The last couple of weekends have been frantic and it’s not just because of the buildup to Christmas. I’m sure it’s busier this year than it ever has been.
It seems to be a busy birthday season. In the last two weekends JJ and I have been to three birthday parties, a 70th and two first birthday parties. One of the first birthday parties also included a surprise naming ceremony and wedding. That’s for another post though.
We turned down the invite to a fourth birthday party that happened on the same day as the 70th, albeit at a different time. I didn’t fancy going to the first one in the city, finding a park, finding the people in the parklands then tracking all the way across town for the 70th.
The fourth birthday party we didn’t go to was yet another kid in childcare who I don’t really know and I’ve never heard JJ talk about him so I gather they’re not really friends. I wonder at the parents who invite kids their child doesn’t really know to a birthday party. I’m guessing they just invite as many kids as possible so their kid can feel appreciated that they have lots of friends who will come to their party, and of course they get lots of presents.
I have trouble keeping the list down at JJ’s birthday parties. First of all there’s my friends who have kids around the same age that we actually see pretty regularly, then there’s the mother’s group kids so I’ve never felt the need to invite childcare kids too. It’s only really this year that JJ has forged friendships with some kids at childcare so for his fifth birthday I might get the urge to invite some of them, but I will not be doing a blanket invite to every kid in his group. That would be insane.
I heard a story recently about a kid who’s about six or seven who only had one kid turn up at his birthday. Nobody wanted to come because the birthday boy apparently has anger issues and not many kids like him. How awful for that kid.
JJ hasn’t even started playing sport yet or school so in the next few years I’ll probably have to contend with school concerts and goodness knows what other functions and possibly sport stuff. I think I’ll have to put a birthday party attendance policy in place as I can see that there will be more birthday party invites from school kids. I’ll also have to put a mummy social policy plan in place so that I still get some ME time.
I haven’t any social plans for this weekend. I need to spend my time doing some work in the garden and shopping for Christmas presents I haven’t bought yet. I am really looking forward to a relaxing weekend where JJ will actually get to bed before 9pm. Pity it’s only Monday and I have to work before I get to my weekend.
I know, some weeks can seem SO long. I hope this one flies by for you. Good luck with the rest of your Christmas shopping. I’m wrapping everything right now. Your post reminded me of ALL the birthday parties we’ve had over the years for my kids….every year for ALL four of them. CRAZY…but fun. Yep, it’s a good thing to set up some guidelines when it comes to inviting kids. Even at that, we had some pretty HUGE parties. Love to you and JJ.