Woman Kicks Out Neighbors’ Kids From Daughter’s Birthday Party, Receives An Angry Letter In Mailbox
Kids’ birthday parties are on an entirely different level compared to those of adults. Of course, bouncy castles, Disney character impersonators, and food trucks can be a lot of fun, but organizing such a celebration often leaves parents with a plethora of questions. Should they prepare goodie bags for the children? When do they cut the cake? And most importantly, should they invite the neighbors?
Since the relationship between redditor Brilliant_Sound3258 and her neighbors wasn’t the coziest, she decided not to extend the birthday invitation to them. However, this didn’t stop them from showing up, making the whole thing awkward.
Ensuring that no one feels left out while planning a birthday celebration can be tough
Image credits: Jon Tyson / unsplash (not the actual photo)
This woman thought her neighbors wouldn’t mind not being invited. That is until they unexpectedly showed up
Image credits: Kindel Media / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Sadman Chowdhury / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Miriam Salgado / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Brilliant_Sound3258
“If you feel the neighbors aren’t a good fit for the group you’re having, don’t invite them”
According to various family blogs and expert opinions, the guest list of a kids’ party is quite a big deal. It’s not just about the numbers; it has become almost a microcosm of social dynamics that can break or make the celebration. And the parents are usually the ones left to decide who makes the cut.
Essentially, the end goal is to have an inclusive guest list with people who are closest to your kid and are a part of their support system. School friends are usually the first contenders for an invitation, including family and friends who provide a sense of familiarity and community to the party.
Inviting neighbors, on the other hand (as evident in redditor’s story), is a slippery slope. Candace Smith, founding manager of Teaching Etiquette for the Business of Life, says, “If you feel the neighbors aren’t a good fit for the group you’re having, don’t invite them.” This totally goes beyond kids’ parties – you shouldn’t feel pressured to host people you don’t want to be around or aren’t particularly close with.
Advice columnist Amy Dickinson recommends, “If they ask you about it, you could tell them, truthfully: “We’re trimming the guest list down this year; we’re going to keep things smaller and more contained. Unfortunately your group isn’t included this year. Maybe some time in the future we’ll expand it again.”
If it so happens that your child doesn’t end up invited, it’s important not to feel instantly hurt
Image credits: Liza Summer / pexels (not the actual photo)
If the child is old enough, chances are that they’ll want to come up with the guest list on their own. For instance, four-year-olds are already starting to understand the idea of friendship and develop it with their playmates. This means that, around such an age, the child may already have an idea of who to invite.
When parents aren’t sure about the number of invitees, etiquette expert Emily Post recommends the “age plus one” rule. For example, a five-year-old’s party should have six guests. It keeps the group manageable in case any parents don’t stay with their children. Besides, it’s likely that there will be a no-show or two.
The parents might also feel under pressure to ask the whole class to come, as some schools, nurseries, and preschools have a requirement of ‘if you want to invite one classmate, everyone should have the opportunity to come.’ When the budget allows it, some may seriously consider it, but this is totally up to the parents, as there isn’t one right answer to a kid’s party guest list.
If it so happens that your child doesn’t end up invited, it’s important not to feel hurt instantly. Most likely, this has nothing to do with your kid not being popular or liked by other children. Perhaps the party didn’t have a big budget, or they were only inviting a select group of kids from their class or soccer team. It also could have been a girls-only or boys-only celebration.
Besides, not getting an invitation can be a great time to teach your children that “they can’t always be invited to everything.” The earlier they learn to deal with rejection in healthy ways, the more hurt feelings they’ll avoid in the future.
Most readers supported the woman escorting her neighbors from the party
Meanwhile, others thought it was rude
The post Woman Kicks Out Neighbors’ Kids From Daughter’s Birthday Party, Receives An Angry Letter In Mailbox first appeared on Bored Panda.
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