Thursday, January 22, 2015
Would You Pay For Missing A Party?
In England, a five-year-old named Alex missed a friend's birthday party. You know, shit happens when you're that age. Alex's parents were shocked when he came home from school with an invoice for $24.12 in his backpack from the parents who threw the birthday for missing the event. CNBC reports that the party-throwing mother is so incensed that she is threatening to take Alex's parents to small claims court if they don't pay up, and maintains that since Alex RSVP'ed yes, his parents should pay. The teacher at the school who was implicit in delivering the invoice to Alex's backback from the angry mother has been reprimanded by the school. What is your take on the situation?
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This is ridiculous. I feel for the mother who spent money on her kid's party based on the RSVPs, but kids get sick or cranky...or they just change their minds about wanting to do something ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteAlso adding that even parents cancel scheduled plans when they have small children ALL THE TIME.
Delete24 bucks? Maybe if it was a pricey holiday I would expect them to chip in........
ReplyDeleteThe article I read said the mother of the b-day boy gave an envelope to the teacher and asked her to pass it on to the parents of the child that didn't attend. The teacher didn't know it was a bill. The teacher should not have been reprimanded.
ReplyDeleteI hope the mother does sue snd loses, further confirming what a mean, spiteful person she is.
The woman is a complete idiot. If you actually acted like an adult in the first place and called the parents or tried to talk them about the situation maybe you would have received payment for the inconvenience it caused you. I would think the parents would have maybe had a little more sympathy for the situation. Sticking an invoice into a child's bag is just ridiculous! I wouldn't give her a penny after pulling this. I agree with unknown. Take em to court and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteDear God. And to think that I once thought MY parents were embarrassing! Poor little Alex!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I also had no idea that Sheldon and Amy had a five year old.
Also the article said that no shows that were prepaid could be credited back thru either a future visit to the place OR towards extras for the kids in attendance on the day of the party.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the multiple posts, but I remembered one other thing. The article showed the homes of both families. The birthday boy's home was a nice, upper middle class looking home. The family that is being threatened lived in a smaller, more working class looking neighborhood. I think the $25 means nothing to the birthday family, but a lot more to the family being threatened. The mom of the birthday boy seems like a bully.
ReplyDeleteThe father said he didn't have contact information for the parents having the party. If it were your standard party that is one thing but they booked all these kids for a ski party. If you gave them notice they could have invited another kid as well.
ReplyDeleteAll the contact information was on the invitation itself and doesn't say much about the kid's parents for not knowing how to contact his friend's parents, so you let your kids go to parties and you know nothing about the parents or you haven't heard of google?
However slipping a invoice into the kid's schoolbag using the teacher as the delivery person, even typing up an invoice, oh my aren't we anal, was not right of the mother and it costs more to file a claim than the cost of the party "fee". . At most you phone up the parents and have a discussion hinting about it. Most parents would shrug it off but just don't invite that kid for anything again.
this father knew far in advance that the son was doublebooked I bet the kid would have rather gone skiing than hang out with his grandparents, that was my feeling in the day however even a few hours notice you can hunt someone else up
DeleteOk I never heard the grandparents were sick I guess this story has many versions by now
DeleteI used to lose invitations all the time, It happens when you are busy, and things get misplaced, or accidentally tossed into the recycling because you asked a kid to clean up their mess.
Deletei get that the mother prebooked an event for all the kids that rsvpd but the kid who cancelled did so b/c he went to visit his sick grandparents..shit happens
ReplyDeleteand waaayyyy to make sure no one ever goes to youur kids birthday parties again lady
i don't ever remember anyone ever throwing a kids birthday party and then charging the kids to attend. i once went to a birthday part for this really wealthy girl and was so shocked when i got a gift bag for attending.. i was like what?? i get a gift for coming to your party?? rich people party nice!!
i thought the whole point of throwing your kid a party was that you threw the party not that they paid you to fete your kid?? but i don't know it'e england they drive on the left there so wtf???
Are party bags not a thing in the USA? A bag a lollies and maybe a knickknack to say thanks for coming?
DeleteThey are in Canada
DeleteOh my fucking god with this story. When you hold a child's bday party off-site like at a bowling alley, a salon, a build-a-bear, a skating rink, a Chunk E Cheese (Lord, help me), you just pay the god damn bill and move on. Isn't the point of having it at a pricey location is so that you don't have to host a bunch of hooligans and their annoying parents at your home?! And you don't need to clean up anything or prepare anything. That's what you're paying for. You should just always expect no shows at a kids party because some kid is always catching something and because shit happens. What the fuck is wrong with these people?!?! The poor birthday boy. How did this story make the press? If the parents who received the invoice are the ones who went to the press than they are equally as sucky as the parents sending the god damn invoice for $25.
ReplyDeleteI need to go read something that restores my faith in humanity now....
AND, this is why thus far in my child's life all birthday parties have been at my house for family only. My kid has nine cousins so that's enough kids at one event. Trust me.
+1
DeleteSugar what we don't understand is the birthday parties we had back in the day just don't cut it anymore it has be an event now, going paintballing or to an arcade centre, this was skiing, and I am not sure if the birthday parents paid for this kid but it was because the kid did not show up she was billing them because she could invited another kid or if all the parents were being asked to pay for the skiing. If you can't afford it, you can make up some excuse and RSVP back you can't make it though you know your kid will be majorly bummed.
ReplyDelete@tina.. that's fine but if you are going to take it upon yourself to throw a lavish party for your child don't bill the other kids family
Deleteit's like we say in the restaurant world "if you can't afford to tip don't eat out"
if you can't afford a lavish party for your little one to begin with don't have one.. it's not the responsibility of the other families to bankroll your kids parties..
i think this is just narcissistic pettiness and the child is actually paying the bill irl not the parents
DeleteI bet NO ONE goes to the birthday boy's party next year. Poor kid--what chance do you have with a petty control freak for a mom?
