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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate this smashcake craze?

588 replies

skerrywind · 09/04/2017 10:35

A close member of our family has just spent £100 on a smashcake for her 1st baby's birthday.
I find it quite disgusting to waste food like this. It surprises me that I have quite a gutteral reaction to this. I also find it disgusting to see people in baths of beans etc.

Anyone else feel like this or am I just a killjoy?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
p1nkflam1ngos · 10/04/2017 18:58

I'm not a huge fan of cake smashing or any staged photography packaged to look quirky and spur of the moment (just not my taste I suppose) but omg this thread is gold. Dear God think of the children!

ArriettyClock1 · 10/04/2017 19:00

I think photo shoots are just about the naffest thing ever, so a photo shoot combined with the cake smash goes beyond the tacky limit.

A mum at school has branched out into photography and offers cake smash shoots and also those bloody ghastly newborn shoots with the baby all grotesque looking, naked and contorted into weird shapes with a stupid hat or flower on its head. Hideous!

p1nkflam1ngos · 10/04/2017 19:06

I've just googled and OMG- just why ? Wrong on so many levels; the sugar for a 1 year old ! The food colouring ! What the hell are you trying to teach them about food and meal times ?. For refference I was terribly proud that by 10 or 11 months mine would sit in a high chair and feed themselves ( using a spoon as well) with relatively little mess, I cannot comprehend why you would undo all that work.- Horrible

This is one of the best ones Grin

BunnyChickChocolateEgg · 10/04/2017 19:08

To be fair, the ASDA one says its intended that you smash it open, then everyone can share the sweets, and the cake underneath can be sliced and served. The ad I've seen shows a child of about8 smashing it open witha spoon I think? That doesn't seem so awful (just a little ingulgent, but not much different to a normal cake...).

I guess the issue is with people deciding to stick them in front of infants (hadn't heard of this til now) - which is always a waste of good cake, imo :-D.

38cody · 10/04/2017 19:09

What is this? Please explain.

IFinishedTheBiscuits · 10/04/2017 19:11

Bunny I think the Asda cakes are slightly different and more like a Pinata. I'd have no problem with that.

ShamefulDodger · 10/04/2017 19:13

It's completely disgusting.

Because then I can't eat the cake. No cake should ever be wasted. Grin

ShamefulDodger · 10/04/2017 19:14

Though I'm not adverse to cutting a section off for the baby to smash.

Just not my section.

Which is the rest of the cake.

PoorYorick · 10/04/2017 19:17

I've just googled and OMG- just why ? Wrong on so many levels; the sugar for a 1 year old ! The food colouring ! What the hell are you trying to teach them about food and meal times ?. For refference I was terribly proud that by 10 or 11 months mine would sit in a high chair and feed themselves ( using a spoon as well) with relatively little mess, I cannot comprehend why you would undo all that work.- Horrible

Oh come on guys...cake smashes have to be worth it just so we can get this kind of outrage!

Dahelle · 10/04/2017 19:19

YANBU OP I don't like them. Firstly it's waste and 2nd it's a mess and encouraging kids to destroy food ( if you have a fussy eater all you want is for kids to eat it rather than throw it about)£100 on one????👀

ilovechocolate07 · 10/04/2017 19:20

I have no idea what this is. Off to Google...

user1470055656 · 10/04/2017 19:24

Is this a regional thing? I'm in London and have lots of friends with babies/toddlers. No one has smashed any cake. How bizarre.

TheRealPooTroll · 10/04/2017 19:27

It doesn't appeal to me. But the moralising from the some posters who post on other threads about spending £100's on bags and candles about people who don't have enough food is quite amusing.

KatoPotato · 10/04/2017 19:29

Just leaving this here...

histinyhandsarefrozen · 10/04/2017 19:34

And people pay good money for that?!?!? ShockGrin

Giddyaunt18 · 10/04/2017 19:39

A cake you smash? Why?

Lovelymess · 10/04/2017 19:40

It's awful!!! Same as the new craze of revealing the babies sex with an over the top balloon exploding and a party Hmm cringey and so American

Giddyaunt18 · 10/04/2017 19:41

Then next week the parents will be phoning Supernanny cos little Johnny keeps flinging food around!

Icapturethecast1e · 10/04/2017 19:41

Saw a photo of a baby in a tutu sitting on her smash cake. Very disrespectful looking photo not something I would be cherishing. I was cringing at the mess & waste of cake. No ones gonna want to eat that now. It pretty easy to make a small sugar free cake that the baby can attempt to eat or 'smash'. Theses days mobile phone cameras are good quality so I don't think you need to hire professionals. Just seems a waste but I think not doing it not my concern.

1AnnoyingOrange · 10/04/2017 19:44

I have not heard of this until now.
If I put the effort in to make a cake, it is made for eating!
My DC (aged 8,7,4) are all a little fanatical about birthday cakes and thankfully this would be so unpopular in our house.
What a waste and mess.

DonaldStott · 10/04/2017 19:44

Oh my god kato. That has just made me cringe so hard.

Horrible. Do adults really do this shit Blush

Icapturethecast1e · 10/04/2017 19:45

Oh katopotato looking at that picture I'm imagining the couple are a piñata & I have a big stick in my hand.Grin

Alwayshungryforcrisps · 10/04/2017 19:47

Wow this thread has managed to unite the grumpiest ladies of mumsnet Grin

Unclench please, the handwringing going on here is off the scale Grin

HoneyBeeMum1 · 10/04/2017 19:48

I have never heard of this before and I am seriously struggling to understand how a child smashing a cake can be considered fun.

My children - I have five - have impeccable table manners, because they were taught from a young age to have respect for themselves and other people.

How can you teach a child that they should behave around food, but at the same time send out a message that covering themselves in cake is fun?

What do you do a week after their birthday when you are in a restaurant or visiting friends and your little darling decides to 'smash' their plateful of roast beef? How do you explain why you are cross instead of grabbing the camera to 'capture' his or her 'cute' face covered in gravy and adorable curly hair adorned with carrots and roast potatoes.

It all sounds horribly nasty and common to me.

A child covered in food isn't remotely 'cute'.

TheFirstMrsDV · 10/04/2017 19:50

I am not that bothered about what other people do. I wouldn't do this and I don't like it but tis not hte end of the world.
But it does seem to be just another example of how 'staged' everything has to be now.
Its related for our need to have everything on camera phone
I expect it came out of genuinely cute pictures of babies getting food everywhere but now everything has to be airbrushed and perfect.

Its the same with weddings, holidays, kids and pets.

Its just not good enough unless it looks like it could be in a glossy magazine.

Its depressing.