AIBU to feel hurt about last minute party cancellations?

In my experience, kids care very much about their own birthday parties and (once they are old enough to understand what’s going on) they tend to feel very upset and hurt if not many kids turn up. It’s also not great for the parents if they still have to pay for the no shows.

It might not matter too much if one or two kids are no shows, but if six sets of parents decide to renege on their RSVP and go to the beach instead, then that stings and the birthday child is likely to be gutted.

I do feel for one of my DC’s friends who had her party on her birthday, during the Easter holidays (soft play followed by food at home). Several parents turned the invitation down and DD was the only child who came to soft play with the birthday girl, although a few more came to the meal at home. Poor kid!

Long story short but feeling a bit let down and sad - my daughter is due to have her party this weekend and handed out invites back in June before her friends at pre school and nursery finished for summer - we had so many invites declined for various reasons and in the last few days had at least 3 people pull out of her party. We still have plenty of children attending but some of the friends we invited we are quite close with and feel like they just couldn’t care less lots of ‘sorry to let you down’ but it’s just left a bitter taste in my
mouth. I always like to put effort into other friends and others we know but after this I just feel like why bother. I don’t know what I’m asking but just feel upset on my daughters behalf I know she won’t mind and will be too busy playing at her party to really notice I think it’s more me that feels hurt by the number of people that have either pulled out last minute or feeling like they have better things going on, when we have celebrated their child’s party in the past..