To blame the parents who are moaning about their kids crap birthdays in lockdown!

[Fishcakey]

You gave them unreasonable expectations! When I was a kid the four of us round the table with birthday cake was the norm. Maybe we got a takeaway. Nobody had parties at bouncy places for 20 or midnight pool parties with stretch limos. Get a grip parents. Surely unless your kid is a spoilt brat it will be happy to get a present and a cake?!

@fairyliz not even a spam fritter?!

YABU and goady.

DS turned 7 on Easter Sunday. Prime age for being excited about birthdays and remembering several previous years.
Fortunately he wanted a fairly modest party of a core of friends... not that that was viable anyway. At least I was tardy about sorting anything out, then saw the way that the wind was blowing so gave him warning that he probably couldn't have a party near his birthday. He may very well be quarter or half the way to his next birthday before that can happen.

His social life is currently kicking the ball over the fence to his classmate, but that's worn thin and it hurts so he's given up on that for now. So near but yet so far.

I bought presents before the lockdown days before the school closures were announced. With online ordering delays, there's been no chance to think of anything after that point.

No post on his birthday. Nor Bank Holiday Monday. A lot of family have lost track of time (as well as having other priorities) and didn't even register his birthday, especially being buried on Easter Sunday. He has some birthday money, but can't go and spend it for goodness knows how long.

He actually really enjoyed the day. He's an easy to please child. He knew it would be low-key so was really chuffed with a cake and a few ballons with his age on. But had he been disappointed, I really couldn't blame a 7 year old for struggling with missing his friends and having a day much like the 20 days before and an indeterminate number of days to follow.
He actually took it much better than an adult relative who had their birthday days before lockdown.

It is what it is, and he's done bloody well with what he's got.

YABVU!

Firstly to refer to “split brats” (judgemental much?) and secondly to refer to children as “it”. Your post implies you hate children. That’s your business but I think it’s very unreasonable to attempt to assert such views in a parenting forum.

My sons birthday is coming up and he is disappointed it will not meet his expectations. However he is by no means a “brat”. We do a party alternate years (with approx ten friends) and a special day trip out with 3/4 friends other years.

With the exception of Christmas he doesn’t get expensive presents at any other time of year. To think that he might look forward to a party / day trip and disappointed that it’s probably not going to happen obviously makes me a poor parent

Kids are just totally over pampered now.

Yeah all those pampered kids just now who can't access education and childcare, play in parks, see their friends and wider families.
Spoilt brats.

People are allowed a little moan.

Get the little buggers up the chimneys I say.

Lots of chimneys need sweeping what with all the fancy log burners now.

So far 2 of my kids have had lockdown birthdays. They were 18th and 21st so yeah I am gutted for them. Ok I know there are worse things going on but the 18 year old in particular is really struggling. No exams after working their socks off for 2 years, uni start very up in the air, and not seeing anyone for their big birthday. So yeah you can blame me if you want but I think being upset is totally justified.

To be honest, and it was DS birthday yesterday, a bit of a milestone one, I think it was one of the best ever. No ridiculously expensive party. A few presents from us and close family.
He had the day with just DH and me, and we had a really lovely day - all led by DS.
It made me realise that all the money we spent on previous birthdays was unnecessary.
So you ANBU

I see your point. When I was a kid (I'm 41) parties weren't a huge thing, I never had one mainly because my birthday is Xmas eve but none of my friends used to have parties either. I think I want to one party and that was just at someone's house for a bit of cake. My son is 13 this year and has always hated parties so stopped having them but we still wanted to take him away which we obviously can't do now and that has saddened me a bit. Can't help the way I feel.

YANBU is what that should have said!!

I think just toss all the kids into the street and leave them to fend for themselves, hunger-games style. We'll call it the corona-games. They've been mollycoddled for far too long.

I think your DS would rather have seen their mates tbh.

My 12th birthday was shortly after I'd moved country and didn't know anyone, so didn't have a party. I was prepared for this for months. My parents did their best to make it special. I'd never had a party that was more than a few friends coming for tea - and I still cried at being lonely on my birthday.

If I was a smaller child, and this happened with very little warning and not even a trip to the playpark or similar, I would have been devastated.

Yes! chuck them out. Namby pamby parents wanting their kids to have a good time on their birthdays,

It's broken Britain.

@LockdownLondon
Yes please 🙂

OP you are spot on. My 15 year with asd had his birthday on 23rd March. He expected the trip to the cinema and McD’s he had last year, he loved it so much. But we managed his expectations and he did accept it. Even though he is mentally a 6 year old, he understood and accepted his fate.

We have birthdays every year, surprise surprise. Sometimes shit happens. Get over it.

@LockdownLondon
Waiting.....😊

@Anonuser1 aaahhh yes it's been a while since i've heard the hallowed "BB" , broken Britain,as I live and breathe!! It's time for our milksoppy spawn to prove their worth in the arena of life. Chop,chop, children!! Battle awaits

Id love to have a little Tea party for ds2, with me and dh and dd and ds1

Unfortunately ds1 won’t be here...so it wont be the same

I really don’t understand why some posters cant see that for some families even a little birthday With family wont be possible

I think I had one party when I was a kid. Looking back, I think that the mums on our street (back in the days when we all went to the same school so...) must have got together and divvied out the birthdays so there was one party per year! I only remember there being one party per kid, I think I was about 7 when I had mine.

I have never done "whole class" parties. I did a day out and they where allowed (are, DC6 is 8, eldest sib is 29!) to take one or maybe two friends.

The parties are not about the kids but the parents. Its all "I love my kids the most" one-upmanship.

It's disturbing how vicious some people are about children.

And will i complain about it...no

Will ds2 ...no

But i can understand why some will

I've just spluttered tea all over my phone in MN fashion indignation - a tea party?! A tea party?! We're recruitng the littluns for the corona games not hosting a tea party

Spoilt horrible little brats. Missing out on part of their education and time with their peers. No mixing at reception age through to no exams for y11 and y13. They should be happy with fish fingers and chips for their birthdays. I mean come on OP it is shit. My DC have never had lavish parties but they would have a friend or 2 round for pizza and a film sleepover.

Get them making chariots and into that arena for the Corona games.

Trips to the cinema and eating CAKE with their mates? They don't know they are born.