Page 5 | What's the worst kids party you've been to

T181 · 2022-05-27T17:41:10+00:00

Please give me some examples of the worst kids party you've been to?? Im hosting one on Sunday for 25 children and actually am so worried about it I need some real life stories to calm my nerves

fuzzwuss · 27/05/2022 21:24

We were invited to a 2nd year olds birthday, a friend of dd from toddler group. They had rented a sort of marquee at a location near us, traditionally these are fixed structures, hired out by the council, and mostly used for bbq. There are three tents that can be hired, and this is in a public area with a bit of a river beach, a cafe and a really nice play area. The hosts had however neglected to provide a bbq, in fact neglected to provide any sort of food at all. An invitation to this location usually means food, so we had not eaten. The sister of the hosting dad had brought some muffins, that, and a few packets of frozen profiteroles (no choc sauce, just plain) was the whole lot. What made it worse was that this was the middle marquee, the one on the left was occupied by barbecuing 20 somethings, with loads and loads of alcoholic drinks, meat, and cool music, the one on the other side was an Italian family affair. The table was literally groaning with piles of delicious antipasti, cakes, deli meats.... and I was starving... We sat in silence.

We went to Mc Donalds on the way home.

NumberTheory · 27/05/2022 21:25

I hosted one in which most of the kids went home covered in glitter glue. If your kids was there I apologise. We didn't think it through.

Generally speaking parties where friends from different social circles are invited along with a bunch of family friends, or siblings' friends of different ages have tended to be the ones that end up with most kids crying/hurt/left alone in the corner and which I regret taking mine to (even though they don't tend to be one of the crying/hurt/etc. kids).

On a personal level, I hate swim parties where parents are supposed to get in the water with their kids. But the kids have always loved them so I don't really regret taking them.

AliceMcK · 27/05/2022 21:26

Greensleeves · 27/05/2022 19:05

I've told this story before on MN, but my worst one was when I was 8. The twins next door were much-wanted IVF late babies, and their mother was one of those utterly adoring, ultra-dedicated ubermum women who simultaneously spoilt them rotten materially and was VERY strict on behaviour.

Their 8th birthday party was lavish, for the 80s - lots of games with bought props, and loads of different sorts of balloons everywhere, streamers, special music with their names in it, unbelievable spread of food...fabulous. Until one of the twins got overexcited and was rude to Mum, then the other one started crying because her sister was being told off. They were immediately sent to bed, and the rest of us had to carry on with the party, play the games and eat the food, while the sound of the two birthday girls sobbing inconsolably upstairs just filled the whole house. It was awful, I've never forgotten it!

Omg those poor girls.

ChocolateHippo · 27/05/2022 21:27

kitchenceilingwaterleak · 27/05/2022 21:15

Not me but a party dd went to when she was about 5. Dd hates cheese with an absolute passion. Right from when she first started eating she wouldn't touch the stuff. She's 15 and she has still never eaten it. This is relevant....

So I dropped Dd off at a party in a church hall. There were only 12 kids there and party mum had recruited the next door neighbour's teenagers. I had warned party mum about the cheese and was assured this was fine as there was a party buffet and there was plenty for dd to choose from. So I come back later to find dd still at the party table, a curled up dry cheese sandwich and nothing else on her plate, dd in absolute floods of tears and party mum absolutely furious. Apparently dd was a spoilt rotten child, party mum didn't believe in fussy eaters or wasting food and dd wouldn't be getting anything else to eat until she had eaten the cheese sandwich. Neither was allowed to get up and join in the fun until she had finished the sandwich. This had been going on for 45 minutes at this point. Dd was absolutely inconsolable and took her most of the evening to calm down as apparently party mum had shouted at dd several times infront of everyone including getting everyone to look at the silly child.

When it was dd's party a few months later she was adamant neither sandwiches or cheese would be featuring. Platters piled high with absolutely everything else dh was eating party food in his lunchbox for a week. And I didn't give a toss if kids mixed chicken nuggets, crisps, fruit and sweets on the same plate.

This is awful 😡! I hope you gave party mum a piece of your mind. Besides the cruelty of it, it is no one's business what other people's children eat and I can't believe anyone would think it was appropriate to 'police' this at a party.

TommyShelby · 27/05/2022 21:29

@kitchenceilingwaterleak what did you say to the mum when you found your DD in such a state? I think I’d have lost the plot!

Babyvenusplant · 27/05/2022 21:30

Lipsandlashes · 27/05/2022 19:16

A party for three year olds, where there was the most elaborately decorated ‘Frozen’ (it was a few years ago) cake you’ve ever seen. It must have cost a fortune! DD was obsessed by it and wouldn’t leave until she had been given a piece. Problem was the parents had no intention of giving any of the kids invited to the party any of the cake. DD went away with one of those cheap muffins with a blob of hard icing on, that you get in trays of 12 from the pound shop.

Was probably a dummy cake underneath lol

Poopootatty · 27/05/2022 21:31

My nephew’s birthday disco - the DJ was an hour late and I had to step in and make up games to entertain the kids until he arrived. Stressful!!

