AIBU - Friend has 'stolen' party idea

I wouldn't be impressed either in the circumstances you describe and I definitely wouldn't have done that as the 'other' mum. I would take it that the other mum thought about things in a fundamentally different way (and were were likely to stay mum acquaintances rather than great friends)...but wouldn't have said anything. Horse has already bolted.

I guess all you can do is learn from it - I would be a bit annoyed with myself for telling the other mum but there was always a chance she would've discovered it anyway with the same outcome.

Hopefully your DD is just briefly mildly disappointed (if she is bothered at all) and it no affect on her party enjoyment - with a side of practising how to cope with disappointment that helps her with resilience.

If it's that big a deal then take her to laser tag instead, I loved laser tag.
Mmm laser tag.

This seems very deliberate and I'd be a little pissed off. It was a very specific party that she only booked because you mentioned it to her. However, there's nothing really you can do without looking slightly crazy so I'd just speak to your DD and see whether she'd want to go ahead or book something else.

Some parents here really really need to get a life.

This is MN you’ll be told you’re ridiculous.

In real life - yes a 10 yr old would be upset at this & understandably so!
Id let your 10 yr old book and tell everyone the date before the other kids invites go out. Then he she tell them all they copied her!

I understand why you’re a bit irked. Of course no-one owns a party but it’s still annoying when someone blatantly copies an idea. For that reason, I never tell my party ideas to anyone. Got a great one for this year but not mentioning it to a soul 🤐

I live in London and we have loads of party options. Most of us still stuck to the same few easy options. There was no oneupmanship going on. The kids were just happy to be playing together.

At ten our kids were young still. No phones, makeup, brands etc, and very plittle awareness of ‘cool’. Maybe they and their peers were an anomaly?

As parents, most of us were secure enough not to feel threatened by this nonsense, and brought our kids up the same way. No pettiness or competitiveness passed down to the children.

If it is so good then the kids would probably love to have two parties there.

I was pre empting the upset from my 10 year old who laments that shell be chastised by the class for 'copying' the first birthday girl

pahahaha - 10 year olds "chastise each other"??! And your child is "lamenting" this?

Having had 3 10 year old girls in my parental life - I can only howl at this 😂

OP, your birthday party plans are now dead in the water.
You will have to top this, maybe a weekend at Disneyland Paris might save face? Your DD needs to get her bragging rights back.
😉😁😁.

Sorry Op just read through your posts again & see that it's pretty much all the same kids.

Add on a sleepover??😉

Eeek I'm a bit embarrassed for you.

Mind you, I live rurally and the options for kids parties are very slim.

I think I've probably been to parties at each venue about 15-20 times 😬

This ! I live rurally and parties at Primary used to be in one of three places, depending on age. Everyone happy to go to the same place, my dds never said anything along the lines of “oh not place X again” ! It’s a party, they will be 9/10. They will have a great time and some cake.

Decided to teach OP a lesson by doing something that would upset a 10 year old child? I mean, it's not so bad if the other mum just thought it sounded fun, but to suggest that she did it to deliberately hurt others - do people think like that? Do you think like that? How horribly unkind.

I think it's your response to the other Mum that makes YU.

I think some people would be annoyed (I possibly would), but to actually say that it's important to have the cool party???

Will it be all the same kids?

Also they are a couple of months apart so I'm sure they'd still enjoy both.

We started a trend for sleepovers as a party.

Cheapest & easiest we ever did.

How times change!

Before her except for the party OP hosted for daughters birthday at this location last year..? Does OP have some monopoly on this location?

its important at 10 to have the 'cool' party and they like to put an individual stamp on it

Really don't agree with this, I'm sure most 10 year olds are just happy to have a party with their friends - that's the important part, not the venue.

Especially as OP already hosted a party for her daughter there… a year ago!! So much for stolen idea and wanting her daughter to be the first to show off this location. Hadn’t she already done this last party?

Are you ten as well ?

You’re being ridiculous. Can’t believe you even raised it with her mother

I think it's really shitty to take your idea and do it before you.

Goodness you sound about 8 yourself. This is a non issue. My kids have gone to loads of parties in the same place. It's not a big deal. It actually might work out better because the first party lets kids try it out then your DD mean they enjoy it with no drama (unless you create more by suggesting it's uncool).

DH’s ex often whines about things like this, and I think - why the hell does she care about this stuff. Sadly the SDC have been raised the same. It would probably bother them.

No one I know would care.

Everyone has done kids parties before. Also aerial climbing is common round here.

You are being ridiculous.

So you have already held a party there? I’m assuming you have 2 daughters with a little more than a year apart? Maybe the mum copied your idea from last year rather than this year?