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!

I hope so it is such a shame some of them look so bored with it all like having a party is a bit of a chore and tbh I don't blame them! Hard work when they concentrate all week at school to sit and watch a bloody 'show'. One of my friends rang me about 3 weeks ago re her daughters party which is on the 7 May such a to do. When ds was 13 he had glastonbury in the garden party. *8 friends 4 pizzas a tent and a little fire and some guitars! It cost about £25 inc drinks and they all loved it! Limo schlimo

But things don't have to get bigger.

Around here parties as described in the OP are normal between the ages of 4-8.

After that it's usually a few friends at the cinema, then on to pizza hut...which actually isn't that cheep IME.

Oh, and OP, she only mentioned to Limo to make everything else seem reasonable to you.

I know that but I think the money although obscene is almost irrelevant.It is the OTT requests and the competition between parents. It is mad to have the whole class!

It would make sense to have the big parties when they are about 10,11 and 12 and these things matter, but by then they have got to sensible numbers.
I am thankful that when mine did get the limo in late teens it was new and exciting.

Sounds reasonable to me and the same as when I looked at doing similar. I assume the 4 hour hall booking consists of an hour to set up, two hour party, and an hour to clean and tidy up.

Entertainer at £200 is not as expensive as the quotes I had.

Food at £120 is not ott either. I seem to spend about £100 for 30 children, not including the birthday cake.

I couldn't afford to do that so I spent £160 on an activity that included food and another £20 on the cake plus about £50 on party bags.

OP - why don't you cancel the entire party and arrange one by yourself?

OP, I can't really get worked up about this but for fuck's sake don't let on to your wife that the cashpoint fairy doesn't really exist. When I found out I went into a slough of despond that made my PND seem like a breeze. You wouldn't want that would you?

My poor children were told they couldn't have parties this year because they want nintendo dsi each and we can't afford both. They are having a birthday tea for 2 friends. It does sound abit Suri Cruise to me!

I have spent anything from £150-£500 on kids party's, but I don't hire caterers, that's half the fun of doing party's preparing everything! Don't think I would go for a four hr party though would end up pulling my hair out! And £200 for an entertainer would sound reasonable to me. My dh hates me doing party's coz of the cost, but they are only little once and as they get to teens they don't want party's so much just a friend or 2. Once party is over and your dc thanx you for such an amazing birthday you'll feel it was worth it Dh always tells me at the end of the day he's glad I booked it as dc enjoyed it so much! What I really think is that he enjoyed not having to entertain them and watching childrens entertainment himself! I allow mine a party at 4,5,6,7 and then 13. It's really lovely to over hear how much fun the kids had when they talk about it for weeks after. The best party ever was a build a bear party, all kids carried there newly made friends with them for ages!

You're a contractor, and you haven't noticed the earning potential here?

What you need to do is delegate the cost. Now, to get the most out of the price, you need to have 30 children at the party. When the parents arrive, dismiss the parents, thus leaving you, DW and whoever in charge. (You may need to hire two more parents for this.

Now, unless the parents are hired help, you charge £5.00 entry, for four hours.

Then, childcare. Again, hired help get this free of charge. Now, as it's daytime, charge £3.25 per hour, per child.

Add to this, the cost of insurance. If little blighter gets hurt, you refund the parent a fiver, give little mite a magic sticker and lollipop. Insurance should cost £2 per head, covering the whole session

Now, add to this the cost of food. Unless the parents supply a packed lunch, £3 sounds reasonable for a buffet.

Entry (27 x 5 = £135)
Childcare (27 x 13 = £351)
Insurance (27 x 2 = £54)
Food (27 x 3 = £81)
Total = £23 per child.
Total income = £621.

Now. Obviously, you'll have to subtract wages. Each member of staff should be given a compulsorary, non paid hour long break. You should have no more than two members of staff. So, at minimum wage, you have two employees earning £17.79 each.

So; Wages (£17.79 x 2 = £35.58)

Meaning, altogether, income from the party so far comes to £585.42 - £440 = £145.42.

Your wife is a genius!

dontcallmepeanut spoken like a true contractor. ;-)

The OP is definitely not middle class. Being showy about what you spend on stuff is very working class. And if he was upper class he wouldn't need a caterer because their chef would do the catering

exoticfruits, try telling my 5 and 7 year olds these things don't matter!

They spend about 12 months planning their parties. The planning usually starts the day after their last one. Parties don't have to be expensive, there are always ways to cut corners (this year I'm saying no entertainer as I can't find a decent one for under £200) but DD is adamant she loves everybody in the class and they MUST all come to her party.(Thank heavens I know they won't all turn up)

My brother took a bricklaying course.... I wised up then, CUK

Mine were no different Lynette-of course they planned their parties-however they know that 10 friends was the absolute limit and if the expense went up the number invited went down!

I wouldn't have caterers or a boucy castle but yes to the hall and entertainer. Pretty standard for 5th birthdaysround here but much cheaper if a few of the children share a party and they usually love it.

I went a bit all out for DD's first birthday (she slept though it)

Bouncy castle in the garden, face painter (she also did balloon modeling and came dressed as a ladybird), bubble machines, and ready made sandwich platter from Salisbury's, and lots and lots of pink and white helium balloons. Of couse none of this was for DD, it was all for me. I was VERY excited to have a girls after two boys, and very pleased to have survived the year.

She didn't have a party for the next two years.

Sometimes it's fun to throw a big expensive party. I didn't have a big expensive wedding, but I bet a lot of people thinking the party described in the OP is extravagant did.

sadly thats what it costs to have that sort of party now.

DD is 5 at the end of the month and we basically it came down to

church hall for 2 hours - £50
Entertainer - £150
catering £3.50 per child x 20 = £70

total so far £270 and we hadnt even started on decorations, cake, party bags etc

At which point i announced BALLS TO IT ALL, and booked a party at a local science centre DD loves. That was £12 a head (so £240 for 20 kids), they include the food, party bags, decorated party room and we also get to see a show and DD gets an annual membership card as a gift!

People assume the church hall route is the cheaper option but that wasnt true in our case! so might be worth rethinking and booking softplay or something!

Merrylegs is clever :).

Best thread I've read for a while - keep it up?

PS: Yes it is but sounds like you are deeply entrenched in middle class toss, embrace it or rebel....

dontcallmepeanut has a lot of time on his/her hands

and little does the peanut know that charging entrance to a birthday party in the shape of hard cash, is social death.

OP will be left with £145 worth of plastic tat, in reality.

QS

I already have a garage full of £1000's worth of tat having just closed down a 'tat shop'. Least the party bags will be jammed with goodies from Cath Kidston & Jellycat :-)

It does all seem a little ultra competitive these days.

Oh, I love jelly cats. I still have vivid memories of a lovely soft black CAT jelly cat that I DID NOT buy for my son. Bad mummy me.

Don't worry, Quintessential, I was merely poking fun at contractor stereotypes....

Don't worry, I didn't charge entry to DS's last 3 birthday parties...

Ridiculous.

Far too much to pay for a kid's party.