The incredible, expanding birthday party guest list
Filed under: Lifestyle, 6-7 years, Birthdays
Ellie's good friend Ann is going to celebrate her sixth birthday in a few weeks. Ann's mother would like to have a small party at her home but but is feeling a bit stressed about the whole thing. The party itself isn't an issue, but who invite to the party is. Ann has several friends in the neighborhood who she plays with regularly and inviting these girls is a no-brainer. Then there's the little girl who lives in the house behind them. They rarely play together, but because she lives within sight of the party, my friend feels she should invite her. In fact, there are several children within sight of the party who Ann knows, but doesn't play with on a regular basis. Should they be invited as well?
Inviting the little boy Ann has known since birth makes sense. But what about that little boy's two siblings? And we can't forget about the school friends. Ann has several good friends at school who she would like to invite. She also has family living close by and they will want to attend the celebration as well. Her extended family includes children ranging in age from infant to preteen.
The list goes on and on. Last year, Ann's mother avoided the issue by inviting just a few friends to Build A Bear. This year, she really wanted to give her girl a party, but the small celebration she envisioned is threatening to become a large, expensive bash. Some of the pressure Ann's mom is feeling is coming from the parents of these children, who assume their kid will be invited and have already mentioned what gift they will bring. Speaking of gifts, that's another problem. Ann doesn't need, and her mother doesn't want, all the gifts associated with a large guest list.
I don't know the solution, but I'll bet you do! Where does a parent draw the line when inviting guests to a birthday party?Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments