At what age do kids stop having birthday parties?

[Anonymous]

31?

[Anonymous]

Mine is a bit of an unusual one My 3rd grade son still goes to parties he's invited to, but never invites classmates over to celebrate his own birthday. Instead he only ever invites his best friend, a girl who live across he street from us who he's known since he was 2 and she does the same on her birthday. On a typical birthday party they play together in the backyard, go and watch a movie, make a pizza and have a sleepover. We have asked why he doesn't invite other friends. He says he has the most fun when it's just him and her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are the polar opposite of these families. We do not do the parties when the kids are little because they hardly remember them, a lot of it is just for adults, little ones get easily overwhelmed, etc. It is a big deal in our family when the child gets to have their first “real” birthday party. For my daughter this summer turning 8, it will be her first one!

I really cannot stand when parents try to rush childhood. And now they are over it? No duh, Sherlocks. I could have told you that. Well, do not ruin it for the rest of us who exercised patience and now our children can still genuinely the true joy of childhood. Sorry YOU made foolish decisions early in so now you are exhausted and your kids are jaded.

And now they try to turn it around and get moralistic about it and impose it on others? That is rich, really rich.

This is such a good idea! My kids are 4 & 6 and always got so overwhelmed at chaotic parties. We don't attend a ton and always do small family parties for them. I like the idea of just doing something bigger once they are older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are the polar opposite of these families. We do not do the parties when the kids are little because they hardly remember them, a lot of it is just for adults, little ones get easily overwhelmed, etc. It is a big deal in our family when the child gets to have their first “real” birthday party. For my daughter this summer turning 8, it will be her first one!

I really cannot stand when parents try to rush childhood. And now they are over it? No duh, Sherlocks. I could have told you that. Well, do not ruin it for the rest of us who exercised patience and now our children can still genuinely the true joy of childhood. Sorry YOU made foolish decisions early in so now you are exhausted and your kids are jaded.

And now they try to turn it around and get moralistic about it and impose it on others? That is rich, really rich.

Agree. Also it's weird when people think kids are "too old" for places like Chuck E. cheese and what not in Kindergarten. Those places are not for 2 and 3 year olds. Let kids be kids

This is such a good idea! My kids are 4 & 6 and always got so overwhelmed at chaotic parties. We don't attend a ton and always do small family parties for them. I like the idea of just doing something bigger once they are older.

[Anonymous]

I’m 41 and my friends still celebrate our birthdays.

[Anonymous]

Your neighbors are jerks. I agree with the PP's who said childhood is just getting fun around 7 and 8! Saying that you should stop birthday parties at 7 because they're too babyish is RIDICULOUS. Is their 8 year old day trading stocks or something? Why are they rushing childhood? They ARE still babies (relatively) and there is nothing sweeter than the smile on the birthday kid's face at their party. Believe me, when you look back at pictures of your 8 year old's birthday party you won't think "wow he was too old for that."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So they don't want *any* kids to have parties because they don't want *their* kids to have a party? And they don't want their kids to feel left out by not having a party they don't want to give, so they're trying to make sure no one has parties?

Yes. -OP

Oh, eff that. OP, do what you want! If you invite kids to a bday party, no doubt they will be thrilled and happy to come. Any parents that complain are welcome to parent their kids however they like, but get no say in how you parent yours.

[Anonymous]

Your neighbors sound bizarre controlling. Have a party if you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some parents in my neighborhood who are trying to stop the birthday party habit. Basically they are sick of hosting and attending birthday parties, so they're trying to "spread the word" that birthday parties should stop at age 7. I understand that birthday parties are expensive to host, and they can present a logistical challenge with weekend sports and other activities. The parents have convinced their kids that birthday parties are only for little kids. These are all parents with multiple kids, so I can see how this benefits them cost and logistics wise, but we're not all in the same boat as them. We don't find attending birthday parties to be a chore (yay drop off!) and hosting one every year for our only child isn't a financial issue for us either.

The issue is that my son is turning 8 in a few months and really loves to have birthday parties. Because of the new trend in our neighborhood, he's not sure if he should have one or not. I told him it's his birthday and he gets to choose and shouldn't worry about what other kids and families are doing. If he wants a party, we'll be happy to throw him one.

Has anyone else seen a group of parents try to strong arm everyone else into following what they want? They can choose whatever they want to do for their families--it's their trying to influence what other families do that I have an issue with.

So now my son doesn't know what to do. He doesn't want to be seen as a baby, but he also really wants to have a birthday party. We do the birthday party, correct? It's an invitation, not a summons, so anyone who has a conflict doesn't have to come. But I'm sure the other moms will be unhappy that I'm "ruining" their plan to get the kids their age to stop having birthday parties.

What is a typically natural age for birthday parties to stop? Before all this started happening, we were thinking one more big party this year and then starting at age 9 a fun activity for a smaller group of kids. The issue is that my son isn't good at paring down the group of kids--he has friends from a lot of different places and wants to include them all.

This is what we do.

[Anonymous]

do what you want this is america

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So they don't want *any* kids to have parties because they don't want *their* kids to have a party? And they don't want their kids to feel left out by not having a party they don't want to give, so they're trying to make sure no one has parties?

fr tho

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So they don't want *any* kids to have parties because they don't want *their* kids to have a party? And they don't want their kids to feel left out by not having a party they don't want to give, so they're trying to make sure no one has parties?

Yes. -OP

And how exactly are they “strong arming” others or influencing them? I really don’t get it. Other than vocally expressing their own opinion- which they are allowed to do, how can they possibly influence anyone on what they do for their own children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So they don't want *any* kids to have parties because they don't want *their* kids to have a party? And they don't want their kids to feel left out by not having a party they don't want to give, so they're trying to make sure no one has parties?

Yes. -OP

And how exactly are they “strong arming” others or influencing them? I really don’t get it. Other than vocally expressing their own opinion- which they are allowed to do, how can they possibly influence anyone on what they do for their own children?

OP said other families are spreading the word that birthday parties are only for little kids. That is bizarre. It is one thing to choose not to have a party for your kids but to tell your 7 year old that nobody their age should be having a party is not normal behavior for parents.

[Anonymous]

My buttocks always hosts

[Anonymous]

There is no age cutoff. I know seniors in high school that have big birthday parties. The venues just change over the years from ones that toddlers enjoy to ones that tweens and then teens enjoy. Everyone 💕 loves to be invited to a party. Your neighbors are just cheap.