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?

That is hilarious. Next time you could text back that you are concerned about the income of pensioners and feel patronizing a corporate entity, owned by mutual funds and other investment instruments, best supports a wide variety of people, which is preferable to supporting a single private owner.

She tried to rejig someone else's birthday party to establish her her child's green credentials with someone who couldn't give a toss?!
No class at all, bless her.

There are no words...

What a loon!

I've just remembered my son actually had his 8th birthday at pizza express - they made their own. I wish I'd taken 10 of them lentil weaving instead. They'd have had much more fun

You have made so many of us happy with this one ! Vintage. Your reply was just right - well done. Hope it's a great day and that you have a ball.

reconditioned artisanal Nokia

Does she have any interest in local restaurant 'xyz' I wonder? Maybe this is her clumsy way of trying to drum up business!

That's both hilarious and ridiculous. Well done OP!

**Today 17:14 toastandbutterandjam

We had two odd requests from parents once!

One said that as their weekends were family time (fair enough), the entire family would need to come to the party (mum, dad and childs 3 siblings) and could they possibly have their tickets and food paid for by us as the invite has 'spoilt their plans' shock

We also had a 'what birthday cake is birthday girl having?' so we said 'We don't know yet, she's asked for one with one of her favourite singers on' and we got 'Oh, my DD hates cakes like that. She finds them tasteless and tacky, a little common in fact. She wont be attending at all if that's what's on offer. My DD has asked if you could get one specially made?' - The child was five. She didn't end up coming, but on her own birthday, brought a one direction cake into school!grin**

I just don't believe this.

"Today 15:55 Ikabod

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

That's really bizarre. Are you sure she understands the word?

I feel for this kid and wouldn't be so quick to jump to her having no belief in this whatsoever. Plenty of kids have a social conscience in different areas. I was a committed (actual) veggie by 7 and never wavered since. I imagine if supporting local businesses is a topic in the home the kid may well have her own strong views on where she wants to support. I do think we should be praising kids who have a social conscience even if we think it's about something we don't agree with or it seems silly coming from such a small child. Or at least not denigrating them and taking the mick.

Anyway, mum handled it terribly nontheless. That was the invite to accept or politely reject. If this was her daughter's decision mum should have used it as a teaching moment to show her how when you live by strongly held morals or beliefs sometimes that's gonna get in the way of doing stuff and we must respect other people's beliefs too. No point growing up thinking that everyone else is gonna have to bend to your own morals. Not how the world works!

As a kid I had to turn down a few invites to parties as there was no veggie food on offer, sometimes I'd take my own or parents would find something if they knew I was veggie beforehand but I never expected anyone to cater for me. (Though these days I think people would be more understanding, I do everything I can to make sure anyone I invite can eat at a gathering I organise including gluten and halal as I don't feel right excluding people based on beliefs or medical conditions).

Mum was proper cheeky asking a second time too.

Unbelievable, was she on the Gin ? 😮
Poor child missing out.
Very well handled @teaandakitkat.

Shocking!!

The most insane thing is, in terms of huge multi-national corporations, Pizza Express is probably the least offensive one. Their food is nice and the restaurants are clean, tidy and not horrible.

So she's essentially using her daughter to spread he own agenda by "coercing" parents into her idea of an acceptable party.

Bet her daughter loves that...

Agree, don't get sucked in to a debate.

It's a party invitation, if she doesn't like what's being offered then she can tell her daughter she can't go. Not your problem.

fFion sorry, my bad!

Our kids probably won't get to go to many parties.

Should have said poor kid not our kids.

Wow, I feel sorry for the kids having to miss out because of her parents

Wow

Omg that is ridiculous. What a strange thing for the parent to text!

Fairly sure my only thing I 'deeply opposed' at 9 was my bed time.

As an employee I've been more exploited by a locally own restaurant than by a branded one.

I can't stop laughing at this. Anyone would think you'd invited this woman's DD to an evening of dog-fighting followed by a meal of whale steaks prepared by child slaves.

I feel for this kid and wouldn't be so quick to jump to her having no belief in this whatsoever.

I had forgotten this until now I've just remembered that I did once turn down an invitation to a circus with animals* at around that age because I disagreed with animals being used in circuses. However, the big difference is that my mum just said 'Oh, sorry, I'm afraid Polly Flint can't make the circus as we've already arranged to do something that night - thanks so much for inviting her though' and didn't a) guilt-trip the kid's mother or b) demand that the plans be changed to accommodate me.

*Apparently that was a reasonable birthday treat in the 80s