If you are a pinterest mom - why?

[Anonymous]

I hate that I can’t search for anything on the Internet without getting a stupid Pinterest link in my search results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not judging. As I said, I have a creative streak and actually enjoy doing some things creatively. But then I wonder if I am wasting my time bc I know the kids will not even notice.

If the only reason you'd do it is for your oblivious kids to "notice" then don't do it.

I was inquiring about what motivates other people - not sure why you are so offended by the question.

[Anonymous]

It makes me happy to have a creative outlet in my otherwise not creative work life. It also makes my kid feel special to see my effort, which builds confidence. It teaches creativity and giving when we build an experience for others to enjoy. If you don't "get it" then show up (or not), enjoy our efforts, and be thankful that you are free to make different choices.

[Anonymous]

This isn’t a mystery. Some people are artsy, love a project and take great joy in things being just so. I’m not one of those people but I’m glad they exist! Other people just like to show off/one-up.

[Anonymous]

Because it’s fun. Because I love visually appealing things. Same reason I decorate my house, plant flowers, hang Christmas decorations, etc. I like to add beauty to our lives.

[Anonymous]

I had wanted to be a party planner, but came upon that idea for a career too late. So I channel my creative energy into planning DD's birthday parties or events at work.

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with it? I have a friend who just loves doing this kind of thing, and was doing it long before pinterest came along, before the internet even. She does it because it's fun and it's her hobby. I don't think she cares if her kids notice or other people notice. If social media disappeared tomorrow and she couldn't post about it, she'd still do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you take the time to pinterest your child's birthday party - why? The kids will not appreciate it. One or two parents might say "ph how cute!" Believe it or not, I am NOT posting this to be snarky. I have a bit of a creative streak, but I am also really busy. Sometimes I start getting a little pinterst-y in party planning and I have to dial myself back and ask why I am bothering to make the cheap disposable table cloth look more appealing, bc the 20 5 year old boys at the party wiil.not.care. So, if you do pinterest type things, what motivates you to think it is worth it? I will say that I like the challenge of doing things 1)on the cheap and 2)in a sustainable way. So I get some satisfaction from upcycling and spending little to nothing on favors and decorations. For example, I have some leftover cupcake wrappers that I am doing to transform into candy baskets for favors, which will save me $20+ dollars on favor bags...stuff like that.

I get satisfaction from coming up with cute ideas and executing them. We simply have different interests. Mine aren't better than yours and yours aren't better than mine. It's just a difference in a matter of taste. We also probably like different clothes, drive different cars, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've done both elaborate themed parties and random backyard pizza-and-cake parties. My kids appreciated both kinds, and remember both fondly.

We never did the hired-entertainment, over-the-top parties, though. Sometimes I made cupcakes, treats, decorations, and favors that went with the theme, but the kids still ran around and played on the swings and climbed trees, and just enjoyed hanging out, eating junk food.

But I also threw themed get-togethers for friends long before Pinterest was ever a thing, even in grad school when they were on a shoestring budget and I was cramming things in between teaching and my own classes. My husband also likes to cook, make drinks, and play host to friends and family, so we've been doing this kind of thing for years. It was harder to have adult parties when the kids were little, so I guess sometimes those creative energies were channeled into kid parties.

Believe me, anyone who knows me (or has seen my house) knows I'm not trying to impress anyone with my amazing perfection. But I like to host, I like to cook, and I like an excuse to be creative. So judge away, I guess?

+1

My mom started throwing me Pinterest parties in the 80's even before she could document them on social media. Imagine that!

[Anonymous]

I don’t use it for parties but for house update ideas. Last year we bought a house that needed a lot of work and with three kids underfoot there was no way I could visit stores or just websites. Stair case railings? Simple on Pinterest. Birthday parties - please I do have some imagination!

[Anonymous]

I think its the same reason some people love doing their makeup, care a lot about artsy fashion, spend time on gardens that only they will see, or curating decorations.

Some of us are function / practical people (on some or all dimensions), others of us appreciate beautiful things (beauty being whatever they define it as) and invest in it, others of us love creating something and would rather create and get great joy from it.

Don't think of it as a "pinterest party" person - think of it as a person that loves throwing beautiful themed events that others may or may not appreciate but they take joy in. That's always been around, hostesess throwing lovely parties, there's just a more kid / social media aspect to it now

[Anonymous]

I’m a very creative person. In my creative field, my clients seldom listen to my advice. Making beautiful parties, etc is an enjoyable outlet for me. We are all different...

[Anonymous]

I am a WOHM and not naturally creative/artsy AT ALL, but I do put effort into birthdays and other special occasions. Firstly, for the pictures - I don’t post them anywhere or even share albums with anyone outside close family, but I like to look back and reminisce, and I know I’ll do that even more as the kids grow up! And second, to create a pleasant experience for my family and the guests and make them feel appreciated and welcome as a result of my effort.

[Anonymous]

Ive asked myself the same thing. I’ve done this a couple times. We are not a birthday-party-every-year family so I guess I want to do it up when we do have them. One year was a theme that doesn’t have as much cheap merchandise available as some others, so that one was going to be Pinterest or bust. I hate store bought cake, so I’m making and decorating a cake, Pinterest party or not. I kind of enjoy doing the decorations, and I know the kids obviously notice it, if they enjoy it more it compared to store-bought decorations I don’t know. We do have pics of the parties (including the decorations because I am vain) in our photo albums, so they do remember the parties.
The other thing is that when the parties actually happen I feel a bit embarrassed when the other parents compliment the decorations wondering if they are actually thinking “she needs a life/job”.
I don’t see it as saving money. Unless you already have the supplies lying around, which I never do, it ends up costing plenty compared to buying some branded cups and plates off of amazon or oriental trading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its the same reason some people love doing their makeup, care a lot about artsy fashion, spend time on gardens that only they will see, or curating decorations.

Some of us are function / practical people (on some or all dimensions), others of us appreciate beautiful things (beauty being whatever they define it as) and invest in it, others of us love creating something and would rather create and get great joy from it.

Don't think of it as a "pinterest party" person - think of it as a person that loves throwing beautiful themed events that others may or may not appreciate but they take joy in. That's always been around, hostesess throwing lovely parties, there's just a more kid / social media aspect to it now

Yes, to all of this. OP, people do this stuff because they enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, that's fine but it's not hard to understand why.