Children's Parties.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

A colleague has just been telling us that she went to collect her child (aged 8) from a party at the weekend and most of the guests were already gone. She apologised to the birthday girl's mother, thinking she'd got the time wrong but the mother just shrugged and said a lot of the kids thought the party games were 'boring' and had phoned their parents to come and collect them.

A few other colleagues with children around that age said they weren't surprised; that it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep kids entertained at parties and a lot of them just aren't interested in parties at home with old fashioned games etc.

I'm a bit shocked to be honest. Are children really that spoilt and rude. And what on earth are they doing with phones at 8-9 years of age.

ETA I realise that the parents are equally rude, agreeing to collect their children instead of telling them to behave and join in with whatever entertainment was provided.

frag420

Should have hired some clowns, kids love em!!

Day Lewin

Crikey. Talk about entitlement!
Shocked. They are in for a nasty shock when reality starts to bite in a few years time.

Robsweezie

katemarch wrote:

Crikey. Talk about entitlement! Shocked. They are in for a nasty shock when reality starts to bite in a few years time.

Watch them walk away from their boring school, boring job, boring relationship :-)

Boom_Bap

When I was a youngster, I would have went to a handful of birthday parties a year. They were exciting things.

These days, every weekend I'm bring 1 or both of the kids to a birthday party. The excitement isn't really there anymore because they are so frequent.

Winterlong

Most of the parties in our area are not in peoples houses, but in play centres or sports places.
Maybe the brats were expecting a party like that. Very rude though.

somesoldiers

A lad I work with used to have a track worn to Smyths, every week he was buying presents for one or other kids parties. I asked him how come he doesn’t do so much of it this year. He said because his child is older (9 I think) the kids don’t have to invite everyone in their class any more. Only their actual friends

mailforkev

I worked with a woman with a couple of kids around ages 8-10 and she seemed to have at least one party to go to every weekend.

Seems that you have to invite the whole class to a kids party now in case somebody feels left out. I used to just go to my friends' parties back in the day.

In the OP case though it's more the parents at fault rather than the kids.

suicide_circus

Ah now, you couldn't exclude any of the kids in the class, that wouldn't prepare them for adult life where everything always goes your way and everyone likes you.

Musketeer4

It is beyond rediculous the amount of parties that kids "have to" go to these days.
When I was in primary school, yeah I might have gone to say 4 or 5 parties in the year. My two nieces on the other hand, wow, my sister seems to be on the road constantly nearly every weekend with parties. In my opinion it has become excessive and beyond what is reasonable. Jaysus I wasnt going to that many parties when I was in college even!! People have lost the run of themselves altogether.
And as for bailing out of a party early because its booooring, that is beyond bad manners. And of course i lay absolutely 110% of the blame squarely at the feet of parents. They are the ones facilitating, entertaining and even promoting this sort of thing.

Iviting a whole class load of 20+ kids is just not on. Your house would be destroyed. It just wasn't heard of when i was small.

Sure in a few years time the majority of all these party goers will probably not even acknowledge eachother in the street.

When I was small going to a parties was a novelty. Despite being deprived, unloved, ostracised and disadvantaged by not having 20+ 7 year olds around the house every weekend I think i turned out at least relatively normal.

Day Lewin

There's no "have to"

Honestly

They don't HAVE to invite every child in the class. Really. Just don't do it, simple as that.

You don't HAVE to buy a toy. Bring a small gift. A paperback book! Recipient will not be offended, I guarantee it.

You don't HAVE to buy into this keeping-up-with-the-Joneses crap. Just saying.

What's wrong with people? Be free, own your choices!

Musketeer4

My mother and I often talk about how my sister gives in to neices (4 & 6) and has them to the point that saying no to anything results in thermonuclear conflagration. Mother says that giving in to things rewards, enables and fuels "demanding behaviour" and that she's caught up in a vicious cycle of giving in to prevent blowouts, that enables the behaviour, then it continues to escalate.
Sister is burned out.

Mother says the nieces are impossible to keep entertained because they've been in creche so much and its all down to overstimulation and that they simply don't know how to chill out and because they never learned how to. They have to be constantly stimulated and entertained. Mother says we were far far quieter and I in particular was always a dream and was happy to fooster about and entertain myself for a few hours at a time.

She says its all back to a guilt thing with both parents working and then they overindulge kids to compensate. The world is shagged.

