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?

Her poor daughter!!! Imagine having a mum like that!!!!

Sounds like it's for the best that she isn't going full stop. Can you imagine the Daily Fail sad face when she is picked up and you all go off to PE

People be crazy

Blamedagain YES

You handled it perfectly OP, what a cheeky twat. I am almost embarrassed for her!

What the.....

What is the birthday activity?

"Do tell little Allegra that if she wishes to eat at locally-sourced artisan eateries, her parents will have to pay for it. Also please know that we will not be joining her, for we are not pompous twits who foist our own opinions on our young children!"

I'm telling you now, the kid does not care about Pizza Express, it's the parents.

Most PE's are Franchises.
A friend ran one in Leeds some years ago.
It provided lots of employment locally.

That parent is a holy fool.

I notice that she let slip that it is her belief not her DD's. Of course we knew that anyway! CF!

Most PE's are Franchises

I thought that might be the case pinking in which case it is offering local people the chance to run their own business, employing local people.

She might like to know that a condition of one opening on my local high street was that they paid to turn the empty space upstairs into a museum of the town. Local enough?

The minute this kid arrives at university, she'll be straight into the nearest McDonalds.

Poor kid. Missing out because of her Mums crazy opinions.

You handled it well OP. Fancy asking someone to change their party plans to suit you! Batshit and entitlement at its best

The mum is a complete and utter idiot who apparently thinks she's deep but is actually deep like a puddle. Those big corporate chains are often owned by local people and employ local people. Without them, they wouldn't have jobs or businesses because a lot of people don't have the financial means to start their own companies. And when they do, the goal is often to sell out to a bigger guy and make a profit.

I feel sorry for her DD.

OP, please get an I ❤ PIZZA EXPRESS t-shirt and wear it to the playground every time this lunatic is there.

Poor kid missing out because her mum is batshit

Well done OP. I am so relieved to be out of the whole school yard nonsense. It really brings out the worst in some parents. I suppose there are nice ones too. Well handled.

Hmmm right because if a business is locally owned, it couldn't possibly be exploiting anyone. What bollocks.

Wow, good response though. What a nutter!

Oh well, at least when this is in this week's Daily Mail the child will realise she was invited and the reason she has been excluded from enjoying pizza with her friends is because of her mother's views on big corporations.

There are no pizzaexpress franchises in the U.K. They have all been owned by PE for at least 15 years.

I would be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with Allegra while she protests outside PE. Mind you, my poster would read " What do we want? Giadiniera pizza*! When do we want it? Now! Bring back Giadiniera, with the lovely little peas and fresh tomato. Lose the new menu."

• other spellings possible.

I wish her luck with her opinions once her DD is a teenager and is allowed free range into town with her mates. Wonder where she'll be spending her allowance then?

My DS (who is not 9) rejects corporate chains on a regular basis in favour of local coffee shops and restaurants but if someone invited him to an event at a corporate and they were footing the bill, he'd be there like a shot. As a teenager he regularly berated McD's but didn't stop him going there if that was where the gang was going. If he was by himself he made different choices.

This woman is batshit crazy.

Oh well, at least when this is in this week's Daily Mail the child will realise she was invited and the reason she has been excluded from enjoying pizza with her friends is because of her mother's views on big corporations.

Um, I doubt this family would buy the DM, let alone allow the 9 year old to read it...

Actual real life LOL!
YANBU - tell her to GTF

(That is all the acronyms I can think of )