Many things surprise me about being a parent - each phase (and age) brings a new revelation - but the most recent thing I've learnt is that children's parties are kind of a big deal.
After hearing about the parents in England who were last week invoiced £15 and threatened with legal action, because their 5-year-old son didn’t attend his friend’s birthday party at a dry ski slope, I’ve realised that they can be serious business too; it's a sign of the times.
Last weekend, I threw a party for my daughter’s christening and first birthday. We decided to combine the two celebrations because we (naively) believed it would be a low-key affair for everybody involved, and we (foolishly) thought it would be easier to have one party for two events. We were wrong.
While there was no legal action involved, and it was lovely to celebrate with all our nearest and dearest (over 60 of them to be precise), I didn’t anticipate that the levels of pressure and hype surrounding the event would be similar to those on my wedding day. It's no exaggeration that I felt more stressed last Sunday morning than I did the day I got married.
Aside from the outfits; the cakes (one for the christening and one for the birthday); the personalised cake toppers; and the entertainment (Frozen on a projector screen, which didn't work because of a technical hitch), there were also the finances to consider. We chose a venue because it was easier – no cleaning or catering to do - but obviously that comes at a price; especially when more people than you invited end up attending.
HerFamily’s Editor, Sive O’Brien, is all too familiar with the Party Pressure. Parties for her two daughters (aged 5 and 3) have consisted of a chocolate fountain (“mainly for the adults”), personalised cupcakes that cost €80, and an entertainer who was “amazing but expensive” at €175 for 90 minutes.
“We’ll never learn,” says Sive. “It’s hard not to make a big deal because you want them to remember it forever… Or maybe it’s just that you want them to stay that age forever?!” She’s right. As I sit recovering from a double celebration, relieved that it went well and laughing about all the stress I put myself under, I'm also daydreaming about my daughter's 2nd birthday, which, in my head, already resembles a perfect Pinterest party board.