Turtyturd

Have brought my son to plenty of these since he started school and most of them seem to be in play areas. The one that seemed to have the most impact on him though was a home one, and he is intent on getting a treehouse since he went to it.

Musketeer4

Turtyturd wrote: »

Have brought my son to plenty of these since he started school and most of them seem to be in play areas. The one that seemed to have the most impact on him though was a home one, and he is intent on getting a treehouse since he went to it.

Thats the thing though. In and out of houses to this extent fuels envy, peer pressure and keeping up with the jones'es'es.

But fúck it, I'm not a parent so my opinion is of limited to no credibility.

osarusan

"Thanks for the invitation, but actually we have plans that day as some friends are visiting from Dublin. I hope (name) has a great day though."

Musketeer4

That's perfectly fine to say and the parents on the other site would surely understand. The problem that arises is that the child can kick off if they're the one's left out and especially so if the parents have been appeasing them in the past.
Once a precedent has been set it's very hard to row back.

Turtyturd

Musketeer4 wrote: »

Thats the thing though. In and out of houses to this extent fuels envy, peer pressure and keeping up with the jones'es'es.

But fúck it, I'm not a parent so my opinion is of limited to no credibility.

No harm in wanting as they say. With the youngest fella when I have no intention of getting him something he asks for I just say 'next week' knowing he'll forget about it. It works so well that if I actually intend on getting him something and say 'we'll get it tomorrow' he'll say 'No I want it next week.'

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I think it's really sad that 8 and 9 year olds are no longer entertained by games of Blind Man's Buff and Musical Chairs. According to my sister, even trying to get them all to sit down and watch a DVD at a party doesn't work because half the kids will object to the chosen film and insist they want another one.

When I was a child you were so delighted and excited to be going to a party you went along with whatever was organised, and enjoyed it.

Some of these children are going to grow up to be materialistic, discontented adults permanently seeking satisfaction by buying the latest gadgets and designer labels, because they've no creativity or inner resources to fall back on.

Olishi4

I think it depends on the effort and how the party is organised. You'd get a lot attending who don't know each other at a kids house party so the parents have to provide games and things like that but also have to actively encourage everyone to take part and have fun.

I was minding my niece a while ago and a few of the kids from the road came into the house. We got a game of snakes and ladders going and they had a great time although I think I might have inspired the competitive side in them a bit too much which nearly backfired and some of them were little cheaters. Anyway they all love snakes and ladders now

Crea

It's only when they are in the first few years if primary they do the "everyone in the class" parties (or every boy/girl depending on class size).
My son is in 2nd class and a few parents are still doing it. There are 8 boys in the class so there is a certain pressure to invite them all , eventhough there are a few little ****s.
All the parties are outside the house, saves on the hassle of parents staying and cleaning up. Kids leaving a party early need a good kick in the hole.

somesoldiers

Boone Beautiful Radiotherapy wrote: »

I think it's really sad that 8 and 9 year olds are no longer entertained by games of Blind Man's Buff and Musical Chairs. According to my sister, even trying to get them all to sit down and watch a DVD at a party doesn't work because half the kids will object to the chosen film and insist they want another one.

When I was a child you were so delighted and excited to be going to a party you went along with whatever was organised, and enjoyed it.

Some of these children are going to grow up to be materialistic, discontented adults permanently seeking satisfaction by buying the latest gadgets and designer labels, because they've no creativity or inner resources to fall back on.

from what I've seen with the sister's kids they will play pass the parcel but every kid needs to get a present and it must be something decent or they will whinge. They also all need to get a party bag on the way home. Our lad is only 1.5 so all ahead of us

they are so selfish, they had about 2 dozen eggs each at Easter. my sister gave our boy a little egg and the greedy feckers wanted that too, that was the final straw with me

FTA69

Few yokes to go with the fizzy orange and crisps and they'll be having the time of their lives.

Sue Pa Key Pa

I often phone for a lift home from children's parties as many of them can be boring and some parents put no thought into entertainment at all. Also, I'm 54

Buford T. Justice XIX

Musketeer4 wrote: »

My mother and I often talk about how my sister gives in to neices (4 & 6) and has them to the point that saying no to anything results in thermonuclear conflagration. Mother says that giving in to things rewards, enables and fuels "demanding behaviour" and that she's caught up in a vicious cycle of giving in to prevent blowouts, that enables the behaviour, then it continues to escalate.
Sister is burned out.

