I have a friend with whom I’ve been friends with since primary school. We’re 35 now so talking almost 30 years.
Anyway, I have two kids aged 6 and 3 and she has an almost 4 year old.
She’s always been someone to cancel plans. Most of our friendship group just roll their eyes and say nothing.
She’s been clear since having her dc that they won’t be having birthday parties for dc and they’ll only be doing classes like learning musical instruments. No dance classes or any kind of normal kid’s classes. We’ve all been a bit 
but not our monkey not our circus.
Anyway, last Sunday I had a birthday party for my younger dc and had invited some of the nursery class and a few of my friends’ DCs. She said she’d be there with her DC but about an hour before the party texted to say DC had awful D&V and would be spending the afternoon in bed as it was still ongoing.
On the way home from the party I decided to drop a party bag in for her DC to cheer them up.
Surprise surprise no one was in. I’d had my suspicions that she would do this but was quite surprised nonetheless.
I texted her to say that I’d left a party bag over the handle of her door and I was glad that DC’s vomiting bug had gone and she was well enough to make it out.
She texted back quickly to say that “I’m sorry I made up the vomiting bug. I don’t like children’s parties and don’t want to attend with DC.”
I don’t like children’s parties (I don’t know anyone who does!!) but why have kids and not let them do the things that kids love?
I just feel fucked off that she’d lie and also let her dc miss out frequently on just being a kid (there are other things that have happened where the child hasn’t been allowed to go to events..)