Ostentatious children's parties

[Bumperlicious]

DH and I were talking today about children's parties (while bored to death with DD at a soft play centre) and we were talking about this apparent trend for ostentatious children's parties but neither of us has seen any evidence of this (to be fair dd is only 1yo) and we can't see that any of our friends would hold a spa day for their 4 yo DD or send their guest home with a goody bag to rival the Oscar's.

So who are these parents? Is this "trend" just abound in the London yummy parent set (obviously a barometer for what is going on in the rest of the country)? Tell me your stories of ostentatious or wanky children's parties. Pass the parcel to Mozart? A flight by Lear Jet to a remote Island? Give me a laugh before another long week!

I've heard that you can have a sleepover at Hamleys for a small fortune!

I have very low key, traditional birthday parties, but, I will only do musical bumbs to Strauss's Radetzky March

It is the ultimate musical bumbs music and I will fight anyone with a long sharp pointy stick who says otherwise

musical bumps obviously.

musical bumbs is an altoghether different game that I only play at adult parties

Friend's dd invited to a gymkhana party (the assumption being they could all ride) with an added note that if they did not want to bring their own pony, one could be provided from the stables!?

We are not London but went to a splendidly OTT joint party a couple of years ago.

Theme was Disney - ok - individual glossy printed invites - hmmm.

Arrived. All costumed children filed past professional photographer in lobby, he took couple of shots. Champers on standby for adults. Into the party itself - mega bouncy castle, face-painter and magician. They had hired 3 of the girls from our nursery to staff the event so parents could get pissed nice and relaxed. The cake was a foot square in size, with beautifully hand-painted representations of the birthday boy and girl, in their Disney outfits on the top. It was like art. And when we left, as well as a (damn good) party bag, we were each given a copy of the photo taken on arrival, packaged in a special cardboard frame to match the invitation.

Amazing party. Must have cost about £1500 between two sets of (loaded) parents.

And the children in question were 3 year old. Madness!

My niece went to a pony-themed party where all the guests were given a hobby horse as a present.

Nope, no ostentatious children's parties round here (just the kind of party where you get home at 8pm and have real trouble typing ostentatious). My current tip is - stupidly puerile humorous children's musician, you can pretend you're laughing at the children's laughter, whilst actually laughing at the stupidly puerile children's musician's bottom jokes. Is good. Pass the farkin' parcel though - not appropriate for children under 5 according to yesterday's palaver, when WILL they get it?! You can't leave your child at a party until they're old enough not to undo the frigging parcel when it's not their turn, that should be the rule.

My entire weekend has been taken up with fourth birthday parties.

I know of a 10 yr old whos parents flew her and friends to New York for a manicure and a 7yr old whos parents hired an entire hotel (one favoured by the Beckhams) sadly we were not invited to either!!!!!

Serin tell me you are joking

Fab link slubberdegullion

Now that's what I want to hear serin!

In local paper, a Mum spent £50k on her 13year olds party - nightclub in Woking, £200 goody bags, all their in their clubbing/prom gear and yes very proud and showy-off about it all!

Was almost like an invitation to get burgled if you ask me!

I wouldn't have thought it would cost that much to show off in Woking

could have been the limo's (the come from Epsom I think), whole club rental, food, drink, entertainers (may have been a pop-band actually) etc etc etc

ooh ooh, dps ex does these. she must be off her rocker.
she did a birthday party for dss (his 7th? 6th? cant remember, im never invited so it doesnt really register) which was football themed. involved buying about ten proper football tables for tournaments, hiring out a leisure centre, about a grand on balloons alone, catering, decorations etc, there were seemingly about 50 kids and their parents there (ive seen photos) and the goody bags... must have been about 30 quid each, at least. i shit you not.

she did a party recently (easter? who knows) with a chocolate theme. she bought so many choc fountains that she blew the power in the house. she had giant glass jars, row upon row of them, filled with various flavours of chocolate... she just has NO idea of limits.
at his christening she spent something like 10 grand on flowers.

madness i tell ya.