Mother says the nieces are impossible to keep entertained because they've been in creche so much and its all down to overstimulation and that they simply don't know how to chill out and because they never learned how to. They have to be constantly stimulated and entertained. Mother says we were far far quieter and I in particular was always a dream and was happy to fooster about and entertain myself for a few hours at a time.

She says its all back to a guilt thing with both parents working and then they overindulge kids to compensate. The world is shagged.

Four of mine went to a creche and it was the best thing for them. They learned to socialise and share toys and games.

The over stimulation problem might be happening closer to home than you might like, it wouldn't be a problem with most of my kids peer groups who went to a creche.

The flying mouse

katemarch wrote: »

There's no "have to"

Honestly

They don't HAVE to invite every child in the class. Really. Just don't do it, simple as that.

You don't HAVE to buy a toy. Bring a small gift. A paperback book! Recipient will not be offended, I guarantee it.

You don't HAVE to buy into this keeping-up-with-the-Joneses crap. Just saying.

What's wrong with people? Be free, own your choices!

Reminder to mark katemarch of party invites :P

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Four of mine went to a creche and it was the best thing for them. They learned to socialise and share toys and games.

The over stimulation problem might be happening closer to home than you might like, it wouldn't be a problem with most of my kids peer groups who went to a creche.

I don't think crèches are the problem either. I think it's down to they type of parents who are constantly ferrying their kids from one place of entertainment to another, plying them with technology, but never bothering to take them to a library or sit down and read with them or encourage them to draw, write stories and so on.
The children are so used to having everything laid on that they've lost the art of entertaining themselves and using a bit of imagination. When said kids are invited to a traditional type children's party, they're just unable to enjoy old fashioned games and having to create their own fun. They're also unable to use a bit of manners and just try and enjoy themselves until it's time to go home.

jakethepirate1

For my son's birthday I invited as many kids in his class that I could get contact numbers for the parents. It was during the summer holidays and I had stupidly forgotten to get phone numbers before they finished. I went out of my way to hand deliver invitations and asking other parents to send me phone numbers. Out of the ten or so I invited from school, two of them turned up on the day. And only two other parents had replied to tell me that they wouldn't be able to make it on the day, which was no problem at all. It was in a play centre because it wasn't practical to have it in our house and the lady working there kept coming over asking if more were coming. I had to tell her to leave it half an hour before setting up the room because I didn't know. So it ended up being mostly cousins and neighbours, which we had no problem with but my son then asked me afterwards 'how come X, Y and Z didn't come?'.

I would try to invite the whole class because there are one or two kids that I know get left out regularly, but it's disheartening when you go out of your way to invite them and they don't even rsvp.

Also my cousin told me recently that she put on her son's invitations that he didn't want expensive presents. All he wanted was €5. The parents were delighted and the birthday boy was able to buy a big lego set that was even too expensive for Santa. I'm thinking of adopting the same approach next year.

osarusan

jakethepirate1 wrote: »

For my son's birthday I invited as many kids in his class that I could get contact numbers for the parents. It was during the summer holidays and I had stupidly forgotten to get phone numbers before they finished. I went out of my way to hand deliver invitations and asking other parents to send me phone numbers.

In my kids' school, the parents either print out postcard-sized invitations with their own number and an RSVP and then get their kids to hand them to the other kids, or, if the party is being held at one of those play centres, then the centre has its own postcards that can be filled in and handed out.

Musketeer4

Also my cousin told me recently that she put on her son's invitations that he didn't want expensive presents. All he wanted was €5. The parents were delighted and the birthday boy was able to buy a big lego set that was even too expensive for Santa. I'm thinking of adopting the same approach next year.

Wow. Just wow. Is this the stage things have gotten to?
It's crass enough when people put it on wedding invites that they just want money but now small children have started doing it too!

If I ever get an invite with an overt money request I'd make a point of giving feck all! It's the pits.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

jakethepirate1 wrote: »

Also my cousin told me recently that she put on her son's invitations that he didn't want expensive presents. All he wanted was €5. The parents were delighted and the birthday boy was able to buy a big lego set that was even too expensive for Santa. I'm thinking of adopting the same approach next year.[/QUOTE]

To be honest, I don't really like the idea of asking guests to give money. I know they'd probably be spending at least a fiver anyway, but it still seems a bit utilitarian. I think children should learn to be grateful for whatever gifts they get, rather than seeing it as a way of making enough money to buy some expensive thing they're after.