ReplyDeleteThat being said, we've had lilSnarky's birthday parties at arcades, parks, pools, batting cages, etc. if I haven't heard back by the RSVP I don't freak out. There's always extra treat bags, and to me, it seems that it usually works out that my estimated head count is right.
Right @tina, birthday parties used to be a regular play date with a cake and ice cream at the end. Kids, entertain yourselves. Mom and dad will have a drink. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI don't do bday parties for my kids, and am very happy that way. My parents rarely threw a party for me and I turned out just fine, just don't ask the Mr. if he thinks I'm fine.
Oh oh! I know someone who even sows the tablecloth... from plastic, because she cannot find at the store what's just right for her kids. She makes the candy, bday girl elaborate costume, candy bags, bakes and decorates the cake and sows the special tableclots, which shall not be recycled for any of the other kids or any other bday.
This is why I decided to do ice cream cakes with the family instead of big overdone extravaganzas. Of course I wouldn't be petty and fucking bill anyone if they missed, but I didn't feel like dealing with bitch girls laughing at my daughters' invites, or worse, their bitch moms crabbing that the party was cutting into their visit to the nail salon. Life in Jersey. ;)
ReplyDeleteLioness, I love your assessment of life in Jersey. SO spot on!! Ha ha.
DeleteWhat a load of crap. Advice to mum: buy a bucketload of half pennies and give her an invoice for the shipping costs.
ReplyDeleteParents like this are the reason there are TV shows that celebrate sweet 16 birthdays with a young lady losing her mind because she didn't get the mint green tulle place settings and her new car isn't as awesome as the ones Britteny and Tawnya got. They're your kids, not your feudal lords.
When you RSVP, it's up to you to contact the host to cancel if the situation changes. And if something really unexpected comes up, then you call the next day and apologize for the no-show. Common courtesy.
ReplyDeleteWould I have sent a bill? No, but I can understand why the host was upset. She had spoken with the dad the Thursday before the event to confirm the child's attendance.
I'm so tired of this story. It is at least four days old.
ReplyDeleteHere's my question. Did everyone else have to pay $25 to attend this party? If they didn't then this child shouldn't have to either. End of story. I'm sure that's exactly what the judge will ask if she does take them to small claims court. Here's the other thing if your children forced to pay to join this party thing you should've collected before hand.
ReplyDeleteI blame the pinterest perfection planning, stepford wives-ification of how a childhood is supposed to look. Every milestone must be social media ready, scrapbook-worthy, and not show an ounce of imperfection.
ReplyDeleteBest kids birthday party story ever. For the pin the tail on the donkey portion of the party, each kid was given a mask to wear. Not a bandana, not a scarf, but a mask. The type of mask one would purchase at an adult toy store. This was for a kindergartner's birthday party.
Good points all, and i concur- get the fuck over it and put it in perspective!
ReplyDeleteOn my 8th birthday (1984) we had a GI Joe themed event. It was at my Grandmas house and my Mom made up treat bags for everyone with a GI Joe figure for the boys and a Barbie for the girls. (I remember it because during it my Dad had to be rushed to the hospital because of pneumonia) I figure at the time the cost of the bags would've been about 8 or 9 bucks each and there were 30 or so kids there. Everyone from my class showed up except for one kid who was out of town (my birthday fell during Spring Break) but when we went back to school Monday, my Mom sent something for him like this woman did. Except my Mom had sent him a huge piece of birthday cake and his gift bag with a GI Joe figure and COBRA SNAKE Armor (My Dad ordered them straight from Hasbro so he had enough lol). Maybe it was the different era or the difference in the way my Mom was, but she always thought the parties were for the kids to have fun not a way for them to increase their social standing or whatever.
ReplyDeleteGweeds: Your mom was (is) awesome! She made the lone missing child feel included even though they weren't there. THAT is what good parenting is about. (I can't believe they bought every kid a GI Joe!) I'm betting you were quite the poopular kid at that time (typo and it stays). Your mom did increase her social standing - through her kindness.
Delete@rr..chris.. your mom is why why you turned out awesome!!
Deletesugarhugs sent to you and your mom
If the mom can afford to throw a ski party for a bunch of little kids, I'm sure she can afford to lose $25. Give me a break. It's not like she's out $500. I hope Alex's parents take her to court because there's basically no way she will win.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you book and then pre pay for a child's party to begin with? Kids are little germ factories and are always sick. She is lucky anyone was well enough to show up. Yes I understand about RSVPs but this is a child's party and they shouldn't require such formalities.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 8 or 9 I had a birthday party. My mom bought candy and cheap toys from the dollar store to fill the goodie bags. I only invited a handful of friends. Three of them showed up and we had a blast.
ReplyDeleteThe next Monday at school, the little shit heads who didn't even bother telling us that they weren't coming, didn't get shit. My friend and I also over exaggerated at what an awesome party it was, to make the others feel like they missed out. I'm not sure if it was the era, but revenge felt better when you had your BFF backing you up.
We gave the three attendees the extra goodie bags, and kept some, so my sister and I could gorge on the candy. I still talk to two out of the three that went to my party all that time ago.
No freaking way in hell any kid would choose grandparents over a ski party. The parents forced the kid and rightfully so bc family is #1 but no way it was the kids decision. The mom probably got in trouble by her husband for overspending and is trying to recoup anything she can by blaming it all on this one little kid. I also read that kids are ostracizing him at school! If that's really true, it's not just that one mom who's an asshole at that school. Poor kid! BUT I'm sure every single detail was exaggerated to ensure we'd be talking about it.
ReplyDelete