Going home hungry after birthday parties

[Anonymous]

Hummus is gross.

[Anonymous]

We are going to a party from 12:30-2 and was told by the host there will be no lunch served. I was steaming. That is lunchtime, my dc will be hungry so I have to carry lunch with me for him. What are thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are going to a party from 12:30-2 and was told by the host there will be no lunch served. I was steaming. That is lunchtime, my dc will be hungry so I have to carry lunch with me for him. What are thinking.

I guess they were thinking this is not about you.

[Anonymous]

I recently hosted a party for 11 yo birthday 3 pm to 6 pm on a Friday. healthy snacks right away, an intense & complicated activity, cake at 5:30. I felt awkward giving people kids at 6 pm wiht cake and no dinner, but that's what I did to allow time for the activity, which in this case was a big part of the party. Having paid for the venue, didn't want to spend the time eating pizza. Most parents at pick up got it and were headed either out or home for dinner. Also, older kids have more buffer. Anyway, all feedback was a great party, no one said (don't know if they thought) how rude, no pizza!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are going to a party from 12:30-2 and was told by the host there will be no lunch served. I was steaming. That is lunchtime, my dc will be hungry so I have to carry lunch with me for him. What are thinking.

they were thinking you could eat lunch at noon (what?) or eat on the way there, its called a drive-through. or if you dont eat fast food pack a little lunch bag with a sandwich and a cheese stick and an apple
what are you people going to do when your kids have evening activities when they are older? write the coach a note that snowflake will be late for practice due to a scheduled dinner time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are going to a party from 12:30-2 and was told by the host there will be no lunch served. I was steaming. That is lunchtime, my dc will be hungry so I have to carry lunch with me for him. What are thinking.

they were thinking you could eat lunch at noon (what?) or eat on the way there, its called a drive-through. or if you dont eat fast food pack a little lunch bag with a sandwich and a cheese stick and an apple
what are you people going to do when your kids have evening activities when they are older? write the coach a note that snowflake will be late for practice due to a scheduled dinner time?

Not all birthday parties are right next door to your house. If we ate lunch at noon at home, we'd be late for the party.

12:30-2 is smack in the middle of lunch time. Can't believe they don't plan on serving lunch.

If I was financially strapped, I would host a smaller party and serve food to fewer guests. You don't have to invite the whole class. Small sandwiches or pizza really doesn't cost that much.

[Anonymous]

These are probably the same people that think "no gift" parties are rude.

The only food one should expect at a birthday party is cake. If the party spans noontime or goes past 5, its polite to serve some food but still not required. (oh, and I fail to see how pizza at a birthday party is any better than having to stop by McDonald's on the way home--with the exception that the pizza is free)

personally, I think its super rude to expect anything of your hosts. Mature, gracious people would accept whatever their host provided and thank their host for their hospitality.

[Anonymous]

I hosted a part for 4yo DC where all the parents stayed. It was from 1-3 and I served real food. Sandwiches, mac 'n cheese, fruit, veggies, etc. and it was ALL gone at the end of the party. So that tells me that people were hungry. Even if I hosted a party from 2-4, I'd serve heavy snacks, not just chips and dip. I think it's better to have too much than too little.

I once went to a party (not a drop-off) that started at 1pm and all they served were pretzels and cake. Some of the kids had come from soccer didn't have time to eat beforehand so by the time the party ended at 3 or 4, they were starving and cranky.

[Anonymous]

I suppose it's not rude to have a no-food party, but I wouldn't do it - and now i also know that I should make sure to invite the whole family, and not just the kids - to make sure there's no awkwardness about who is welcome. I would be mortified if adults left my DD's party having felt like they weren't welcome to the food. Growing up, birthday parties in my family, even for kids, were always adult affairs, with booze and everything, with kids playing together in the garage (and having a great time with their cousins). That is really starting to make more sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suppose it's not rude to have a no-food party, but I wouldn't do it - and now i also know that I should make sure to invite the whole family, and not just the kids - to make sure there's no awkwardness about who is welcome. I would be mortified if adults left my DD's party having felt like they weren't welcome to the food. Growing up, birthday parties in my family, even for kids, were always adult affairs, with booze and everything, with kids playing together in the garage (and having a great time with their cousins). That is really starting to make more sense to me.

Sounds fun but you won't impress the Joneses that way!

"They made Sofia and Aiden play in the GARAGE! Can you believe it! How RUDE!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hosted a part for 4yo DC where all the parents stayed. It was from 1-3 and I served real food. Sandwiches, mac 'n cheese, fruit, veggies, etc. and it was ALL gone at the end of the party. So that tells me that people were hungry. Even if I hosted a party from 2-4, I'd serve heavy snacks, not just chips and dip. I think it's better to have too much than too little.

I once went to a party (not a drop-off) that started at 1pm and all they served were pretzels and cake. Some of the kids had come from soccer didn't have time to eat beforehand so by the time the party ended at 3 or 4, they were starving and cranky.

The food being gone doesn't mean that people were hungry...it just proves the adage that people will eat what is FREE. If you had put out a bag of flour and a half eaten apple, that would have been fine too.

[Anonymous]

*meant to say "gone too." not "fine too."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hosted a part for 4yo DC where all the parents stayed. It was from 1-3 and I served real food. Sandwiches, mac 'n cheese, fruit, veggies, etc. and it was ALL gone at the end of the party. So that tells me that people were hungry. Even if I hosted a party from 2-4, I'd serve heavy snacks, not just chips and dip. I think it's better to have too much than too little.

I once went to a party (not a drop-off) that started at 1pm and all they served were pretzels and cake. Some of the kids had come from soccer didn't have time to eat beforehand so by the time the party ended at 3 or 4, they were starving and cranky.

The food being gone doesn't mean that people were hungry...it just proves the adage that people will eat what is FREE. If you had put out a bag of flour and a half eaten apple, that would have been fine too.

ROTFL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2-4 you don't serve a meal. Munches and cake yes, actual meal, no way. And you are never expected to feed adults. Sorry, but you're not. The party is for kids. That's who is invited. If parents want to stay, that's fine, but they can survive 2 hours w/o food and the party is for kids (20?) not 20 kids plus however many adults feel like staying.

That's crazy. I definitely think you need to feed the adults. Especially for non-drop-off parties. The adults have to stay, so they get food. If it's a financial thing, then just do a smaller party or have it at your home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are going to a party from 12:30-2 and was told by the host there will be no lunch served. I was steaming. That is lunchtime, my dc will be hungry so I have to carry lunch with me for him. What are thinking.

So, don't go if you don't like the plans.