Is it normal for your child not to get a piece of the birthday cake at parties these days??

[lovechoc]

DS1 was at a 5th birthday party yesterday and in the party bags the kids all got at the end of the party was the usual novelty stuff, but not a piece of the birthday cake?? Is this normal etiquette when at a childrens' birthday party? I understand there was one for blowing out the candles at the end for the photos, but was a bit baffled when we got home and noticed there was no birthday cake in the bag.

New to all this stuff, and planning to arrange DS1 6th birthday party next year.

Looks a bit manky by the time it's home, having been wrapped in a napkin plus they don't much like cake.

I agree with whoever said it's best to eat it at the party.

Always cake to take home in party bags - often individually boxed cup cakes. I live in a bourgeois heartland

Cake in party bags here.

Maybe they were having another celebration with close family and wanted the cake for that. Or maybe the child's birthday was on a different day than the party and they wanted to use the cake again for birthday tea.

Birthday cakes are expensive for what they are nowadays. I wouldn't care less if they cut up the cake or not. In fact, I was at my nieces birthday party yesterday and the cake wasn't cut up. Her birthday is on Tuesday.

I always do two now and have one ore wrapped and in the bags. This is after the time I completely forgot to cut up the cake in the madness of the whole thing.

Cake cut and served at party here. Due to allergies it's a special recipe which doesn't travel well (not that I find any cake does, really). I could have one at party and a bought one for sending home I suppose but why have two esp when half the family can't eat the bought cake.

No cake at all - strange imo.

The plan is to cut up the cake and send pieces home wrapped in a napkin in the party bag, but there have been a couple of instances where due to the frenetic nature of the party, I have completely forgotten.

There was also a fateful bowling party, where we were late, several children had the wrong dinner and cried (always when taking food orders from small children, write down who wanted what, as they change their minds/forget what they wanted whilst doing the actual bowling ) and the Birthday boy didn't get a piece of cake.

So if there was no cake in the party bag, I would assume it was cock up of some sort and not worry about it.

Voldemortsnipple (love the name, btw!) the birthday boy turned 5 two days before the birthday party itself (I asked the mother).

Alot of mums do cupcakes - then they all eat them at the party.

We have sometimes eaten the cake at the party - or have done cupcakes/fancy buns instead - and again eaten at party. It;s about 50/50 here - same for parties DD has been to.

Where I used to live (rural), it was a matter of the birthday child blowing out the candles and cake to be whisked away and never to be seen again. Kids got a little cupcake instead.

I always served the cake at the party of my dcs which was regarded as very outlandish by the locals.

I thought cake was the essential part of the party bag. So many party bags my little girl brings home are full of rubbish, I always try and fill it with things I think the children and parents will appreciate. I have recently starting filling them with craft bits from throughout the party, i got the idea from this little blog post www.babycelebrations.co.uk/page.html?id=55