You’ll have to forgive me for being late to the party (and starting off with a really bad joke) but when busy with kids, keeping up with which parents are invoicing who for a no-show isn’t necessarily on my list of priorities when teething and weaning are hitting my own headlines.
Curiosity got the better of me today, and I decided to delve into what the whole thing was about, and why this young lad had come home from school with an invoice in between his lunchbox and his homework demanding the princely sum of £15.95 or else!
It turns out he missed a 5th birthday party, which consisted of some skiing, some tobogganing and a gourmet meal of reconstituted chicken nuggets and dry chips. A bargain at £15.95 per head don’t you think?
So, the story goes, the family had given some indication their son was attending the party. Unfortunately he ended up not going, and as the invite had been misplaced they were unable to notify the party arrangers that their son wouldn’t be attending. Unfortunate, but these things happen.
So what should follow, but an invoice is issued to the family of the non-attendee demanding the fee for his place at the party. Now, myself, I would have moved on. It’s a shame when a kid doesn’t make it to a party for whatever reason, but there’s no need to make a big song and dance about it is there! A mother who issues an invoice for a child who hasn’t attended their sons birthday party, is a woman with some issues. Surely there are bigger fish to fry.
But lets go back to the party. This was the most expensive party package that the venue offered. Not just any old reconstituted chicken nuggets! It was a skiing party, do 5 year olds really want skiing parties? And if they do, do they really need the most expensive one? Has the party industry gone mad taking with it parents desire to make sure their children have the very best of everything, no matter what the cost?
Parents are expected to put on lavish parties, invite the whole class so no one is offended, and don’t forget the party bag. The quality of any party comes down to the contents of the party bag. Just how many things can you squeeze into a little Ben 10 bag. Don’t worry, there will be extra room if you put the cake in a serviette. I admit it, I have been that parent!
It’s all got out of control. It’s perfectly OK to say to a child you can have 5 friends to your party if that’s all you are able to cater for. It’s more than OK to turn down their demands for a private party at Disneyland Paris as we aren’t all called Beckham, and there is no harm in learning you won’t always get invited to every party ever, as life’s just not like that. As for the invoice, I think if it were me I would donate the equivalent amount to charity on behalf of the birthday boy and his family.