But I realise I might be in the minority with this opinion, and it probably spares people a lot of hassle.

osarusan

Musketeer4 wrote: »

Wow. Just wow. Is this the stage things have gotten to?
It's crass enough when people put it on wedding invites that they just want money but now small children have started doing it too!

If I ever get an invite with an overt money request I'd make a point of giving feck all! It's the pits.

But everybody who goes to the party would bring either a present or a voucher, and in either case it would cost more than €5.

Musketeer4

But....it's very cheeky and rude to come straight out and ask for money. Parents who engage in this are setting a very poor example for their children.

A gift is something that should not be asked for or expected. It should be gratefully accepted as gesture of kindness.

Anyone who does this are showing a lack of good judgement and they may actually be putting a lot of pressure on families who might be financially strained.

Winterlong

I would say about half the parties our 6 year old goes to have 'no presents please' on the invite. Which is fantastic!

meeeeh

Musketeer4 wrote: »

My mother and I often talk about how my sister gives in to neices (4 & 6) and has them to the point that saying no to anything results in thermonuclear conflagration. Mother says that giving in to things rewards, enables and fuels "demanding behaviour" and that she's caught up in a vicious cycle of giving in to prevent blowouts, that enables the behaviour, then it continues to escalate.
Sister is burned out.

Mother says the nieces are impossible to keep entertained because they've been in creche so much and its all down to overstimulation and that they simply don't know how to chill out and because they never learned how to. They have to be constantly stimulated and entertained. Mother says we were far far quieter and I in particular was always a dream and was happy to fooster about and entertain myself for a few hours at a time.

She says its all back to a guilt thing with both parents working and then they overindulge kids to compensate. The world is shagged.

I don't buy this at all. Working parents are blamed on whole pile of stuff because mammies were all at home 30 years ago and sure things were way better then. I have two, one needs to be constantly proded to do things and the other one will quite happily keep herself busy and burn the house down. Being in creche or not has very little to do with it.

Anyway I prefer parties in entertainment centres but last year the 8 year old one wanted it at home. He also requested no party games. It went ok, we were shattered after 20 kids ran riot around the house but I certainly didn't come across any bored ones. The downside is I was still finding popcorn in guest bedroom behind the mattress months after the party.

osarusan

Musketeer4 wrote: »

But....it's very cheeky and rude to come straight out and ask for money. Parents who engage in this are setting a very poor example for their children.

A gift is something that should not be asked for or expected. It should be gratefully accepted as gesture of kindness.

Anyone who does this are showing a lack of good judgement and they may actually be putting a lot of pressure on families who might be financially strained.

That's all very aspirational, but the default at the moment is that the majority of kids will bring a present/voucher, unless otherwise instructed.

So while it might come across as very direct or blunt or whatever, asking for €5 isn't some new level of greed, it's actually toning it down a bit, and is probably putting less strain on financially challenged families, who would otherwise have ended up spending more (they can always just decline anyway).

Grandeeod

Musketeer4 wrote: »

Wow. Just wow. Is this the stage things have gotten to?
It's crass enough when people put it on wedding invites that they just want money but now small children have started doing it too!

If I ever get an invite with an overt money request I'd make a point of giving feck all! It's the pits.

You are completely missing the point. Its known as the "€5 Party". The whole idea is to avoid the hassle of buying a gift that may be more or less expensive than another childs gift. It puts all kids attending the party on an equal footing. Its actually a very positive thing.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

osarusan wrote: »

But everybody who goes to the party would bring either a present or a voucher, and in either case it would cost more than €5.

That's not really the point though. You're sending your child a bad message, and not really teaching them to be grateful for any little thoughtful gift they get. It's that attitude that leads to people growing up and thinking it's okay to demand 'cash gifts only' on wedding invites.

Some people do have very little money and rely on being able to regift things, or buy brand new stuff in charity shops for next to nothing.

jakethepirate1

Musketeer4 wrote: »

Wow. Just wow. Is this the stage things have gotten to?
It's crass enough when people put it on wedding invites that they just want money but now small children have started doing it too!

If I ever get an invite with an overt money request I'd make a point of giving feck all! It's the pits.

Boone Beautiful Radiotherapy wrote: »

To be honest, I don't really like the idea of asking guests to give money. I know they'd probably be spending at least a fiver anyway, but it still seems a bit utilitarian. I think children should learn to be grateful for whatever gifts they get, rather than seeing it as a way of making enough money to buy some expensive thing they're after.

