I suck at birthday parties---Rant

Trostlegirl33
Trostlegirl33 Posts: 6 Member
Just need to vent as my inner voices keep reminding me of everything that I did wrong at my daughter's birthday 3rd party yesterday. Bouncy house-check, cupcakes and cake-check, pizza--check but was a little later than would have liked, tinkerbell game-check. Started off ok, and thought I had it under control but then spilled a crock pot full of cheese dip in my car right as I pulled up to the clubhouse...cheese dip and chips--no check. I think it really ended up being fine, but everyone's a critic. I admit, I am very scatterbrained and get easily flustered when stressed. Doesn't help sometimes that those around me choose those moments to "pick" on me. I know that sounds whiney, but I am emotional and trying to spew this crap out so I can move on.

Here is where I screwed up. My daughter drinks water..all the time. I brought her thermos and had soda's to go with the pizza, but didn't bring bottled water or juice for the kids...there were 6. A few are not allowed soda. I blanked..just completely didn't bring juice..or water. I didn't even think about it. So we are at a clubhouse and a friends asks if I brought water...I looked blank and said I am sorry no, and I could tell she was irritated, so she gets water from the faucet..which is fine (we had ice)? I guess...but I guess not because her daughter doesn't want to drink faucet water so she keeps saying she is thirsty. I got to work today and my "friend" who really is a friend (but a control freak of sorts that prob wouldn't forget a thing), says so the party went okay.....and drew it out. Then says the kids were fine and great and they didn't notice anything (pizza late I guess she meant)....but then added...well except Anna was thirsty and kept saying she wanted something to drink. I told her I suck please put it down in the book and tell me what she would like to have next time. I admit I should have brought juice. I am not very good and organizing these kinds of things I admit. However, I do think I would have tried to be gracious enough in that situation to say oh the kids had a nice time and move on.
«1

Replies

  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
    her daughter doesn't want to drink faucet water so she keeps saying she is thirsty.

    #FWP
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    not every party can go perfectly , you did your best and she can just stfu :wink:
  • Jgal8123
    Jgal8123 Posts: 1,378 Member
    Don't sweat the small stuff, which includes petty complaints from your friends. This birthday party was for your daughter...as long as it worked out for her that's all that matters =)
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    We all have moments like that... planning bday parties for the kids NEVER goes perfectly! If she won't let it go, that is her problem.... I'm sure the kids had a great time even with tap water.

    I'm an over-planner, and tend to have lists upon lists of different things, and even with the over-planning and the list upon list, things get missed or forgotten.
  • Sounds like your friend missed an opportunity to teach her daughter how to be a gracious guest and drink what is offered. I certainly would not have let me kid keep complaining about beverage selection. Geez.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Just need to vent as my inner voices keep reminding me of everything that I did wrong at my daughter's birthday 3rd party yesterday. Bouncy house-check, cupcakes and cake-check, pizza--check but was a little later than would have liked, tinkerbell game-check. Started off ok, and thought I had it under control but then spilled a crock pot full of cheese dip in my car right as I pulled up to the clubhouse...cheese dip and chips--no check. I think it really ended up being fine, but everyone's a critic. I admit, I am very scatterbrained and get easily flustered when stressed. Doesn't help sometimes that those around me choose those moments to "pick" on me. I know that sounds whiney, but I am emotional and trying to spew this crap out so I can move on.

    Here is where I screwed up. My daughter drinks water..all the time. I brought her thermos and had soda's to go with the pizza, but didn't bring bottled water or juice for the kids...there were 6. A few are not allowed soda. I blanked..just completely didn't bring juice..or water. I didn't even think about it. So we are at a clubhouse and a friends asks if I brought water...I looked blank and said I am sorry no, and I could tell she was irritated, so she gets water from the faucet..which is fine (we had ice)? I guess...but I guess not because her daughter doesn't want to drink faucet water so she keeps saying she is thirsty. I got to work today and my "friend" who really is a friend (but a control freak of sorts that prob wouldn't forget a thing), says so the party went okay.....and drew it out. Then says the kids were fine and great and they didn't notice anything (pizza late I guess she meant)....but then added...well except Anna was thirsty and kept saying she wanted something to drink. I told her I suck please put it down in the book and tell me what she would like to have next time. I admit I should have brought juice. I am not very good and organizing these kinds of things I admit. However, I do think I would have tried to be gracious enough in that situation to say oh the kids had a nice time and move on.

