Kids birthday at theatre - does guest pay?

[Firey40]

DD’s best friend (6) asked her to a kids theatre show for her birthday. It’s just the two of them.

I asked the mum to let me know what I owe them for the ticket. She said £15 for the ticket and that they’d go to pizza afterwards

so i sent £25 for the ticket and pizza. All fine.

I’m just curious though….would people ordinarily expect to pay for their kid to go to another kid’s birthday trip, in this kind of set up?

I just know that if it was me, I’d have paid for her kid as part of the invitation, and said no, you don’t owe us anything.

Just musing really. If it makes a difference, they aren’t rich but not impoverished either, mum and dad (separated) but both in good jobs

No, I always paid for guests. You can’t ask other people pay to give your child a nice birthday

Crikey. I would always cover all the costs of inviting a child/children to a birthday treat. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to pay when it’s been my child as a guest either.

I wouldn't expect the guest to pay and I'd think it very cheeky of the inviting parent to expect you to cover all your child's expenses. She invited your child so there is an expectation that she's hosting and paying for her as part of the party treat.

Why did you ask how much you owed?

No, the birthday child's parents should pay. If they were older and it was something they wanted to go to off their own back then it might be different. But if I'd organised this type of thing for one of my kids and a friend, I would be paying. If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't organise it.

For just two, I would expect the other parent to pay. I presume theyre not expecting a present on top. If it were a group, I might feel differently.

She should pay for her guests 100%

No of course not.

I think I'd have expected the other parent to pay but if she'd given you the ticket price then mentioned the pizza, I'd have assumed that they were paying for the pizza.

Exactly what I was thinking!

I'm surprised you even thought to ask how much you owed.

It's a party invitation, and the onus is on the birthday child's parents to pay for the guests.

Yes I have paid over £150 for theatre tickets food etc for a friend to join DS to watch a London show.

Why did you ask? I would have expected them to pay and if I invited another child on a day out or activity for their birthday, I'd pay.

I wouldn’t expect someone else to pay. OP was clearly being polite and the other parent should have declined.

If I invite a child somewhere with us, I pay, birthday or not. I do always send my kids with cash to cover the activity they are invited to tho and tell them to offer to pay. Nine times out of ten they come back with the money. Sometimes ds will come back and say they used it to buy him and the other child something like an ice cream, in the amusements etc which is absolutely fine.

Agree with this, wouldn't have even occurred to me to offer to pay but would have bought present accordingly.
Would never expect anyone to pay to celebrate my child's birthday

I guess I didn’t just want to presume?

If somebody had asked me, I would have said ‘oh nothing, it’s our pleasure to take Sally to help us celebrate’ or something to that effect

I wouldn’t expect to pay, same as if other parent takes child on a day out somewhere. I have always paid for guests on child’s birthday and for any days out I’ve taken child and friend on and I am a lone parent.

It wouldn’t have occurred me to ask how much I owed. If you invite another child, you’re treating them. Incredibly tight of the other parents.

Generally if we invited a child to come with us we would pay.
I would probably ask if they wanted money for the ticket etc if someone invited one of mine but only to be polite, I would be a bit surprised if they said yes.
I usually sent mine with some money to treat everyone to an ice cream or something

I’ve taken my children to lots of parties (and had our own parties) and not once have we had to pay.

The only time when it was close, was when one of them went to a paint balling party. Host paid for the activity and pizza, but on the invitation it said if the child wanted a fancy gun or extra paint balls then to send some pocket money.

She sounds like a CF.

No, that’s really cheeky.

I wouldn't expect to pay if it was a party!

I wouldn’t expect to pay. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to ask how much I owed.

My DD just turned 15 and this is the first year that guests have paid at her birthday, as she and her friends organised a dinner at a nice restaurant. In previous years, I’ve always covered the full cost of whatever activity they’ve done and whatever they’ve eaten.

I'd have also asked how much I owed - just out of politeness and not wanting to assume. I would have expected to be told nothing, don't worry about it.

If I invited another child to an outing/event/birthday - I wouldn't expect the other parents to pay for it.