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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you cater for kids at a kids party?

152 replies

FairfaxAikman · 26/08/2019 08:35

Was at a party for one of DS's nursery friends.
Parents are well off so I don't think it was a money issue.
Party in a leisure centre hall with a bouncy castle and proper paid entertainment for the kids - but no food! (Unless you count a single packet of crisps).
DS had only had a very light lunch as he'd fallen asleep for an hour before we went and I was expecting him to fill up on party food anyway.
All the kids were bombing about and clearly a lot of other parents had thought there would be food as their kids were obviously hungry.
No place near that we could have snuck out for a supermarket sandwich for them.
AIBU to think you feed the kids at a birthday party?

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 26/08/2019 10:13

I once went to an evening wedding reception that only provided crisps - that was a bit of a desperate evening !

So yes, I would expect party food at a kids party.

Salene · 26/08/2019 10:16

Never been to a kids party with no party food and also would not give my kids much to eat before hand either as assume they will be stuffing faces with party food. Tight sods

Ellisandra · 26/08/2019 10:17

I think posters calling the parents mean are most likely wrong. They probably thought it was a good idea to schedule it between meals given the waste, or that time was the only one available. They made a mistake - they should have put on the invitation “due to the timing, we’re planning a little snack not a party tea”. Tbh, if your child is still nursery age, I’d always recommend having your own snacks as you never know when hunger will strike or they won’t want what’s on offer. I think the party tea just gets in the way at that age, though I do agree you’d expect it. Don’t think it’s a massive deal though!

Salene · 26/08/2019 10:18

Also I've never seen wasted food at my kids parties or any I've been to as the adults always eat what the kids have left. Very strange I'd say

MoaningMinnie1 · 26/08/2019 10:19

There definitely should have been food at the party, I've never come across an absence of it at a child's party before. However, it's possible the parents are 'novices' and thought a couple of hours without food was OK. I doubt they'll make the same mistake again.

I hope the kids enjoyed themselves despite being hungry.

CalmdownJanet · 26/08/2019 10:21

JacquesHammer I was quoting someone else, I'm totally calm, just not buying peoples bullshit excuses for being rude and tight Wink And I plan parties around the availability of dd's chosen activity too - but I also host a decent party and provide food irrespective of the time

Phineyj · 26/08/2019 10:22

What's the waste? You just eat or take home spare stuff surely? I over catered for a toddler party once and DH and I didn't have to make packed lunches for a week. It was great!

JacquesHammer · 26/08/2019 10:23

just not buying peoples bullshit excuses for being rude and tight

You must find it very hard to get through life if you think no food at a kid’s party is rude Grin

SeaToSki · 26/08/2019 10:23

In the US around us party food is only served if the party is at noon ish or 5 ish (usually a pizza) But there is always a moment towards the end where all the dc sit down and sing happy birthday and birthday child blows out the candles and everyone has a slice of cake and a sugary drink

JacquesHammer · 26/08/2019 10:25

In the US around us party food is only served if the party is at noon ish or 5 ish (usually a pizza) But there is always a moment towards the end where all the dc sit down and sing happy birthday and birthday child blows out the candles and everyone has a slice of cake and a sugary drink

This is exactly what we did. Far more sensible for non-meal time parties.

IME children don’t want to sit down and miss out on whatever is going on anyway.

Coldilox · 26/08/2019 10:34

Last weekend it was DS’ 5th birthday party, timing was 2:30-4:30pm so not a meal time. Would never have occurred to me not to do food.

CalmdownJanet · 26/08/2019 10:34

Why on earth would that mean I found it hard to get through life, what a ridiculous comment 😂 Nope I float through life just fine. Happily attending parties with people who aren't rude and tight, it's lovely actually Wink

Coldilox · 26/08/2019 10:34

Oh and the kids all wanted the food, sat down for it, and the vast majority was eaten

JacquesHammer · 26/08/2019 10:37

Why on earth would that mean I found it hard to get through life, what a ridiculous comment

If you find the most basic of things “rude”. How exhausting.

Life is so much easier if you don’t see other people’s decisions as rudeness or some sort of perceived slight.

If we went to a party with no food, we’d ate afterwards. It’s not an earth-shattering problem that can’t be solved Grin

stayathomer · 26/08/2019 10:41

I don't really get why 2 o clock means no food?!

crustycrab · 26/08/2019 10:42

There should always be food at a party. Always

daphine2004 · 26/08/2019 10:44

Slightly off topic, but I also think something should be provided for adults too! We get invited to loads of parties where they only cater for kids, but they are the age where you don’t leave them unsupervised (DS is 4) and the party spans the whole of lunchtime. I’m always starving and don’t particularly want to eat party food which has been man handled by kids. Lol, I did a little gathering for my DS when he was two and made sure there were refreshments and snacks for the adults.

Going back to the thread, I think you should always cater for a kids party.

CalmdownJanet · 26/08/2019 10:45

Not as exhausting as not picky posters Wink

Have a lovely day!

Catsandchardonnay · 26/08/2019 10:48

Always food no matter what time.

Azeema · 26/08/2019 10:50

No wonder kids here so fat. Party started after lunch at 1pm. Cake is plenty of food.
I think you are ALL BU to expect tons junk food after lunch.

LEELULUMPKIN · 26/08/2019 10:53

A party is not a party without food and drink.

AnAC12UCOinanOCG · 26/08/2019 10:56

Very tight not to have food and I agree the waste nonsense is just an excuse to get out of paying for food.

daphine2004 · 26/08/2019 10:57

@Azeema nobody mentioned tons of junk food, just food! Kids are so active at parties and burn so many calories that they need to eat something. It’s usually two hours wall to wall of soft play, trampolines, bouncy castles and/or party games.

Lunch is also somewhere between 12-2, so it’s not unreasonable to expect your guests will need feeding.

Aprillygirl · 26/08/2019 11:09

No wonder kids here so fat. Party started after lunch at 1pm. Cake is plenty of food.

Haha I was wondering when one of you types was gonna come along. Who are you to assume when lunch time is? When mine were small they had lunch 12.30ish. If they were invited to a party that started at 1pm I would be leaving my house at that time and assume their would be a buffet there for them to tuck into as and when. It's tight and inhospitable to not provide food at a kids party.

gingersausage · 26/08/2019 11:12

It isn’t “rude” for god’s sake. Some people on here have a really weird idea of what constitutes rudeness. It’s just slightly bizarre.

Surely the whole point of kids’ parties is to eat biscuits and cheesy puffs and drink cheap fizzy pop in between racing around screeching for a few hours.

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