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birthday cake

18 replies

grdvbjuyg · 08/08/2021 23:31

Hello, i have have a niece who's turning one this august. she's my brothers' and his ex's child. She's been living with her mother since coming from the hospital and my brother always travels to their house to see her and deliver necessities for her. The mother is organising a small family gathering for my niece's bday soon, it's a small gathering because she says she's "not prepared" to expose my baby niece to a large group of people.

The problem is, she says that "as the mother" she feels that she has to be the one to make her daughter's birthday cake and she felt insulted and thought that it was rude of us (the paternal grandma) to make another birthday cake for my niece.
My mother (the paternal grandma) does not have any intention of being rude to her grandchild's mother by doing this, this is just what we are used to doing at birthday parties. In fact, we welcome this behaviour as it's more food for the guests to eat (or take extra cake home after the party) and it is also jus another way for us to celebrate my niece's bday. We are grateful for her life and want to celebrate.

Although we explained this to the mother (my niece's mum), she says she "understands us" but she would still like us to understand where she's coming from and that she wants to be the only one to make a cake for her baby.

What are your thoughts on this? To be honest, i feel that my niece's mother is quite narrow minded-and selfish, or should we just ignore this and let her do this for daughters 1st bday, and maybe change the way we do things for her 2nd bday. However, i'm not sure what reason she'll give then.

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FlorenceNightshade · 08/08/2021 23:34

I’m with babies mother on this one. The cake is obviously special to her and she wants to be the one who makes it. Make a cake, bring a cake but don’t call it the birthday cake it’s just your contribution to the party food.

FizzingWhizzbee123 · 08/08/2021 23:40

I make my children’s birthday cakes from scratch. I put a lot of time, effort and love into them. It’s the special thing I want to do to mark their birthday and I’d be less than impressed if someone turned up with another cake, especially if I’d asked them not to. You need to respect her wishes even if you don’t see her point of view. Take a lovely dessert, but don’t take a cake. It can be a very personal thing.

LemonRoses · 08/08/2021 23:44

It’s mean to take a birthday cake when it’s not wanted. It’s the mothers right to be the creator and others should respect that.
Take some sausage rolls.

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grdvbjuyg · 08/08/2021 23:57

Is it just a cultural difference then? The father comes from Philippines and we filipinos are very welcoming and friendly so, if someone else brought a cake to our party, we would be grateful and accept it.

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FlorenceNightshade · 09/08/2021 00:00

A birthday cake is the one you stick the candles in. All other cakes are just cake

grdvbjuyg · 09/08/2021 00:07

A filipino party is like a small village in one house. Sometimes the food that is served looks more like an asian buffet instead of a house party. A filipino party is not a party without food and a lot of it. Same with cakes. I’m use to seeing two or three cakes in a party and i’m happy with the spread of choices in food :)

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grdvbjuyg · 09/08/2021 00:14

@FlorenceNightshade
I understand what your saying. Maybe my niece’s mother misunderstood what we were trying to do, we just want to bring another cake from our side of the family, we don’t want to tale her role of making the main birthday cake. We called it a “birthday” cake because it is a cake and it’s for a birthday. So it doesn’t have to be the cake she uses to blow candles with though. It’s just another dessert

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sleepyhead · 09/08/2021 00:17

You're very good at explaining your culture, and am sure will be very helpful in ensuring that your niece feels part of her Filipino family and community as she grows older.

However, her mum's culture is important as well, and for her mum making the cake is a big expression of her love for her daughter on her first birthday and it's important for her that she does that, not someone else.

It would be kind for you to accept it as a cultural difference and not think in terms such as "selfish" just because someone's traditions are different to yours.

Undertheoldlindentree · 09/08/2021 00:17

Lots of cake at a buffet is lovely, but only one cake should be the birthday cake and decorated as such. It acts as a centrepiece to the celebration. If your mother brought a second birthday cake along, it would complete with this.

grdvbjuyg · 09/08/2021 00:33

Alright, after reading all your replies, i’ll try to understand it as a cultural difference and let the baby’s mother do this special act for her daughter. It’s no big deal. I just wanted to know what others thought about this topic. Thank you to everyone who replied. Stay safe :)

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snoozeytime · 09/08/2021 05:44

I wanted to be the one making the cake for my daughter's first birthday as it seemed special to me. Not sure why! However, due to COVID we had two separate celebrations, one with each side of the family, so I made what I saw as the main cake for with my family and was happy for mil to make one for the other side. I can get where she is coming from - it's obviously special to her and I wouldn't push this one. Another cake could take the emphasis off hers. Could you maybe suggest cupcakes or something? Then you are providing something while not seeming like you are trying to steal the show?

Pregnantpeppa · 09/08/2021 06:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pissinthepottyplease · 09/08/2021 07:19

I’m with the baby’s mother here. It would be rude to bring food to a gather when you have been asked not to. Making a child’s birthday cake is quite a big thing especially their first cake.

Anyway this really isn’t an issue big enough to fall out over. The Grandmother should apologise and say the mother is right and ask if there is anything else they can bring to helpful.

Namechangedzzz · 09/08/2021 07:32

@grdvbjuyg I agree 100% with the mother. If you want to bring food as per your culture then bring something else. Do not bring a cake.a cake is the special thing and as the child's mother she might have been thinking or planning it for a while

ASomers · 09/08/2021 10:06

My dd's first birthday is coming up and it's very important to me that I'm the one to make her first cake. I am with the mother on this one. I'd be heartbroken if my inlaws turned up with a birthday cake...

Parentingdilemmas · 09/08/2021 17:20

@grdvbjuyg - let the mum deal with the cake and step aside please, I mean that it in the nicest way. It’s a first birthday and a big milestone. The mum has said she understood where you’re coming from but would like to be the only one making the cake so please let her be. It’s her child after all x

Willwebebuyingnumber11 · 09/08/2021 17:23

I also agree with the mother. YABU.

lucymagoo · 09/08/2021 17:33

@grdvbjuyg

Is it just a cultural difference then? The father comes from Philippines and we filipinos are very welcoming and friendly so, if someone else brought a cake to our party, we would be grateful and accept it.
Saying you would be fine with it because your culture is "very welcoming and friendly" implies the mother is against it because her culture is unwelcoming and unfriendly in comparison. As pp have said, it's a big milestone and obviously very important to her, and her saying that to you should have been enough really.
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