DomingoinLittleOakley · 27/05/2022 21:31

The one for my DS when he was 5 - local sports centre, bouncy castle obstacle course thing. All good, kids loved it, parents were milling around drinking tea/coffee and chatting.

I went to set out all the food, plates, balloons, banners etc on my own while DH 'mingled', mainly with his parents who had turned up uninvited (family party was the following day at home, on the actual birthday). The party room was next to the toilets and every few minutes someone's kid came in to use the loo, which was fine, until one boy came in having done a spectacular poo in his pants.

He ran towards the toilet, pulling down his pants on the way and this truly enormous poo plopped out of the back of his trousers. I've never seen anything like it - it was like a tree branch! I was rather shocked, and I half shouted "Oh no! Stop there!" which made him backtrack and tread in it, before he ran off towards the toilet to finish his dastardly deed while trailing poopy footprints everywhere. No parents were in sight, I was all alone, and then he started shouting "can you wipe my bum?"

I was desperately praying his Mum would turn up to find out where he was, or DH would come in to help, but no. Then I discovered he had taken his trousers and pants off, and was just standing there half naked.

I was sweating, tried my best to get him cleaned up with some wet loo roll, put his pants in a bag and binned them, got his trousers back on and sent him on his way, cleaned all the shit off the floor before anyone else trod in it, finished getting all the food and drinks out... it was a nightmare.

MIL came in and said "Oh, this is where you're hiding. Have you not put the balloons up yet?"

Sorry - that was long. But cathartic.

Kb12910 · 27/05/2022 21:32

Dd got invited to a party where there was nothing to entertain them, not even a single game. Was just left to run riot in the hall and outside. The kids are bored and destructive!

she also went to one with nowhere near enough food.

other than that, pretty good

Hyvsvaar · 27/05/2022 21:33

A mad makeover party for7 year olds with a wind machine in a RBL pub, quite a juxtaposition…birthday girl
had a spray tan prior to party 😵‍💫

LisaSimpson77 · 27/05/2022 21:33

TommyShelby · 27/05/2022 21:29

@kitchenceilingwaterleak what did you say to the mum when you found your DD in such a state? I think I’d have lost the plot!

Me too!! That's truly appalling 😬

howareyoutodayagain · 27/05/2022 21:35

The one where they hired a creepy man who does snail races at local fetes, looks like Father Christmas and give me strong, strong paedophile vibes.

The party was 3.5 hours long (for reception ages so we all had to stay, but frankly I'm glad I did given the entertainer) and began with a 'circle of death' where each child (whole class party) had to introduce themselves like you do on corporate awaydays.

This moved on seamlessly to the entertainer, I've blocked most of it out but I think I remember a 'joke' that involved him rubbing his hands through my lovely friend's beautiful hair and there was far too much knee sitting expectation of the children - I physically restrained my DD from going anywhere near him.

I'd take the boob honking clown any day.

Reluctantadult · 27/05/2022 21:36

We hosted one at home for Dd, think she was turning 5, it culminated with 9 kids bouncing up and down in ds's cot like it was a trampoline, and one of her friends did a poo on her bedroom carpet 💩

howareyoutodayagain · 27/05/2022 21:38

DomingoinLittleOakley · 27/05/2022 21:31

The one for my DS when he was 5 - local sports centre, bouncy castle obstacle course thing. All good, kids loved it, parents were milling around drinking tea/coffee and chatting.

I went to set out all the food, plates, balloons, banners etc on my own while DH 'mingled', mainly with his parents who had turned up uninvited (family party was the following day at home, on the actual birthday). The party room was next to the toilets and every few minutes someone's kid came in to use the loo, which was fine, until one boy came in having done a spectacular poo in his pants.

He ran towards the toilet, pulling down his pants on the way and this truly enormous poo plopped out of the back of his trousers. I've never seen anything like it - it was like a tree branch! I was rather shocked, and I half shouted "Oh no! Stop there!" which made him backtrack and tread in it, before he ran off towards the toilet to finish his dastardly deed while trailing poopy footprints everywhere. No parents were in sight, I was all alone, and then he started shouting "can you wipe my bum?"

I was desperately praying his Mum would turn up to find out where he was, or DH would come in to help, but no. Then I discovered he had taken his trousers and pants off, and was just standing there half naked.

I was sweating, tried my best to get him cleaned up with some wet loo roll, put his pants in a bag and binned them, got his trousers back on and sent him on his way, cleaned all the shit off the floor before anyone else trod in it, finished getting all the food and drinks out... it was a nightmare.

MIL came in and said "Oh, this is where you're hiding. Have you not put the balloons up yet?"

Sorry - that was long. But cathartic.

This is amazing. SO vivid, thank you (and I'm so sorry).

Echobelly · 27/05/2022 21:38

We did snatch victory from the jaws of defeat once. It was DD's 3rd, birthday mid June. The year before it had been a 30C+ boiler so that we had to move from a park picnic to the garden of our flat because it was more shaded.

This year it was cold, windy, with horizontal rain and he had a dozen kids and their parents coming and a 2-bed flat. In the end we dismantled our bed and just about squeezed it on its side in DD's tiny room. That way we were able to have little inflatable ball pool and pass the parcel etc in our bedroom, and use lounge for the 'picnic'. Oh, and I was 6 months pregnant with DS at the time!

