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?

It's an invite not a summons! How rude to try and dial Tate terms when some has had the grace to invite you.

Hilarious. Poor child though

Wow. Brilliant . What a Grade A loon.

Obviously her mum making opinions for her daughter and now her daughter is not allowed to go to her friends party because mummy has cut of her nose to spite her face. Poor kid

is there any chance that her parents own a local eatery..?

So the mother has vetoed the child going precisely because she doesn't want to take her home after the activity and to have to explain why she can't go for pizza with the others. What a rotten thing to do to the child.

Poor kid, bet her mum made that decision and not her

Am I the only one that read the text in the same voice as if Andy from Little Britain was replying to Lou about his offer to take him to Pizza Express? It sounds like a reply from him! 😂

That is shocking 😵 Poor kid. That mum is out of order!

Poor kid. Mum doesn't like chain restaurants, kid misses out on a party.

This women has just evolved in my mind from 'a bit odd' at the point of the initial text, 'total loon' at the second text, and 'controlling cow' by the third text.

This is a joke surely?

Poor kid. 😔

Just text back 'now that made me laugh out loud'

Her mother's awful. She's so manipulative, though, I'd probably not respond to her decline of the invitation. It just invites her to try to further manipulate you.

deeply opposes large corporate chains
I bet the parent opened that on their iPhone...

Wow that's amazing what a bonkers way to behave! I do wonder where all these pearl clutching evangelising parents are..? At my kids school birthday parties are often at big chain eateries where kids scoff cake and rubbish with abandon. The birthday child will often also bring in and hand out multi packs of mini haribo sweets to celebrate. Kids receive gratefully, nobody's parents mind, peace and love all round

"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.

If the child actually held such views, I'd have a grim admiration for her, stuffed wee shirt though she may be. Nowt wrong with the young being environmentally/politically aware.

In this case though, it's clearly just her crazy mama on the vino. 🍷

Would you consider eating in xyz instead so that she doesn't feel excluded?"

In the infinitesimal chance that little bratty does harbour a genuine moral repugnance towards corporate chains, she's going to have to get used to being left out of things. No time like the present to start getting used to it.

If there's now a spare space OP, can I come? I bloody love pizza

No 9 year old gets that sort of passion about a topic like corporate brands unless it's from their parents...

What's the activity? Assume it's lentil weaving in a local mill for her to agree to the activity

My jaw just hit the floor. Wow.

(Well handled by you though OP!)

But what did she actually SAY?!! overinvested

Hilarious

You've handled it perfectly OP.

How very rude of the mum, in a couple of years it'd be very embarrassing for her DD and could even cost her friends and invites out. Poor kid.

So where does this deeply anti-capitalist 9 year-old have her birthday parties then?