When it comes to their loved ones, many people are willing to help out when times are tough. After all, you are all family. However, some relatives take this too far. They start acting a little bit entitled and expect you to spend your hard-earned savings as they're told. And while it's difficult and emotionally confusing, sometimes you just have to put your foot down and say, 'No.' Otherwise, you will always have to foot the bill.
Reddit user u/birthdaydrama-ta took to the AITA subreddit for his thoughts after a bit ofdrama familiarWhat happened recently at your daughter's birthday party. The mother shared how her sister-in-law freaked out when she realized that her daughter (the OP's niece) was not included in the birthday, as they were both born just 10 days apart. Read the full story.
bored pandaI wanted to get some practical advice on how to organize children's birthdays and how adults can work within their budget, so we reached out to Parenting Blogger.Samantha Scroggin, the founder of'Walking down the street in slippers'to talk. Read on to see the amazing tips and tricks he shared with us.
Celebrating birthdays together sounds wonderful on paper. However, not everyone shares the same financial burden.
Image credits:Vlada Karpovich (not the real photo)
A mother revealed that her sister-in-law wanted to throw a double party for her two daughters, but the whole situation took an unexpected turn.
Image credits:Morgan Lane (not the actual photo)
Image credits:A n v e s h (not the real photo)
Image credits:birthday drama-ta
The mother was shocked by her SIL's reaction during the celebration
The redditor explained how her daughter and niece used to celebrate their birthdays together because they were born so close to each other. Eventually though, the OP realized that it was her and her husband who kept footing the bill, while her brother and sister-in-law seemed to avoid contributing financially. So they decided to separate the birthdays from then on.
Fast forward a few years and u/birthdaydrama-ta started throwing a Formula 1 themed birthday party for her daughter. She invited the whole family, including her niece, brother and sister-in-law. However, when it finally came time for the cake, SIL was surprised to see that it was only for the OP's daughter, not the niece as well.
The whole situation escalated and the sister-in-law stormed off with her husband and daughter. He then continued messaging the redditor, trying to make her feel guilty about not hosting an arranged birthday. According to the OP you would be fine doing this if your SIL had at least mentioned it. Instead, SIL assumed it would because she mentioned some time ago how they were struggling financially.
Most of the redditors who read the story were incredibly supportive of the mother. They pointed out that while times are tough for the niece's family, it wasn't the OP's responsibility to throw her a party. They were also confused as to why SIL didn't address the issue until cake time. You simply cannot expect the rest of the family to help financially and in other ways if you don't communicate. Even a few simple, timely questions could have helped everyone avoid family drama.
Most kids know exactly what they want for their birthday party.
We asked the parentsBlogger is not afraid, which directs the witty and relatable'Walking in slippers on the street'blog, about what to have at a kid's birthday party to help make it a truly fun and memorable experience. According to her, luxurious and expensive configurations have little to do with it.
“In my experience, kids are just as happy with simple birthday parties as they are with elaborate and expensive ones. Kids just want to be with their friends and family, eat fun food and open presents," she told Bored Panda.
“My kids loved the birthday parties we had at the neighborhood park with a bouncy house and some squirt guns. It seems like too often fancy kids parties are more for the parents than the kids,” Samantha mused.
“It is up to us collectively as parents to lower each other's expectations when it comes to children's birthday parties. We can do that if we don't try to compete with each other and really focus on what makes our kids happy and reasonable in terms of spending money and energy.”
Blogger Samantha shared some easy and practical tips to help save some money when throwing a birthday party if you're dealing with an extremely tight budget. When preparing food, for example, the simpler the better.
“Stick to easy group meals like pizza or hot dogs. Add a tray of veggies, some cut fruit and chips and you're done," the founder of'Walking in slippers on the street'he told Bored Panda.
“If you can rent a bouncy house, that seems like a long way to go. If not, coloring books and paints are great too. Partying in the parks is easy and cuts down on entertainment costs. Keep it simple and it will help keep costs down.”
Arecent researchby OnePoll of over 2,000 parents with children ages 3 to 12 found that the average child's birthday party has 16 guests, 9 gifts, and lasts about 3 hours. A staggering 73% of parents said their munchkins are not easy to impress.
The survey found that 67% of children expect their favorite foods to be served on their birthday, 56% expect clowns or costumed characters, 44% expect inflatables and 43% would like to see laser tag. Meanwhile, unicorns are by far the most popular birthday theme, with video games a close second.
A child's birthday party can be extremely expensive and stressful to organize. However, you don't have to eat your wallet and nerves. Ultimately, what your child will appreciate most is spending time with their loved ones and having fun, not getting 36 different gifts like Dudley Dursley. The emotions of that day are more important than the material side of things.
There are many ways to throw cheap parties
For example, you might not have to rent a huge venue, buy a bouncy castle, and hire an overzealous clown troupe to keep your kid and all his friends entertained. You can host the party in your own backyard with a bunch of balloons and homemade sandwiches and come up with some simple but fun games for everyone to enjoy. There's nothing shameful about buying ingredients for some dishes at a discount, even if everyone in your neighborhood serves branded sandwiches and super fancy sandwiches.
Some parents may be too focused on impressing their family, friends and neighbors because they want to maintain a particular image of style and class. However, if you let go of that need and instead prioritize one or maybe two small things your child wants this year, you can have a biggereconomicevent.
For example, if your child wants a cake with a unicorn or a specific theme for the party, you can make it the centerpiece of the entire party. Spend a little on it, reduce the rest. Or you can have a lot of fun and bake the cake together! It is a wonderful bonding experience for the whole family. And everyone is likely to enjoy the dessert much more, as they helped turn the idea into reality.
And let's not forget that what makes a party truly amazing are the people you invite. All you need are some awesome friends and a little space to have fun - no one is going to look too hard at the decorations when they're playing hide and seek. So take it easy, don't spend so much on all the glitz and glam decor. After all, it's not what will make or break the party.
Many netizens were on the mother's side. That's what they thought about the family drama.
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