I don’t want to eat pizza at 3pm and I don’t know any other parents who do either.

I love it when hosts have beautiful cupcakes for the parents and coffee, or an “adult cooler” at pool parties but please don’t spend extra money to serve me a slice of tepid pizza at a trampoline park at 3pm.

I always got platters (shrimp cocktail, chicken wraps, and cookies) for the parents at my kids’ birthday parties. If you schlep your kid out, you deserve a snack and my deepest thank you.

Anonymous wrote:There should be enough food for kids and parents (if not drop-off) at whatever time the party is. You don't have to serve a meal at a non-mealtime party, but whatever you do choose to serve, have enough for everybody to have some.

100%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People around here are mystifyingly cheap and bad hosts. I never experienced anything like it until I moved here. Where I come from and the circles I was in, running out of food for your guests no matter their age would be considered mortifying. Even coming close to running out so that your guests have noticed and are taking less food to be polite is considered bad hosting! Not serving food to all guests at whatever time of day just isn’t an option.

No one has ever been able to explain to me why this area in particular is like this.

I don't get the trend in DCUM of blaming all of the rude things that people do around here on the DC area or the people that live here. I grew up here and never experienced people cheaping out on food. I have never been to a party where the hosts didn't have enough food. Don't blame the area just because you choose to hang out with rude people. Sheesh.

Typically you don’t get to choose the parents of the kids yours goes to daycare/preschool with. It’s not a choice to hang out with rude people who invite your kid to their kid’s birthday party.

There should be enough food for kids and parents (if not drop-off) at whatever time the party is. You don't have to serve a meal at a non-mealtime party, but whatever you do choose to serve, have enough for everybody to have some.

Enough food for the kids is expected. Some food for the parents is polite. But not necessary.

Anonymous wrote:People around here are mystifyingly cheap and bad hosts. I never experienced anything like it until I moved here. Where I come from and the circles I was in, running out of food for your guests no matter their age would be considered mortifying. Even coming close to running out so that your guests have noticed and are taking less food to be polite is considered bad hosting! Not serving food to all guests at whatever time of day just isn’t an option.

No one has ever been able to explain to me why this area in particular is like this.

I don't get the trend in DCUM of blaming all of the rude things that people do around here on the DC area or the people that live here. I grew up here and never experienced people cheaping out on food. I have never been to a party where the hosts didn't have enough food. Don't blame the area just because you choose to hang out with rude people. Sheesh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s practically $1K floor to throw a 5 year old a party in this area with adequate space, food and drinks. It’s ridiculous. I don’t judge. And if the food runs out I would just tell my kid we will get something on the way home. It’s not a crisis.

I mean, you would think if you are investing that much you wouldn’t want your guests to leave hungry.

No - as someone who was raised in tight circumstances I feel uncomfortable spending an amount on a child’s bday party that would have been my parents’ food budget for several months growing up. It feels very extravagant. My point is more so that a kids party should not have to feel like an investment at all. And I do not begrudge anyone who is not trying to spend that kind of $$.

I think you are missing the point here. If you are at the party-they already made the investment. They just made a conscious choice not to spend the extra $50 to make sure everyone gets fed. If you are already spending that much-then at least make it make sense.

And you know what? You don’t have to have a party at all! Nobody likes planning them. They are awful. But we all do them, and we all go. And you could also have an awesome low key party in a backyard or a park for super cheap and then pretty much the whole budget is just food. There are ways to be a good host without spending tons of money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s practically $1K floor to throw a 5 year old a party in this area with adequate space, food and drinks. It’s ridiculous. I don’t judge. And if the food runs out I would just tell my kid we will get something on the way home. It’s not a crisis.

I mean, you would think if you are investing that much you wouldn’t want your guests to leave hungry.

No - as someone who was raised in tight circumstances I feel uncomfortable spending an amount on a child’s bday party that would have been my parents’ food budget for several months growing up. It feels very extravagant. My point is more so that a kids party should not have to feel like an investment at all. And I do not begrudge anyone who is not trying to spend that kind of $$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the time of day. 12:00 party? Yes, you need enough food for an actual lunch for everyone, including parents. 3:00 party? Half slice of pizza is plenty to wind the kids down from their activity and transition to cake.

Wrong. If the party is at a weird time then you can serve other stuff (fruit, snacks…whatever) but you need to have plenty of it. You don’t get to just have “less” pizza. But actually, you should always have a meal choice no matter what time of day the party is. But whatever you serve you need to have enough of it-ideally for everyone(including the parents that are required to be there with the kids).

Disagree. Most parents don’t even want the food. And serving a meal at 3 pm is silly.

You don’t have to serve a meal-but you should have some kind of food for EVERYONE. That’s being a good host.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the time of day. 12:00 party? Yes, you need enough food for an actual lunch for everyone, including parents. 3:00 party? Half slice of pizza is plenty to wind the kids down from their activity and transition to cake.

Wrong. If the party is at a weird time then you can serve other stuff (fruit, snacks…whatever) but you need to have plenty of it. You don’t get to just have “less” pizza. But actually, you should always have a meal choice no matter what time of day the party is. But whatever you serve you need to have enough of it-ideally for everyone(including the parents that are required to be there with the kids).

Disagree. Most parents don’t even want the food. And serving a meal at 3 pm is silly.

Anonymous wrote:Oh who cares! So what if a kid can't have a second piece of pizza. Kids barely go two hours without eating these days. They'll live.

Sounds like the host Op is talking about

Anonymous wrote:It’s practically $1K floor to throw a 5 year old a party in this area with adequate space, food and drinks. It’s ridiculous. I don’t judge. And if the food runs out I would just tell my kid we will get something on the way home. It’s not a crisis.

I mean, you would think if you are investing that much you wouldn’t want your guests to leave hungry.

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the time of day. 12:00 party? Yes, you need enough food for an actual lunch for everyone, including parents. 3:00 party? Half slice of pizza is plenty to wind the kids down from their activity and transition to cake.

Wrong. If the party is at a weird time then you can serve other stuff (fruit, snacks…whatever) but you need to have plenty of it. You don’t get to just have “less” pizza. But actually, you should always have a meal choice no matter what time of day the party is. But whatever you serve you need to have enough of it-ideally for everyone(including the parents that are required to be there with the kids).

It’s practically $1K floor to throw a 5 year old a party in this area with adequate space, food and drinks. It’s ridiculous. I don’t judge. And if the food runs out I would just tell my kid we will get something on the way home. It’s not a crisis.