Mom Says She’s Done With Throwing Birthday Parties For Her Kids After Spending $718 For Just One ‘Mediocre’ 2-Hour Celebration
While she's grateful to have the money to spend on her kids' birthday parties, it doesn't seem like the best use of her time.
Vlada Karpovich / Pexels A mom has admitted that she has no interest in throwing her children yearly birthday parties after spending too much money only for it to be "mediocre."
In a TikTok video, Hannah, a fashion and lifestyle content creator, revealed that kids' birthday parties usually aren't fun for anyone except the children. She no longer wants the stress and exhaustion of planning another birthday party — ever again.
Hannah said she's done throwing birthday parties for her kids after spending $718 for a 2-hour celebration.
"I think we've had it with kids' birthday parties," Hannah declared. "I just added that all up, and that was $718 for a mediocre, average, run-of-the-mill birthday party. That does not include any presents that we got him."
For her son's birthday, she took 15 of his friends and other children to play mini-golf. She insisted it felt like "such a waste," especially because she has three children and will most likely spend $700 on each kid's party three times a year.
In addition to the friend parties, they usually do something with their immediate family on their actual birthday, which consists of balloons, cake, and their favorite meal.
Hannah acknowledged that while friendships are important, her kids already have family-centered birthday celebrations, and that should be enough.
"I do not want to sound ungrateful. I am very fortunate, lucky, and privileged that we can provide these things for our children, first and foremost," Hannah continued. "But it doesn't mean that it's the best choice, that it's the best use of our money."
Photo: Zurijeta / Canva Pro
The costs of kids' birthday parties have steadily risen over the last several years. A 2017 BabyCenter survey found that 11% of parents reported spending more than $500 for their child's first birthday. But in more expensive cities like New York and Los Angeles, $500 would just be the cost of the birthday cake alone.
Hannah explained that birthday parties are often a source of chaos for her children, who are already high energy as it is. She noticed that they usually don't sleep the night before parties or the night after because of how overstimulated they are.
She questioned what she should do in place of spending money on birthday parties.
"Do I offer a one-on-one kind of little weekend trip with each child using that $700? I want to know about your birthday party tradition lessons. What you've learned, what you do, advice for me going forward because my husband and I last night were like, 'We can't do this again,'" she stressed.
She admitted that the amount of money they spent on the experience did nothing but take a toll on her and the rest of their family. She doesn't want to have to put up with that for each of her three children's birthdays. Hannah, though, isn't the only parent who is refusing to throw yearly birthday parties for their children.
In a TikTok video, Marissa Light, a stay-at-home mother, explained that she has no intention of ever throwing an over-the-top extravaganza for her daughter. Light, whose daughter hadn't even turned 1 yet, recalled having to attend children's birthday parties of all ages and always felt the same about each of them — they were boring and never enjoyable for the parents and adults attending.
"I am not going to force that on my friends and family. If you are someone who genuinely enjoys throwing your child a birthday party, do what you wanna do. I personally don't find it necessary," Light said. "My daughter will be loved and celebrated on her birthday every single year, it just won't be in that way."
Instead of throwing birthday parties, Light said that she would create an "all-about day" for her daughter, where she could choose what the entire family did to celebrate her birthday each year.
A child's birthday party doesn't have to be lavish because not everyone is the Kardashians and can afford to spend thousands of dollars on an event planner every year. There's nothing wrong with making it simple yet fun.
The essence of celebrating a birthday, whether you're a child or an adult, isn't about the material possessions or the scale of the festivities; rather, it's about creating meaningful connections and memories with those we hold close. There are many other options that a parent can provide their child to make sure they're still excited and looking forward to their birthday every year, whether or not there's a party attached to it.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.