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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

WWYD - dd birthday party

25 replies

itsmellslikepopcarn · 16/12/2021 15:31

It’s DD birthday party this weekend, I’ve bought and planned for a few of her school friends to come over the day before.

Today she’s been sent home with a slight temperature (38.1), she’s had snuffles for a week and she sounds like she has a sore throat. We’ve both done LFT and both came back negative. I’ll be giving her another test tomorrow and keeping her off school, but I feel like I should be cancelling the party. She’ll be really upset after not having one last year due to lockdown. What would you do?

OP posts:

thisplaceisweird · 16/12/2021 15:32

Lfts are not accurate enough to use to make this kind of call. With the way it's spreading at the moment you should err on the safe side and cancel.

My husband had it 2 weeks ago confirmed by PCRs although 8/10 lateral flow tests said negative

Original poster

itsmellslikepopcarn · 16/12/2021 15:48

That’s what I thought, I’ve ordered her a pcr test but I won’t be able to get the results in time. So frustrating because she seems absolutely fine but I’d hate to possibly make someone else ill.

OP posts:

thisplaceisweird · 16/12/2021 15:50

This close to Christmas it feels unfair. Imagine one of her friends getting it and ruining their family Christmas or having to leave granny on their own. Really tough call but feels like the right thing to do. I've had to make a really difficult decision this week along those lines and it's so sad but just sensible unfortunately

lunar1 · 16/12/2021 15:55

Nobody is going to thank you if it is covid, LFT's never picked up my children's infections. People also aren't going to want random cold viruses than mean they have to isolate and test this close to Christmas.

pilates · 16/12/2021 15:57

Unfortunately, I think you need to cancel.

PaniniHead · 16/12/2021 15:57

LFTs mean nothing if she has symptoms.

Bookworm20 · 16/12/2021 15:58

I think under the circumstances you should cancel it. How old is she? She will be upset obviously poor thing, but could you perhaps just say to her it can be rearranged instead for the new year and have it then?

I think you'd feel really bad if she tested positive the day after her party and then her friends xmas plans were all ruined too, its just not worth the risk. Could you instead do something together at home in place of the party? A fun games day or watch a film with loads of treats, or bake some xmas cookies and cakes or something?

lockdownalli · 16/12/2021 15:59

If you can't get a PCR result in time you will have to cancel.

Teacupsandtoast · 16/12/2021 16:00

She has symptoms, she needs a pcr tonight. And cancel the party

Original poster

itsmellslikepopcarn · 16/12/2021 16:03

Thanks everyone. She’s only 5, turning 6. Just found out another girl in her class has tested positive too. I’ve ordered a pcr and will be letting everyone knows it’s cancelled. Gonna throw her a half birthday party next year, might be a bit better than trying to organise one right before Christmas.

OP posts:

Singerleon · 16/12/2021 16:03

Before I opened this I thought it would just be ‘cases are rising, should I cancel?’ But because your DD has a temp and sniffles I’d definitely cancel unfortunately. Even if the PCR comes back negative, people don’t really want a cold or flu just before Christmas. Hope she feels better soon and you can still do something nice for her at home

Original poster

itsmellslikepopcarn · 16/12/2021 16:45

I’ve cancelled. She’s gutted, the poor mite. Anyone any ideas on what to do over the weekend to keep her birthday special? I’m planning on still decorating as if she was having her party.

OP posts:

LeftieLucy · 16/12/2021 16:49

Ah bless her. Hope she’s ok

Seeing as it’s the school holidays, what about letting her use a wash in hair dye or hair chalks? It’ll be gone by January and might make her feel a bit special.

Make paper snowflakes and sprinkle with glitter to decorate her room.

Bake her own birthday cake.

Talipesmum · 16/12/2021 16:58

Can you just postpone it till January? Or ASAP, when we know how things stand? I wouldn’t plan to wait 6 months till her half birthday. Loads of kids birthday parties are a month or so out from the actual day.

I’d do full on party food this weekend and play party games with just the people in your house. Pass the parcel and musical silly faces. Assuming she’s not poorly ill.

Original poster

itsmellslikepopcarn · 16/12/2021 16:59

@LeftieLucy

Ah bless her. Hope she’s ok

Seeing as it’s the school holidays, what about letting her use a wash in hair dye or hair chalks? It’ll be gone by January and might make her feel a bit special.

Make paper snowflakes and sprinkle with glitter to decorate her room.

Bake her own birthday cake.

Ah that’s a great idea, thanks. She loves her hair chalks so I’ll look for some wash out dye. Definitely gonna bake her own cake too and im sure it’ll be inedible from the amount of sprinkles she puts on 😂

OP posts:

ChimChimeny · 16/12/2021 17:03

Make whatever she wants for tea on the day? When DD does this we end up with a buffet of party food
Could she have a zoom call with the original invitees? DD's birthday was in lock down in 2020 so we did a little 'party' and they sang happy birthday/blew our the candles and she cut the cake

CupCalamity · 16/12/2021 17:08

Is there no chance you can take her to a drive through PCR test appointment first thing in the morning? DH did one last week at 9am and we had the result within 18 hours. You could have the result by Saturday morning and reinstate the party.

blameitonthecaffeine · 16/12/2021 17:08

I would postpone rather than cancel.

SummerHouse · 16/12/2021 17:15

I would do a treasure hunt to her presents. One clue leads to the next type thing.

Bath in the evening filled with bubbles and glow sticks followed by hot chocolate and film.

Bloody sucks. DS missed his party in march 2020 (cancelled last minute). Lockdown for 2021 so didn't organise one. Now I wonder what 2022 will bring.

MadeForThis · 16/12/2021 17:31

Could you just delay the party by a few weeks?

SleighbellsZ · 16/12/2021 17:36

It's so shit isn't it.
I would postpone until the new year for her.
Hair chalks sound fab!
Test site results are a lot quicker than post. We waited a week for postal results.
I would still go all out with the decorations, have her favourite music playing.
Birthday tea of her choice, bath bomb.
Film and fave sweets.

ittakes2 · 16/12/2021 17:37

why don't you take her for a pcr test in the morning or even now if you have one open locally to you. We usually get results back the next morning.

SexyNeckbeard · 16/12/2021 17:43

I would definitely leave it cancelled - I had symptoms, negative lft. Felt worse the next morning, positive lft then negative one straight after. Took about 35 hours to get my pcr test results back - positive.

Just do some of her favourite things and rearrange for after christmas, I wouldn't wait 6 months poor thing

AtleastitsnotMonday · 16/12/2021 17:52

If you want a surprise for morning of her birthday, cover the door way to your lounge in birthday wrapping paper (leave the door open and cover space between frame so she has to break through the paper to get in the room. Fill room with balloons and have her presents in there. Maybe a birthday, breakfast, carpet picnic set up in there.

Angel2702 · 16/12/2021 18:18

Even if it isn’t COVID you need to cancel, if she passes it on to one of her friends they would need a PCsr test due to symptoms and could miss their Christmas plans waiting for test results. I wouldn’t risk passing anything on at the moment if I could help it.

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