Party Month

Hit a birthday party last Saturday.

I’m still not convinced the “big” parties are necessary for the kids younger than 6 or so. Then again, I’m not convinced they’re a bad idea either.

Younger than 6 they don’t seem to socialize with each other. It doesn’t matter who’s there. It’s just an excuse to run around some cool place, eat cake, get sweaty and have a good time.

Of course being the birthday kid puts you at the head of the table and gets Happy Birthday sung to you.

All of these are good things and definitely necessary. They certainly understand it’s their birthday and appreciate the fun and ceremony – just not the guests.

I guess it’s just the cost of such things that gets me. For the price, I want more out of it. How much should it cost to let your kids and your friends kids run around in circles for a couple of hours and sing happy birthday to each other?  If my kids had summer birthdays, we’d do it at home – in the yard or around the pool. That would have the same effect and cost what I want to pay.

But my kids have winter birthdays, so somewhere else at some higher cost is what we’re stuck with. Oh well. Regardless, I do want all that fun for my kid on their birthday.

Makes me wonder if we could go to Chuck E. Cheese without guests, have a cake, get random people to sing and have the same effect? I’d probably feel worse doing that than paying for people I know to be there.

– b