    good lord, seriously, if parents want to be picky and their children have certain drink requirements, they should just bring it themselves and not expect you to do it. It's a birthday party for children, not a high-end soiree. And how is the pizza being late your fault? Just ignore your haters (obviously they are not the best of friends if they are so judgemental about something so small). There are bigger things going on in life than what some parents think about how a party went for their children.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    if parents have children that are particular or fussy eaters, then they should volunteer to bring something and help out.


    also, you should learn to ask for help.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    i did the SAME THING a couple months ago for my son's 3rd birthday. I got soda but no water/juice for the kids.

    thankfully a friend of mine who was at the party did have some bottles of gatorade in his truck. Not exactly juice, but better - in some minds - than soda.
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    If her daughter has such particular tastes, then she should have taken measures to see that they would be met, not relying on someone else, especially without prior acknowledgement. Seriously. This is irritating. You did fine! It's not your fault that the pizza was a bit late. The kids had a great time, and that's what matters.
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
    Well lets put it this way you threw the party for a bunch of young children and you did not have to , she should just suck it up buttercup , sorry I had a party for my oldest daughter who is 3 there were no kids at ours though just adults a lot easier anyways don't be heard on yourself you managed to remember everything else , heck I have two girls ages 3 and a 22 month old am lucky if I remember to get milk or snacks for them , lol let alone plan a birthday party , why wouldn't a little girl drink water from a faucet you have to joking , I have never heard of a child only drinking water from a bottle where does she think water comes from that's in the bottle ?
  • reality_girl
    reality_girl Posts: 165 Member
    Your friend is kind of a dilhole.
  • Trostlegirl33
    Trostlegirl33 Posts: 6 Member
    :drinker: I toast you all...thank you for cheering me up. :flowerforyou: I hate dwelling on crap like this, because my daughter would have had fun with just us and I know she had fun. It's a kids party right? And they were happy! Thanks again for the responses~!
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
    If her daughter is too precious for faucet water, she should carry her own bottled. It's not your duty to know the requirements of every child there.

    If your daughter had a good time, then your party was a success. The end. :flowerforyou:
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 770 Member
    Bah, don't worry about the water. Toddlers go nuts over weird tiny things because they're toddlers--you can't plan for them all.

    As for the Mom, well, she either needs to plan on her kid only drinking bottled water at all times, or she needs to teach her to drink tap water from a cup. Hell, many bottled waters are just municipal (re: tap) water anyway.
  • Trostlegirl33
    Trostlegirl33 Posts: 6 Member
    if parents have children that are particular or fussy eaters, then they should volunteer to bring something and help out.


    also, you should learn to ask for help.


    Agree completely about asking for help more.....working on that one! :smile: Live and learn and maybe by the next birthday I will recruit a loved one to help me manage ; )
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    woah sounds like a major feat of organisation.... my daughter's 3rd birthday she had what food I scraped together, party stuff from the supermarket at the last minute and a couple of little friends, and her birthday gifts. I've got it all on video and it was a great party. She's too young to care much about my lack of organisation. It's the people that make the party and fun times, not expensive things, that make memories, but it sounds like you didn't have very good people (I'm talking about the adults) if all they can do is pick on you over small things to do with organisation. If the parents were so adamant about their kids not drinking soda, maybe they should've said so prior to the party, so you could get some juice in. I don't usually let my kids drink very sugary drinks but parties are an exception (not the only exception, everything in moderation). My 3 yr old has allergies, if she goes to a party, I'll give the person doing the party a list of her allergies and offer to send her to the party with food that she can eat.

    Also, some of these parties... who's it for? It's for the kids. the other parents should butt out and quit criticising any organisation fails (we all have them!) and focus on what matters for the kids, i.e. friends + fun and games + something to eat + presents for the birthday girl (+ if they're anything like my girls, a chance to dress in pretty clothes.)
  • lighteningjeanne855
    lighteningjeanne855 Posts: 566 Member
    I'm sorry your 'friend' made you feel badly about the party,
    instead of doing something constructive about the kids' thirst,
    such as making a run to the 7-11 (or its equivalent)
    and bringing back a few gallons of water and a stack of cups.
    NO party is ever perfect--you just learn how to plan better for the next one.
    Also, ask a few moms to help out.
  • OMG...may I suggest you take a step back? You are beating yourself up really hard for a dumb little thing. I say that bratty mom and bratty daughter deserve a good slap upside the head!!! Please do not cut yourself down over this! Maybe better to ask why we even get sucked into doing these big parties for the kiddos in the first place! What ever happened to "invite grandma over and have the neighbor kid join us for dinner???" (My own rant!) Or maybe another good approach is to next time bring water for everyone and save the adults also from the sugar, etc. of soda :)
  • favoritenut
    favoritenut Posts: 217 Member
    Sounds like your friend missed an opportunity to teach her daughter how to be a gracious guest and drink what is offered. I certainly would not have let me kid keep complaining about beverage selection. Geez.


