No one seems that happy

[Turnthenoisedownplease]

Went to a Children's party today-one of my dcs friends, I’m friends with the parents,it was a nice event outdoors, kids playing, nice food, drink for adults…just no one seemed, happy, really.
Is this a general thing at the moment or just a thing with having young kids? I get we’re all exhausted. Just looking at peoples faces, they don’t seem genuinely happy.

There’s a lot of stress at the moment and a lot of people are struggling. Not particularly surprising if parents of young children are having a hard time.

Are you confusing real life with Big Instagram Smiles? Were you beaming from ear to ear yourself?

It’s a kids’ party, they’re never particularly relaxed with young children. The ones I remember from reception and year one always seemed to feature falls, wails, weak squash and Haribo, tumbles off bouncy castles and trips to A and E. The parents mostly looked like war-weary soldiers.

Naah im pretty happy, maybe the party wasnt the best…?

The party is for the kids, not the adults! Yes, for me socialising with parents of young children was always hard going. It's better now they're at school.

The heat!!

Nobody is sleeping well and we are all sticky and uncomfortable

It's a children's party.

People might not know each other that well (outside of the children) to be having belly laughs and banter like you would with friends or family down the pub.

Some people just aren't big personalities anyway, so they'll do some chit chat but that's it.

@Tendu This is the thing though, some have posted pics and how good it was..it really doesn’t mirror up with what I saw at all! They didn’t look like they wanted to be there or enjoyed it

I would have broadly thought people don't want to be at children's parties. They are tolerated for the sake of your child.

Well social media won’t match real life.
I’m happy in some respects. Got divorced a few months ago, DD is so much happier seeing her Dad less. I’m happier in myself, met a lovely fella. But I worry about money constantly. I have health problems and side effects from new meds. So if you looked at me while I thought no-one was looking I’d probably look a bit grouchy! But I’m happy enough and confident things will improve in the next few months.

I understand a kids party isn’t the best place, I just remember people looking happier, perhaps it was an off day, just an observation today really.

I can't really say I've encountered this, personally - I think most people seem pretty happy, and most of them have toddlers/young children.

But, it's hot, children's parties are hard work and the heat is quite sapping, there is a cost of living crisis and lots of people are worried about that, the Russia situation and the potential unrest it could bring in Europe is understandably causing some anxiety...

Maybe everyone at the party suffers from resting bitch face like me? I always look like I'm quietly plotting how best to overthrow the government and start a revolution in my head even when I'm in quite a chipper mood.

I was thinking resting bitch face too. People can be having a good time without grinning the whole time!

Any get together/ parties I've been too lately everyone has been chirpy and happy.

They’d probably watched that BBC Question Time from Clacton-on-Sea and were trying to cope with the fact that their lives were shitter because of people like that. That’s a joke - heat, fatigue, worries about the cost of living, mortgages and interest rates, the fact that we have a morally and literally corrupt government, etc. etc. And also the fact that their lives were shitter thanks to people like the ones on BBC Question Time on Thursday.