Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - World Cup final and 6yo Birthday party

303 replies

Viktorella · 10/07/2018 10:23

A boy in DD1's class is having a whole class party this Sunday (3pm-5pm)

Given that there's now some chance of England making it to the final, I assumed that the parents would be factoring that in to their planning at this stage (I know I would be if it was my daughter's party)...maybe moving the time of the party or having a big screen to show football at party.

I casually asked the boy's mum about it yesterday and it clearly hadn't entered her mind. She huffily responded "Well I can hardly cancel the party!"

AIBU to think that, if she doesn't consider it, she might end up with a lot of kids not attending? I wouldn't want my daughter to go (although would probably still take her out of guilt) and I'm far from being a football fan!

OP posts:
CluedoAddict · 10/07/2018 10:26

It wouldn't bother me at all. Not everyone will be watching. I will be avoiding it like the plague.

M3lon · 10/07/2018 10:26

don#t worry there isn't really MUCH chance of England playing in the final...

ReanimatedSGB · 10/07/2018 10:26

Oh shit, that poor mother and poor kid. Either the kid's party is ruined for the kid by having a men';s football match in the middle of it (if the kid was interested, then the mother would have been aware of it and planned accordingly) or the kid's party is ruined by too many selfish parents not taking their kids along because the parents would rather watch television.

ScreamingValenta · 10/07/2018 10:26

I expect she's one of the many people who aren't following the tournament and won't be watching the final.

Myotherusernameisbest · 10/07/2018 10:27

Do you have to stay at the party? If the kids are 6 so surely you can drop and go? Then you can clear off and watch the footie.

SoddingUnicorns · 10/07/2018 10:28

The final doesn’t start until after 4 I think?

I do think there’s a good chance England will be in the final (I think it’ll be Belgium/England) but to mess up a kid’s party for football seems a bit unfair, even if the planning wasn’t great.

SamHeughansLeftEyebrow · 10/07/2018 10:30

Maybe they could delay the start of the football to fit round the party?

No?

Makes as much sense to me as expecting the rest of the world to rearrange itself around a football match.

SoddingUnicorns · 10/07/2018 10:34

I’ve just read that even the men’s Wimbledon final won’t be moved even if England make the final.

Kind of puts things in perspective doesn’t it Grin

Pascha · 10/07/2018 10:34

If I were the mum I'd probably be a bit grumpy too. Being asked to change the time of a long-planned child's birthday celebration for a sporting fixture at this late date is impractical and will cause confusion.

You can choose to go, not go or drop and run at age 6. Don't spoil it for the children by getting arsey about it.

endoftether82 · 10/07/2018 10:35

Isn't kick off at 8pm?

StepBackNow · 10/07/2018 10:35

The world does not revolve around football. Or tennis.

Why on earth would people change arrangements for a game?

SoddingUnicorns · 10/07/2018 10:36

@endoftether82 4pm according to google.

Thingsthatgo · 10/07/2018 10:37

I wouldn’t want to go. To be honest I will be watching the final regardless of whether England get through, my Ds and dd will too I imagine.
If it were me I would try to sort a screen and make it part of the party.

SoddingUnicorns · 10/07/2018 10:39

DDs best friend’s birthday party ended up being bang in the middle of an Old Firm game.

We all just watched it on our phones during the party! Mum is Celtic Dad is Rangers and we all just sat together and watched it. No issues or atmosphere.

Pascha · 10/07/2018 10:40

Assuming it's a village hall they probably won't have a licence for live television. It might be legally tricky to setup a screening without jumping through many hoops with the hall committee.

PorkFlute · 10/07/2018 10:41

If it was a house party I’d probably say that I was happy to keep the kids until after the match if people wanted to watch so parents could nip to the pub or watch at home and I’d put it on for anyone who wanted to watch at the party and with the party being a bit longer it wouldn’t take over the whole thing.
That’s mainly because I would want to watch it and I’d be afraid people might not come though.
If the parties in a venue and they have no other slots I’m not sure what the mum can do though?

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 10/07/2018 10:42

I think you're being very rude! Just how practical is it, at this late notice, to change the time of an entire party? Based on the fact that a very few people might miss a game that we might be taking part in?

ladymelbourne1926 · 10/07/2018 10:42

Tbh I wouldn't have arrange it for then in the first place. My ds1 is a huge sports fan and will want to watch the Wimbledon final and WOrld cup final regardless of whether England are in it or not. He wouldn't have accepted the invitation.
Very bad manners though if people have accepted and pull out now.

flowery · 10/07/2018 10:43

" I wouldn't want my daughter to go"

You wouldn't want her to go to the party? Do you mean she wouldn't want to go to the party because she would want to watch the football?

If it's that you want to watch the football, what's the problem? Drop her at 3, go home, watch the first half which will finish around 4.45. Pop and pick her up during half time and be back for most of the second half. Done.

beyondthesky · 10/07/2018 10:43

If you're not even interested in the football why would you not want your own daughter to go to the party? I don't understand.

afrikat · 10/07/2018 10:43

It's only on MN where apparently no one gives a crap about the World Cup and everyone finds it ridiculous that events would be cancelled or postponed for it. In RL pretty much everyone I know (male and female) is super excited and wouldn't dream of missing the final if we got there. If we had a party planned it would be rescheduled both for our sakes and the fact that hardly anyone would come. Loads of fetes round here either got big screens or cancelled last Saturday because of the game. YANBU and I would be sending my apologies if we got to the final.

SoddingUnicorns · 10/07/2018 10:44

I’m now worrying about a little kid having the shittest party ever because of football.

That’s really sad, poor wee soul.

chillpizza · 10/07/2018 10:45

If England get though that poor child’s party will be pretty dead or early finish.

I think for her own child’s sake if England get though she should try and move it if she can. Not for the football fans but for her child.

lifechangesforever · 10/07/2018 10:46

It's my 30th birthday on Sunday. Fortunately, I have nothing planned because it's also my due date 3 days later - could make for an interesting day if DD gets her wriggle on.

Back to the original point though, I do think I would move the time if it was my child - there'll be plenty children in the class that want to watch too, not just parents.

afrikat · 10/07/2018 10:48

The fact that the party would end up really sad is the fault of the parent. If they refuse to reschedule because they don't think football is more important they are cutting off their nose to spite their face. For better or worse a lot of people get incredibly excited about massive sporting events and enjoy watching it with family and friends