What do I say to this?

[teaandakitkat]

Ds wants to do an activity with 3 friends for his birthday then go to Pizza Express.

I texted round all the parents and got this reply from one of them.

"Dd would love to do the birthday activity but does not want to eat in Pizza Express. She deeply opposes large corporate chains and prefers to support locally owned eateries. Would you consider eating in xyz instead so that she doesn't feel excluded?"

This kid is 9.

Wtf? Sometimes something is so bizarre you're not quite sure how to respond.

I want to say "Sorry, birthday boy has asked to go to Pizza Express so that's what we are going to do. You can collect your dd before we go in if she won't join us".

AIBU? I'm not, am I?

Surely you either go to the party that's on offer or you don't? The host doesn't arrange the party to suit individual guests?

Tell her you prefer PE as they do vegan Pizza and as you assume she is vegan, being as righteous as she is, you assume the daughter is vegan. 😁

Oh I love this! I think you should put it on social media - tweet it!

Say you've changed plans - a movie at the Odeon followed by McDonald's, has to be an early night as you're off to Disneyland in the morning

I love this! What an absolute cf!!

Good reply OP the woman's a loon

Hilarious that her second message blows the gaff by demonstrating that the concerns are hers, not her 9 year old's.

I foresee a tantrumming 9yo girl outside a Pizza Express while her mummy tries to explain away her tantrum as being directed at the capitalist society that perpetrates corporate chains and not because her daughter is being taken away from a party!

Poor kid! Methinks the mum owns the other pizza joint or knows someone who does. She's quite entitled and rude either way.

perpetuates. Bloody autocorrect.

Her poor child. She sounds very controlling

Good god. Well handled OP.

How absolutely appallingly rude of the mother though. Seriously, wtf is that all about? If you/your daughter LOL really hold these beliefs, you only need say 'thanks for the invite, very kind of you. The activity sounds marvellous but I'm sorry, she won't eat at PE, I'll just pick her up at X time is that ok or would your prefer her not to come now? '.

cheeky fucker

Jeez. Not a friendship I'd be encouraging. Life is too short for friends with batshit crazy parents.

"Dd would love to do the birthday activity but does not want to eat in Pizza Express. She deeply opposes large corporate chains and prefers to support locally owned eateries. Would you consider eating in xyz instead so that she doesn't feel excluded?" the kid is nine

I won't lie, I actually snorted with laughter at that, the only deep feeling a nine year old has is they love pizza express with their mates.

She wants you to reconsider because she knows her nine year olds reaction when told she can't go because of this and it's not going to be pretty,

Stick to your guns, she can deal with the fall out with her family from her own decisions. Not expect you to change your kids birthday plans so she doesn't have to.

some people, send the text

what deeply stupid twats her parents are!!!

never a dull day here!!!!

I think you've handled things very well!

Oh and the nine year old is going to have a face like a smacked arse when mummy dearest comes to get her.

I would text back that DS feels strongly that the people who work at Pizza Express should get to keep their jobs and the only way that will happen is ifyou continue to frequent it.

My 9 year old niece is a committed vegetarian. But she still eats chicken, pork, beef, lamb, fish...

She's not coming at all. Her mum has just texted.
Oh well, probably just as well.

Hope u mention u are paying with Tesco vouchers!

OP we need to know exactly what she said

What the dim witted rude mare doesn't realise is that many chain restaurant branches are franchises so the local PE may be run by a local person, employing local people. Which has made me think of Royston Vaisey.

Ikabod my type of vegetarian