To think this is a load of middle class toss?

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Daughter is 5 next month. The wife(who doesn't work but think's that money is something that the cash point fairy just conjours up) has booked the local church hall.

4 hours at £15 per hour. OK. Sorted with that.

And hired a bouncy castle. £60. Fine with that

And booked a children entertainer and magician. £200 for two hours. WTF! £100 PER HOUR!!

And paid caterers to do the food £120!!!! WTF £120 for the a childrens * party!

£440 for a four hour childrens party!!! WTF!!!!

Is this excessive? She thinks that's what it should cost!

My friend's employer just dropped 1 million euros on his grandson's 1st birthday party. Quite frankly 440 wouldn't even buy a new Chanel bag!

*This party did not go down well in the country where they're all under extreme austerity measures...

It's good though, it makes me look saintly in comparison. :o

DD's (with a very ironic first D on most days!! ) 4th birthday coming up, we've managed to narrow it down to about 25 kids what with combining MY friends' kids and DD's friends plus siblings (still not worked out how to not invite them successfully!). Poundland has been my best friend, and have spent a whopping £15 there and got enough for decent party bags (which I swore I'd never do, but got carried away), and have spent about a further £8 on bits and pieces to entertain the little critters children; i.e. balloons to chase, paper bags to decorate with a few stickers etc and some bubble mixture and bubble wands...

Will have musical bumps, statues and competitions (hubby or me pressing pause - helluva lot cheaper than an entertainer). I am also going to attempt to decorate a cake myself . Plus nibble food, I imagine I'll get this all done for less than £60 and there will be 25 happy children and two exhausted parents. I hope! :o

Oh yes, just remembered the brilliant economy. Class party - there is always a child with a birthday within two weeks of your own child's. Joint party - half the price, twice the fun, and half the work.

That is very sad.
What is worse is that the children probably all expect it.
Whatever happened to traditional party games like pass the parcel, musical bumps or statues, pin the tail on the donkey etc.?
I really hate the way that people feel everyone HAS to be "entertained" all the time.

I think on this occasion, suck it up, but next time have a careful look at options and costs together. Parties are expensive but try and cut costs where you can. DS's 5th bday party cost me £160 total. I considered that to be "cheap"!

I wouldn't spend that kind of 'money on a children's party but TBH it all depends on the household income.

If you are loaded then you have to spend your money on something.

Best and most memorable party for my ds so far was the last one where we invited 6 friends round and we did a treasure hunt, traditional party games, lucky dip and pirate themed tea. He was 6. it's still talked about now and he has asked for the same this year already. It was special, personal and unique.

IMO these massive 4 hour extravaganza's are more about the parents than the kids. I did feel under pressure in reception to match the church hall, whole class approach. I don't feel that pressure anymore. We have one who even organises a special whole class christmas party for her little princess as well !!! It's too much imo.

Well I find it utterly offensive to suggest this is 'middle class'.

We are indisputably middle class. Ds2 is 5 next month. He is having a garden party, with games like Pass the parcel, musical bumps etc. Food will be sandwiches, crisps, fruit, cakes, and biscuits, will cost £30-40.

I would suggest that spending £440 is not 'middle class', but is a bit ott.

Church hall - yup perfectly reasonable

4 hours - snurkle, the other parents will be delighted particularly those with onlies, that even gives you enough time for a meal out plus some bedroom action. Seriously why 4 hours, they will all have gone insane by then

Bouncy castle - Fair enough

Magician - Well as they are there for a ludicrous 4 hours you are going to need something other than the bouncy castle

Catering - Torn on this one. On the one hand how hard can it be to rustle up some sandwiches and buy some cocktail sausages, on the other hand lets face it catering is 95% of the time ( except for those with particularly enlightened other halfs) a female preserve so can see why she doesn't want to do it. Still can't quite figure out how on earth it comes to £120 - how many children are there?

Ooh what about party bags, have they been factored in yet ( ducks quickly)

If she wants to spend a bucketload of cash why not go for a softplay option which at least has the benefit of being hassle free.

By the way middle class way to go would be hand painted easter egg hunt in own garden, followed by egg sandwiches ( made from own hens's eggs) lovingly prepared in Cath Kidson pinny followed by wooden peg doll making which then doubles up as party bag to take home ( along with slice of allergy free homemade cake)

Mega 20+ all class parties tend to belong only to 4-7 year olds. They start choosing their friends more carefully after 7 and you will find parties shrink drastically along with cost, thankfully.

It is not a middle class disease that follows you and gets worse, hth.

yeah, ha ha, my husband has traveled so much, he might as well drive that frigging plane himself the next time....

at your SAS reference.

No it is not middle class it is what my dp calls the Dunalrights! It is not about the children but about the status of the parents in teh eyes of others. have a party at home and give the other £350 to charity

My ds is 16 and in all the years we have never had the whole class. What is that all about?

£150 for a party

they last 2 hours max

if an entertainer then no bouncy castle

food is really easy to do yourself and don't forget some wine for the grown-ups

If you can afford it, its perfectly reasonable :)

That's why we have joint parties round here.

Suits everyone as it means parents don't have to sit through nth numbers of parties when they only through one.

Our whole class party (plus siblings and other friends so 25 max) is costing about £300. That includes hire of hall, entertainer, food and party bags split between 4.

"the wife"

"I'm not some kind of gypsy"

WTF?

And what's with the middle class bashing? Conspicuous consumption is not a traditionally "middle class" trait.

If you can't afford it, have one or two of caterers/entertainer/bouncy castle. If you can afford it, why not have all 3?

Whole class parties are uncommon here, too.
I considered holding one for DS1 to pointedly highlight the fact that he had been invited to so few others... but decided I wasn't up to it (the spitefullness or organisation for it).

The church hall + bouncy castle = v good but a bit pricey. We did that for dd 4th but 'borrowed' both. Go round supermarket with trolley for food, just open the packets and tip onto paper plates. Poundland party bags etc. Bish bosh, £30 all in. Have fun!

we invited 6 friends round and we did a treasure hunt, traditional party games, lucky dip and pirate themed tea. He was 6. it's still talked about now and he has asked for the same this year already. It was special, personal and unique.

Well done-just as a party should be rather than the 'corporate entertaining'.

We were the lucky ones, noddyholder, with older DCs, when a party was for friends rather than parental one upmanship-unless it is a very small class your DC never plays with some of the DCs.

I agree exotic I would just say about a week before Who do you want and then invite them! We did a pottery party once for 6 of them but apart from that it was at home or in the park. I think it is sending out the wrong message. I have a lot of friends with young children and can't believe what they get up to. This makes kids far too aware of their own importance and tbh they become complacent and nothing excites them.

I agree noddyholder-all done much too young and leaves nothing of excitement. Someone has started a thread because they want to send out 'leave the date free cards' for a 2 yr old's party in June!!!
It is all so sad-11 yr olds are now having limos to leave primary school so that by the time they really leave school it is all 'old hat' and boring.
DCs are upset if there are party invitations at school and they don't get one-there is a sense of entitlement. Presents go in a black sack to be opened when they have all gone home.
Maybe the pendulum will swing back one day? It might be a good spin off from the recession.

Exoticfruits.

The wife suggested a Limo. I kid you not.

It met with an icy stare.

I think she's been watching to much 'Gypsy Wedding'