Motherhood & Parenting

Party Rings

How delightful!  Another party invitation!  These 5 year olds certainly know how to let their hair down. 

Gone are the days of pass the parcel in your mum’s lounge and sauntering by the colourful buffet of cheese sandwiches and party rings!  Today’s little pickles are hiring venues, organising entertainment and forget those soggy triangles of quiche, the caterers are on site to handle every taste and side step every allergy with grace and poise.

I’m thrilled when my daughter gets an invite.  I feel relaxed, knowing that she is mixing well and has friends.   The parent WhatsApp group is a buzz with details of the location and times.  In these rather precarious Covid times, I love it when parents think of everything!

Gift giving is a pendulum, swinging between; “No gifts required, just your presence is enough” and the very comprehensive gift list.

What to buy?  How much to spend?  I always aim for the invisible middle.  Nothing too ostentatious as I don’t want to look like a knob and nothing too cheap and cheerful as I’m still trying to avoid being a knob. 

“It’s all about the kids anyway and they don’t really care!”.

It’s true in part; kids don’t really care about that stuff.   They’re playing with their mates, getting jacked on sugar!  They are living their best life.   It’s the parents that will discuss the inevitable ‘ball dropping’, if you decide to dust off your wallet, down at Poundland for their little treasure!

First party of the year was amazing and my little girl had a fabulous time.  I know the parents well.  They have a beautiful home and so much attention to detail had been put in.  The goodie bag could rival the swag given at the Oscars! 

As I waited to pick her up I saw other parents arrive.  All of them had large, nearly new cars.   My friend’s beautiful home made my house look like a shed.  As my daughter and I walked home with her treats, I felt the first pang of insecurity…

I can’t put this kind of party on.  I don’t have the space in my small house and the car situation… I skated over that, by making some lighthearted joke about being within walking distance so I felt lucky to have a party on my doorstep!

Will my daughter see what her friends have and feel embarrassed?  Will she want the same as her counterparts have?  What will the parents say when they come to my house?  Despite all the smiles and the “See you Monday!”…I felt conflicted.  For the first time ever,  I felt poor.

Next party on the list was a marquee and an entertainer.  The next was a church hall with magic, face painting and glitter tattoos.  I’m so happy that my daughter is getting to have all these experiences.  Parties have definitely upped their game.  

As my daughter’s birthday looms, I asked her what she wanted for her birthday.  

“Can I have a couple of friends over Mummy?  I’d like us to play in the garden!”

And just like that,  I stopped spiralling.  Kids don’t think like some of us grown folk do.  In amongst all of that, my good friend who put the Oscar worthy bags together,  offered to assist me if I needed help putting my daughters party together.  The old me would have thanked her and then dived head first into the pit of party planning and got massively stressed.  The new me is graciously accepting the help.  

Look at me!  I’m growing up.

My flourishing maturity aside, I’m going to have some of those party rings.  It may be considered passè for the kids these days but with a cup of tea, they really are quite special.  

 

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