But it went off surprisingly well - though I learned that, oy, does putting together a pass the parcel package take forever!

kitchenceilingwaterleak · 27/05/2022 21:39

For those that have asked:

I told the party mum that it wasn't her place to police what my daughter did or didn't eat and I had been assured that dd would be catered for. Through gritted teeth.
Yes, I could have probably torn her a new one. However a 5 year old's party with an inconsolable dd and plenty of other kids and parents looking on is neither the time or place to start shouting. I just wanted to get dd and get the hell out of there tbh. Funnily enough, we were busy with a family commitment the following year when the invitations came out.

Tallulasdancingshoes · 27/05/2022 21:41

Never been to a really bad one, but I wouldn’t like a swimming party. I also don’t like ones where the entertainer wants loads of parent participation.

scoobydoo1971 · 27/05/2022 21:43

My daughter was invited to a star wars themed party a few years ago. Children were invited to dress up in Star Wars fancy dress. I duly obliged with Princess Leia. It was in a sports hall with a bouncy castle. We turned up and the parents had no cake, no food and no drinks. They were just sat there. They hadn't dressed the birthday boy in fancy dress either, and none of the other children were dressed up either. There was a bucket on the table asking for donations towards the bouncy castle rental costs...that was the most underwhelming party I have ever been to. Kids got thirsty and were buying drinks from the vending machine in the sports hall.

MadameFantabulosa · 27/05/2022 21:45

We used to have a traditional party at home with party games. We always used to end up with more kids than we’d invited. The final game was always pass the parcel. It was always a musical instrument and “won” the child who had been the worst behaved at the party. Waving off a child who is blowing his flute loudly and tunelessly in his parent’s ear brings such a lovely warm glow.

CatSpeakForDummies · 27/05/2022 21:45

Roller skating party for 6 year olds, none of whom could skate and parents just dropped off. So 12 kids crying with sore bums or frustrated angry after only ten minutes. Host mum and dad couldn't skate either, so both pretending they hadn't injured themselves whilst picking up children off the floor and trying not to fall on them. I was called to help as I can skate, but by the time I got there, 30 mins in, not one kid still had skates on. They couldn't go into the party room until their hour of skating was up, so I had to go round inspecting injuries and telling them "I think you'll be okay," and trying to play games etc.

Ameanstreakamilewide · 27/05/2022 21:48

Crimesean · 27/05/2022 20:32

I didn't realise it's expected that the adults are fed too! DS is having a party this summer, I was just going to do a few bowls of chips with mayo/ketchup to dip for the adults to pick at - do I really need to feed them lunch?

You don't need to feed the adults.

A hot drink usually hits the spot, though.

Readtheroom · 27/05/2022 21:50

you need to change what you hand out to sandwhiches and juice or at least tell parents they need to pack food for their child, theyll be moody and tired if they only have to eat what youve said

Littlecaf · 27/05/2022 21:53

i think you don’t need to spend lots of money to have great kids party. The current trend in DS class (yr 2) is a skate park party. Three of them so far this year! The kids all played on the skate park, played football, a few tag/it games, buffet, cake, (tea and coffee for the parents).

Going on the recent partygate theme, DS had a zoom party for his 6th as it was lockdown and the entertainer we hired was fun and the kids loved it, but I’m happy he was on the other side of the screen…..😂

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 27/05/2022 21:55

nothing on a scale of some of these, but my low point was a swimming party where there was a tense poolside stand-off between party parent and lifeguard. Apparently not enough supervising adults were prepared to get in the pool, and so the lifeguard wouldn't let the kids in. I sat freezing my tits off for 15 minutes in my cozzie while the the argument raged on, and it was only when the lifeguard threatened to send the kids without an adult back to get changed that a few parents revealed they'd brought their swim gear after all, but just preferred not to swim - don't we all?

WorriedMillie · 27/05/2022 22:00

One of the worst/turned out to be best parties ever- whole families invited:

Invite said 1-4, village hall affair
We turned up just before 1, to a bare village hall, nothing had been done. I apologised profusely, as assumed I’d turned up an hour early. Nope. The child was there with her grandmother, but nobody else

Others started appearing, similarly confused, I offered to blow up some
balloons. They were those badass light up ones and every single one exploded quite violently in my face 🤣 (i think they were beyond their “use by” date)
OH was running about and doing what he could
I was offered a glass of wine, but politely declined (and immediately regretted it)

By this time, the 4yos were running riot, we hurriedly set up several tables of craft activities and some games outside, but it was utter chaos.
The child’s mother rocked up about half an hour late, together with some other family members, one was amazing with entertaining the kids by making giant bubbles with some sort of rope contraption

I grabbed a glass of wine and informed OH he was driving home

There was jelly in shot glasses, but the mother had a moment of confusion when she couldn’t identify which were the alcoholic versions, intended for adults

All in all, despite the utter batshit chaos, everyone had a great time (may have been something to do with the copious volumes of wine 🤣)