Can I just serve cake at a B'day party or do I have to serve a meal?

[Anonymous]

We are having a party from 1-2:30 and serving cake only. No need to give the kids any more calories. It's a pottery party so not too strenuous.

[Anonymous]

I prefer parties without pizza or a meal unless the party is at a mealtime (11-1 or 5-7). I hate it when my kids eat pizza at 3:30 and then won't eat dinner.

[Anonymous]

We've definitely been to these parties, but it's a bit chintzy in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

So cheap. Totally not ok.

[Anonymous]

Outside of mealtimes, I prefer no "meal". A light snack would probably be appreciated.

Why so much focus on serving pizza? Most of those party places serve awful pizza and yet, some of you seem to be demanding it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So cheap. Totally not ok.

So pretentious. Totally not ok.

[Anonymous]

We had a party from 1:30 to 3:30 and said on the invite we'd have snacks and cake. And have seen that done at other parties. (there's been a trend on a lot of invites we've gotten lately that mentions what will be served at parties, I think because of potential allergy concerns?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is 6 and I have only been to ONE party where there was no "real food", just snacks and cake. It was at 1.30 and luckily my kid has eaten, but still! It was also a joint party for siblings.
Please mention on the invite explicitly that you won't be serving food. I would have saved on gifts if I knew and brought some cute inexpensive stuff. I brought nice gifts for both birthday kids. Felt I was lured into some gift grab thing (it was also at a playground, not a venue).

You were lured? What a strange way of looking at it. Did the invitation not state that it was at a playground?

P.S. from PP who just served snacks & cake (and said so on invitation) - I did spend a TON of money on an art party ... Spending $10 for crappy pizza doesn't strike me as the marker of a 'fancy' party. And I honestly don't care if you don't bring a gift for my kid. But the sense of a 'trade off' for getting cheap pizza is just bizarro logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So cheap. Totally not ok.

So pretentious. Totally not ok.

NP here, being a good hostess is always ok

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So cheap. Totally not ok.

So pretentious. Totally not ok.

What exactly is pretentious to you? Not even pretzels, chips, some fruit? Why even have a aprty? Just don't throw a party. You'll be ridiculed for years about your lack of hosting skills and cheapness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At 3:30 no way. Your party will be going on at 5 still and supper zone begins then. Move it earlier or feed them something more.

Parents can plan accordingly then.

It's really shocking to me that so many kids past the infant stage of life have to be fed on the dot and constantly snacking or they lose control.

It must be a Gen X parenting thing.

NP here.
Actually, I can't plan if I don't know there won't be food. And it's not that they need to eat constantly. We went to a 3:30pm party with only cake served at 5. This isn't the norm so I didn't consider that there would be no other food. Kids were starving after running around during the party and wanted extra cake. We were 45 minutes from home. And limited food options nearby. I thought it was so rude of the hosts , who were simultaneously making their own dinner plans while serving cake. Gee, if you're hungry don't you think your party guests are too?
Move it 2-4pm and you'll be fine op.

So basically you are a poor parent. Your kids had lunch and a snack of cake and couldn't wait until 6 for dinner? They were begging for more cake? You couldn't find any food for your children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At 3:30 no way. Your party will be going on at 5 still and supper zone begins then. Move it earlier or feed them something more.

Parents can plan accordingly then.

It's really shocking to me that so many kids past the infant stage of life have to be fed on the dot and constantly snacking or they lose control.

It must be a Gen X parenting thing.

NP here.
Actually, I can't plan if I don't know there won't be food. And it's not that they need to eat constantly. We went to a 3:30pm party with only cake served at 5. This isn't the norm so I didn't consider that there would be no other food. Kids were starving after running around during the party and wanted extra cake. We were 45 minutes from home. And limited food options nearby. I thought it was so rude of the hosts , who were simultaneously making their own dinner plans while serving cake. Gee, if you're hungry don't you think your party guests are too?
Move it 2-4pm and you'll be fine op.

So basically you are a poor parent. Your kids had lunch and a snack of cake and couldn't wait until 6 for dinner? They were begging for more cake? You couldn't find any food for your children?

Different kids are on different schedules. We do an early dinner with a bigger snack before bed as it works and we have several evening activities so they need to eat and digest before them. Actually, the poor parents generally have lots of food. At 5 PM, you serve food with cake, not just cake.

I'm not a fan of pizza and usually get subs but if that is all the venue has, you get some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm thinking 3:30.

The problem with that is it pushes some kids into dinner time. So, you're done at 5:30. I would not want my kid eating cake at 5 PM. You need pizza. My child often eats at 4:30 or 5 weekdays (weekends are more flexible but he's starving by then) to get to later activities. I have pulled my kid early from parties as he was hungry and there was no food. Once, we left and came back as it was a longer party. You may not like the food, I may not like the food, but be decent and get a few pizza's. Juice (which we don't drink so please have water too) and cake at 5:30 is not the greatest plan. At least warn people so we'd plan our evening to stop immediately after the party to eat.

Frankly, you sound like a pita parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So cheap. Totally not ok.

So pretentious. Totally not ok.

What exactly is pretentious to you? Not even pretzels, chips, some fruit? Why even have a aprty? Just don't throw a party. You'll be ridiculed for years about your lack of hosting skills and cheapness.

Well, maybe by you, but not by me.

[Anonymous]

I just realized this is in the Elementary School forum and not the Toddler forum. If your elementary aged kids cannot be flexible enough to bear eating outside of their normal time, you have likely created this problem by being too regimented. Kids need to learn to be able to be flexible for the own good both now and as adults, but if their parents aren't, how will they?

At the very least, serve them a snack before the party, if necessary.

And if the people you associate with will badmouth you behind your back for years for not doing your party to their standards, you need to find new people.