    ^this!
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    If your child can't or won't eat what might be offered at a party, you send along or bring what your child can/will eat. Period. I was not allowed soda as a child (thank you mom!) and could not drink fruit punch because of a pineapple allergy. I drank water from a tap or brought my own juice/milk/water.

    It's nice if you want to accommodate different tastes, but should not be expected.
  • walleyclan1
    walleyclan1 Posts: 2,784 Member
    A 3rd birthday party is nothing to stress about. IMO raising a child that can roll with the punches, adapt to the unexpected, and drink tap water when necessary is much more important. You teach your child how important certain things in life are. Is forgetting bottled water and having to drink *gasp* tap water, something you want her to prioritize?
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    meanwhile in africa...

    girl-collecting-water.jpg
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    Sounds like your 'friend' should pull her big girl panties up and should have taken herself and her whiney child home.

    Do not invite them next year since it appears they both had a 'terrible' time this year.
  • kittee83
    kittee83 Posts: 38 Member
    I'm glad everyone here is cheering you up and helping you realise that you did a great job at your daughter's birthday party.
    They should have brought a bottle of water/food stuffs themselves if they thought they would have liked that there. You can't possibly have everything there, so don't beat yourself up.
    Sounds like you and your daughter had a brilliant time though :)
  • SCtolulu
    SCtolulu Posts: 154 Member
    LOL. That reminds me of myself. I can't tell you how happy I was the year my daughter said she didn't want a birthday party. I'm just not good at a lot of these kind of Mommy tasks. :)
  • Trostlegirl33
    Trostlegirl33 Posts: 6 Member
    OMG...may I suggest you take a step back? You are beating yourself up really hard for a dumb little thing. I say that bratty mom and bratty daughter deserve a good slap upside the head!!! Please do not cut yourself down over this! Maybe better to ask why we even get sucked into doing these big parties for the kiddos in the first place! What ever happened to "invite grandma over and have the neighbor kid join us for dinner???" (My own rant!) Or maybe another good approach is to next time bring water for everyone and save the adults also from the sugar, etc. of soda :)


    You are right...cannot argue that point of stressing over something stupid. I am a dweller....and need to move on. I moved on last night but coming in to that discussion this morning just sent me in a tail spin. I will say, she has no filter when speaking. I also agree about the big parties and we actually did try to keep it small...just family and a few of her friends..each friend has a sibling. Bounce house was borrowed and clubhouse was in our neighborhood....even then though, having Grandmas over for pizza and presents sounds so much better!
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    My precious snowflakes would either drink the water or keep their pie holes closed... or we would have to leave. Seriously..... it clean water out of a tap. Not the toilet.

    and I would have offered to run to the closed place and grab a couple of gallons if it made you feel better.. but not because I raised whiney mcwhiney pants.
  • amyford25
    amyford25 Posts: 85 Member
    If she's your friend, she should recognize when you needed help and gone to get the friggin' water!
  • jypsyjulia
    jypsyjulia Posts: 33 Member
    How spoiled can a child be to deny faucet water if they're truly thirsty? My children would either drink said water or go thirsty, but they sure as anything would not be allowed to even speak of being thirsty for the rest of the night unless they drank the faucet water! Honestly, your party sounds like a lot of fun! You had a bouncy house and food. That's all my kids need to be happy. You're berating yourself for no good reason. You sound like a great party hostess who happens to be surrounded by some negative and unhappy people. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back.
  • meggiewho97
    meggiewho97 Posts: 17 Member
    If her daughter has such particular tastes, then she should have taken measures to see that they would be met, not relying on someone else, especially without prior acknowledgement. Seriously. This is irritating. You did fine! It's not your fault that the pizza was a bit late. The kids had a great time, and that's what matters.

    This^^ :drinker: