Mother asks guests to pay a ‘cover charge’ to enter her child’s birthday party

You'd think it was a joke.

While we always end up spending more than intended on our kids' birthday parties, once you see them happy among their friends it all pays off. Pizza and jellies and balloons and bouncy castles all add up, but never in a million years would we think of charging guests to come. However, this mother did. A woman wrote into Boston Globe's advice column saying that her friend has asked for a cover charge for years and she thinks it's absolutely absurd (which it is). The anonymous friend wrote: "Every year, she charges people to come to her daughter's birthday party. If it is at a venue, the e-mail will say something along the lines of 'please bring $20 to cover the cost of your child.' "If it is at her home, there will be an envelope or basket asking for 'donations.' They're not poor," she added. At the end of the letter, the woman said her friend is "lovely and kind and a truly wonderful person" but other people are talking about her behind her back and she doesn't know whether to say something. The advice column suggested that she tell her friend what people are saying, or it could come back to bite her. "Speak up before her poor daughter has to, since sooner or later the girl will realise what her mother is up to and be humiliated," she said. However, she noted that "unless you're her accountant" you have no idea how she is doing financially and she may need the help with money. At the end of the day though, if you don't have the money for a party, the simple solution is to just not have one.