But I realise I might be in the minority with this opinion, and it probably spares people a lot of hassle.

I understand how it can be seen as rude asking for money, but it was intended to cut the cost for the parents of the children attending the party. I don't think she worded it as if they must bring €5. More like, if the parents wished to give a present then €5 would be more than appreciated and that there was no need for anything more. The birthday boy knew nothing about it. For all he knew his friends came to his party and gave him €5. Out of this money he was able to buy something he really wanted.

If 20 kids in a class had a party each year it could mean huge saving for the parents. But wording on the invitation would be very important. Each to their own.

A family friend on the other hand doesn't let her son open his cards at the party but instead he has to give them to her. She counts up and takes note of what everyone has given. At his communion she was overheard complaining that they had gone to a lot of trouble for the party and that she was disgusted that some people had only given €20. She said hat friends should give €50 and family should give €100. The 8 year old bought an i-phone out of his Communion money!!

noaddedsugar

The mother of the birthday child shouldn't have rang the parents, I presume she did because I can't see a house full of 8 year olds having their own phones, my son is 9 and I think one of his friends has a phone. It certainly isn't the norm among his peer group. If I child came up to me at my kids birthday party and said they wanted to go home because they were bored I would have said don't be daft go play. It was her that was pandering to the children, not their parents, children whine about being bored sometimes it is just what they do. If by some chance a parent did ring me and asked me to collect my child because they were bored I would tell my child to cop on and go play with their friends. The only thing I would collect for is if my child was sick or genuinely upset for some reason.


My kids go to probably an equal number of at home parties vs play centre parties and enjoy them all, even if it is just footie in the back garden. This story sounds wildly exaggerated to me, unless your colleague lives somewhere where all children are ungrateful, parents are nuts and kids own phones, apart from their own child of course who I presume was impeccably behaved.

Walter H Price

my little cousin messages us occasionaly and asks if we'll take her to the zoo or somthing at a weekend because she's so sick of going to birthday parties and tbh i get it.

When i was a kid you went to maybe 5 or 6 a year (usualy your better mates from school , football or the road) but now the whole fking class gets invited so its nearly everyweeknd or second weekend that she has one on , with the same people she spends all day with in school monday-friday, i tell you now i wouldnt be arsed going hanging out in my work collegues houses for a couple of hours every second week ... go the christmas partys , BBQ's etc because theres only 3 or 4 events a year but i get how if it was every week and some weeks people you didnt even really get on with that you would get pretty fed up going.

I do feel kinda bad for the parent who had organised the party that kids looked to leave but at the same time just dont think the whole birdays thing is all that big a deal to kids as it used to be , too much of a good thing and all that.

LETHAL LADY

It must have been one almighty humdinger of a boring party if all the kids asked to go home.
In my many years of toing and froing to kids parties, wherever they've been held, this has never ever happened, quite the opposite in fact.
The kids are usually begging to stay for longer and it takes all kinds of persuasion to get them in the car.
No offence OP, but the story you've been told sounds like a complete exaggeration, unless there was only three children attending the party in the first place.

osarusan

Boone Beautiful Radiotherapy wrote: »

That's not really the point though. You're sending your child a bad message, and not really teaching them to be grateful for any little thoughtful gift they get. It's that attitude that leads to people growing up and thinking it's okay to demand 'cash gifts only' on wedding invites.

Well, let's just agree to disagree.

I don't think it sends a bad message at all to say that a parent will ask for an amount so no child feels embarrassed that their present wasn't as good/expensive as another one, and that amount will be smaller, so that it doesn't cost other families as much as usual. I don't agree at all that it leads to some kind of entitled attitude later in life.

I think it's a fairly sensible and pragmatic approach to birthday parties.

Musketeer4

No, you are wrong in my opinion. I think what parents that to this are doing may contribute to a sense of entitlement and a materialistic outlook on life in time to come. I would be absolutely mortified to put something as forward and brazen as that on any party or wedding invite.

Also , and my mother would agree, I wouldn't be keen on this idea of giving 20+ kids the run of your house and having them in and out of this room and that. It;s just not the set of values and manners we were raised with. My mother helped look after a party at my sister's a month or so ago and upstairs was off limits. It's not even a thing of messing the place or damage or stuff going missing it's just a matter of privacy and manners. When I went to a friends house years ago I wouldn't dream of nosing around in guest bedrooms etc.

meeeeh

Musketeer4 wrote: »

No, you are wrong in my opinion. I think what parents that to this are doing may contribute to a sense of entitlement and a materialistic outlook on life in time to come. I would be absolutely mortified to put something as forward and brazen as that on any party or wedding invite.

