Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 07:43     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:A family my kids and I had known since preschool invited my two kids to a laser tag birthday party when they were in elementary. I don't trust their judgement so I usually would go and hang at their kids birthday party and help. They insisted I drop my kids at their house. They planned to ferry all the kids to the laser tag place themselves but they only had one small sedan. I offered to help drive and they refused.

It was all a ruse to allow them to only take some of the kids to laser tag. 2 hours after dropping them off, my kids call for me to come pick them up at the host's home. The parents took most of the kids to the laser place but left some of the kids behind saying they'd be back to get them. The birthday kid's big sister stayed at the house with our kids and the other one or two unlucky ones. My kids had started to call me at the one hour mark but the big sister stopped them several times. I headed to their house but big sister heard my kids call me and called her parents. Dad hightailed it to get my kids - the other kids parents had already picked them up. I got to the laser tag place before the dad showed up with my kids. The party was over and I had to wait for my kids to be ferried there for no reason. The galling thing is that the mom was furious with me because she got caught. They never apologized and were angry at me for discovering their dishonesty. They knew they couldn't get all the kids there and didn't want to pay for laser tag for all of them so they just left some of the kids.

I'm so glad they moved so I never have to see them again.




This one is fake.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 07:41     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.


That is awful. And while this has never happened to us, I know people who were invited to a birthday party and then half the kids are invited to sleep over - not cool! All or nothing for these parties IMHO.


I had friends who did this when I was a kid - all the kids leave except 5 who then stay for a sleepover. They were all talking about it too, it was hurtful.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 07:40     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Birthday for 6 year old. Nutella sandwiches (“pass the epi-pen”), shrimp cocktails (“epi-pen, STAT”), and a piñata set up directly in front of an enormous flat screen TV.

It's your responsibility to let your host know about allergies. I always ask about allergies when I invite children and make sure to accommodate them, but all the parents have always offered to send extra food/treats for their kids with food allergies.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2025 06:38     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Outdoor playground party in mid November at a playground that was scary unsafe for the age. It was so cold!
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 23:12     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.


Wow that’s horrible, though I could picture some moms doing this.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:58     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.


That is awful. And while this has never happened to us, I know people who were invited to a birthday party and then half the kids are invited to sleep over - not cool! All or nothing for these parties IMHO.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:42     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.


Wow. What a terrible terrible woman.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:38     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.


That is so rude
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 22:09     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Had a small bday party for my son, invited about 5 boys. One boy rsvp'd no, the other 4 yes. Then the mom called and said her son could make it after all. When party was over she picked up her son and the other 4 boys. Turned out her son was having a party that night immediately after and the other boys were invited but not my son. It kind of sucked.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 21:45     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:A family my kids and I had known since preschool invited my two kids to a laser tag birthday party when they were in elementary. I don't trust their judgement so I usually would go and hang at their kids birthday party and help. They insisted I drop my kids at their house. They planned to ferry all the kids to the laser tag place themselves but they only had one small sedan. I offered to help drive and they refused.

It was all a ruse to allow them to only take some of the kids to laser tag. 2 hours after dropping them off, my kids call for me to come pick them up at the host's home. The parents took most of the kids to the laser place but left some of the kids behind saying they'd be back to get them. The birthday kid's big sister stayed at the house with our kids and the other one or two unlucky ones. My kids had started to call me at the one hour mark but the big sister stopped them several times. I headed to their house but big sister heard my kids call me and called her parents. Dad hightailed it to get my kids - the other kids parents had already picked them up. I got to the laser tag place before the dad showed up with my kids. The party was over and I had to wait for my kids to be ferried there for no reason. The galling thing is that the mom was furious with me because she got caught. They never apologized and were angry at me for discovering their dishonesty. They knew they couldn't get all the kids there and didn't want to pay for laser tag for all of them so they just left some of the kids.

I'm so glad they moved so I never have to see them again.





That is one of the most mind boggling insane things I have ever read on this site! Why bother inviting your kids?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 19:58     Subject: Re:What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Lazy river pool party for 14-year-olds. Put “free admission” on the invitation so guests would know not to pay.

One girl’s dad showed up with her two younger sisters and set up under the reserved-area tables with umbrellas. He cheerfully said that mom and invited girl would be along soon.

I had to tell him that admission was free only for the 25 invited guests. He went and paid his admission, they stayed, and invited girl and mom never showed up.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 20:51     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A family my kids and I had known since preschool invited my two kids to a laser tag birthday party when they were in elementary. I don't trust their judgement so I usually would go and hang at their kids birthday party and help. They insisted I drop my kids at their house. They planned to ferry all the kids to the laser tag place themselves but they only had one small sedan. I offered to help drive and they refused.

It was all a ruse to allow them to only take some of the kids to laser tag. 2 hours after dropping them off, my kids call for me to come pick them up at the host's home. The parents took most of the kids to the laser place but left some of the kids behind saying they'd be back to get them. The birthday kid's big sister stayed at the house with our kids and the other one or two unlucky ones. My kids had started to call me at the one hour mark but the big sister stopped them several times. I headed to their house but big sister heard my kids call me and called her parents. Dad hightailed it to get my kids - the other kids parents had already picked them up. I got to the laser tag place before the dad showed up with my kids. The party was over and I had to wait for my kids to be ferried there for no reason. The galling thing is that the mom was furious with me because she got caught. They never apologized and were angry at me for discovering their dishonesty. They knew they couldn't get all the kids there and didn't want to pay for laser tag for all of them so they just left some of the kids.

I'm so glad they moved so I never have to see them again.




This is the biggest WTF. I’d have ripped them a new one.


I could deal with most things on this thread politely but I would lose it with this one.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 20:51     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t terrible, it was just weird. 4 year birthday party - big bash, families invited, at an event site, band hired, at peak dinner time for preschoolers, I think 5-7’ish and they served….speciality popsicles from a cart and small bags of popcorn. That’s it. I thanked Dad host and he commented on how Mom had spent the whole spring planning it.


People laugh but I always ALWAYS had a purse full of goldfish during birthday parties at this age. My kids get hangry and I didn’t want anyone to have to deal with that.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 20:45     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Anonymous wrote:Birthday for 6 year old. Nutella sandwiches (“pass the epi-pen”), shrimp cocktails (“epi-pen, STAT”), and a piñata set up directly in front of an enormous flat screen TV.


Need to add a messy craft. Fingerpainting? One of those wet sand things? Chipping away at plaster to expose something kit? Even a bowl of saturated Orbeez will do.

"In nature, sunlight, heat, and bacteria help decompose Orbeez. However, since they are designed to hold excess water and resist breaking down, they do not degrade quickly. Some studies suggest that less than 10% of the material decomposes in 10 days, meaning full breakdown can take centuries."
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 19:37     Subject: What’s the WORST birthday party experience you ever had?
Birthday for 6 year old. Nutella sandwiches (“pass the epi-pen”), shrimp cocktails (“epi-pen, STAT”), and a piñata set up directly in front of an enormous flat screen TV.