t cost money. Meanwhile, if your child is a fan of trains you can have a picnic at a local station, and watch the trains come and go. However, ideas like these may require a phone call or email to get permission.
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