Also , and my mother would agree, I wouldn't be keen on this idea of giving 20+ kids the run of your house and having them in and out of this room and that. It;s just not the set of values and manners we were raised with. My mother helped look after a party at my sister's a month or so ago and upstairs was off limits. It's not even a thing of messing the place or damage or stuff going missing it's just a matter of privacy and manners. When I went to a friends house years ago I wouldn't dream of nosing around in guest bedrooms etc.

There were rooms that were of limits and they stayed away from of them. Guest bedroom is not out of them. But I certainly don't expect a bunch of seven year olds sit still, sip tea and talk politely to each other.

I have a rule to buy gift for around 20 Euro. The gifts that were received are also around that amount. I don't keep track who gives gifts or doesn't give them, neither does my son (the other one is too young) but majority of us would be saving at least half if the request was 5 Euro.

Thos is typical thread about how horrible kids are today and how crass parents are when most are just trying to organize something kids will enjoy. And mostly kids do enjoy things without much adult intervention, bouncy castle or hired entertainment.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

noaddedsugar wrote: »

The mother of the birthday child shouldn't have rang the parents, I presume she did because I can't see a house full of 8 year olds having their own phones, my son is 9 and I think one of his friends has a phone. It certainly isn't the norm among his peer group. If I child came up to me at my kids birthday party and said they wanted to go home because they were bored I would have said don't be daft go play. It was her that was pandering to the children, not their parents, children whine about being bored sometimes it is just what they do. If by some chance a parent did ring me and asked me to collect my child because they were bored I would tell my child to cop on and go play with their friends. The only thing I would collect for is if my child was sick or genuinely upset for some reason.


My kids go to probably an equal number of at home parties vs play centre parties and enjoy them all, even if it is just footie in the back garden. This story sounds wildly exaggerated to me, unless your colleague lives somewhere where all children are ungrateful, parents are nuts and kids own phones, apart from their own child of course who I presume was impeccably behaved.

Well, obviously I wasn't there, but this colleague seemed genuinely shocked. Her daughter goes to parties regularly and she's never told a story like this before. I got the impression that the children used their own phones and the party girl's mother had no control over it.

As I said, though, I wasn't there.

BrokenArrows

Musketeer4 wrote: »

...

And of course i lay absolutely 110% of the blame squarely at the feet of parents. They are the ones facilitating, entertaining and even promoting this sort of thing.

...

Actually its mostly the fault of the schools. The schools encourage every kid to invite everyone in the class.

So basically every kid gets invited to 30 birthdays per year. Parents are basically forced to both host a party for everyone and also attend everyones party.

Kids are basically being protected to the point of insanity. God forbid a kid doesnt get invited to a party of a kid they are not friends with.

osarusan

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Actually its mostly the fault of the schools. The schools encourage every kid to invite everyone in the class.

Just my experience but I've never heard either of my children mention anything about the school encouraging them or anybody else like this.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Actually its mostly the fault of the schools. The schools encourage every kid to invite everyone in the class.

So basically every kid gets invited to 30 birthdays per year. Parents are basically forced to both host a party for everyone and also attend everyones party.

Kids are basically being protected to the point of insanity. God forbid a kid doesnt get invited to a party of a kid they are not friends with.

That's not true. They discourage inviting all of a class bar 2 or 3, and they don't agree to hand out invitations on behalf of the parents because it makes it too public as to which children are being invited and which aren't.

But they don't encourage asking the entire class to a party. A lot of teachers have children of their own and I'm sure the last thing they want to start is that kind of thing.

Winterlong

osarusan wrote: »

Just my experience but I've never heard either of my children mention anything about the school encouraging them or anybody else like this.

Same here. There is no way my 6 year son would be inviting yeuchy girls to his party.

diomed

Things have changed a little in the last 60 years.
We always spent an hour or two on Saturday morning polishing the parquet floors, vacuuming the carpets, peeling potatoes and other "activities".
If we were invited to a party it was a big thrill if we got jelly and cream, or buns.
I live beside a primary school. The east european children are going to take over this country in fifteen years, and good luck to them.

meeeeh

I always find that people who complain about how entitled kids are the most are those who have none. In fact they rarely even come across any.