Kids party no food

[Thebabewiththepowerof]

Quick one

Aibu to think the recent move towards not providing party food at kids parties is a bit odd?

Just picked up DS from yet another party where no food was provided (and no it’s not a cost thing, not in this case anyway) just a doughnut 🍩.

The kids don’t care I’m sure but I wasn’t planning on doing a “dinner” tonight so had to come home and produce something from nothing because he was hungry. If you aren’t providing food then at least tell us in advance so we know!

Anyway, am I?

ps for context he is 8, appreciate if he were 16 this would all be a bit weird 🤪

You might not care but I'm sure the Birthday Guests do . It;s all part'n'parcel of a Birthday Party .

Extreme Cheapskates.

We've never been to a kids party without food and we have 4 kids.

You've seriously never attended a kids party where food was served? I find that really hard to believe, are you in the UK?

Tell me you're Vicky Pollard without telling me you're Vicky Pollard... 🙄

And elbow drop the birthday kid as I left.

Tell me you don't understand jokes without telling me you don't understand jokes

DS had a soft play party last year. It was 2.30-4pm. Too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Also, the kids just wanted to run around for the whole time.

We could not have afforded the party if we’d had to cater for 40 kids.

That's really odd, I've been to dozens of parties with DD in the last 5 yrs and there are 2 types of food in my experience.

1. nuggets/pizza and chips - this is usually the soft play/bowling/laser tags parties
2. beige buffet - sandwiches, crisps, sausage/cheese & onion rolls, biscuits, small cakes, perfunctory veg and fruit selection

Both options end with blowing out candles on a cake and then either eating it there and then or getting a slice wrapped in a napkin in the party bag.

None of the parties have been food-less.

I’ve heard of this. DD was invited to one rationale was that the kids won’t eat much anyway and would rather just get back to playing so they just got a drink and some crisps and something else (can’t remember what, DD didn’t go because it wasn’t an activity she would have liked)

My eldest seems to hate most typical party food so I would never rely on a party to provide one of his days meals. Most kids only seem to eat the sweets/biscuits/cake anyway rather than any of the savoury stuff!

Did you provide snacks and drinks at least?

That's not a party then, that's just a soft play session. I have never known a kids' party where no food was provided.

Depends on time surely, I've always found it weird that you are expected to serve up junk at a non meal time. As long as the party isn't incorporating 12-2 or after 6pm fair enough to just serve a snack

People have probably given up due to the huge variety of dietary requirements there are nowadays - it's a minefield!

I have an 8 yr old and a nearly 10 yr old and in all the years of parties, I've only ever known one family who does this! To be fair to them, they do make it abundantly clear, well in advance, that there'll be no food, so it's no surprise! I still find it odd though!

I’ve never been to a kids party with no food.

And if you can’t afford to provide some food then don’t invite 40 kids.

It's acceptable but not the norm where I live. Tbh, my kids don't eat enough at parties as they don't concentrate on the food, so it isn't an issue for us if there is no food.

MIL has a party related business and attends parties most weekends and some school nights though the year. She's noticed there are more parties with less or no food since COVID. Especially those parties between 1.30 and 3. She's been to parties with just jug of juice, paper cups and crisps or biscuits then birthday cake served. She attended one where it was squash and cake and that was it. It was odd to her at first but it seems there are quite a few people doing it since COVID. She's also noticed less catering (tea/ coffee/ biscuits) for accompanying adults. She's not sure if it's COL or people trying to reduce waste. Admittedly pre covid the food waste at some parties was obscene.

Although most parties she attends it's standard party food or boxes. It's still a stand out thing to her when it's just juice and crisps.

@FluentRubyDog

Are you a bit daft?

What planet are you on where kids parties don't have sandwiches, crisps, cakes, sausage rolls etc??

Literally millions of people eat their tea before 6pm. Anywhere from 4-8 is within meal time, especially with little kids, they'd usually eat 4:30-5.

where do you live?

I have never ever been to a kids party where food wasn't provided, whether party was at 10am or 8pm, or anytime in between. Often it means they have food at weird time, but who cares, it's a party.

if they are hungry when they are home, they'll have a snack then.

how rude.

I wouldn't be fussed, just get food on the way home. We've had a couple like this, one where the activity was pricey. They all got a drink and snack. Another where I think the budget was tight and I don't begrudge a child a birthday party - they all have fun whatever.