Anonymous wrote:I still think it might be fun for your DD to go. As long as nothing gets purchased. Definitely cannot reward this tacky behavior.

Clearly you don't understand how this sort of thing operates.

I still think it might be fun for your DD to go. As long as nothing gets purchased. Definitely cannot reward this tacky behavior.

Anonymous wrote:
The whole thing blew up via email. I mentioned this to a mom I am friends with yesterday and asked if she had read the email/got the call. She had not but I guess went home read the email and figured it out and then fired off an angry email late last night to pretty much the whole grade about soliciting business at little kid parties and how wrong this was, etc. I didn't expect her to go off like that and I wish I had said nothing. Then again when she figured it out, she likely would have had the same reaction. Lots of emails back and forth with plenty of parents upset. It seems like a lot of girls won't be attending. The mom hosting fired back via email and was pretty nasty in her replies.

It's better that all of this drama happened via e-mail instead of in person at the party in front of the assembled 11-year-old girls, I guess.

Anonymous wrote:Soliciting business from 11yo kids is in shockingly poor taste. I would probably even be okay if the aunt (or whomever) threw a makeover party (donated supplies from whatever line she reps) and then enclosed an contact form with a FREE goody bag.

But having a party purely to make money off of kids and likely hoping to get business from their parents? That's unbelievably awful.

Agree.

please stop it now!!

I would KILL to read those emails back and forth!

Mary Kay is the worst. I cannot believe the birthday girl's parents would think this was okay. I think the idea is a fun one, and if you have a sister or cousin or whatever you want to support in her pyramid scheme, then as the host, maybe you should buy a little lip gloss and nail polish from the consultant for each of the girls. But to allow there to be anything for sale at a birthday party - unbelievable.

It also sounds like the host gave your contact information to the Mary Kay lady. I would be PISSED about that, if that is the case.

Crazy! What did the host mom say in her emails?

Anonymous wrote:Soliciting business from 11yo kids is in shockingly poor taste. I would probably even be okay if the aunt (or whomever) threw a makeover party (donated supplies from whatever line she reps) and then enclosed an contact form with a FREE goody bag.

But having a party purely to make money off of kids and likely hoping to get business from their parents? That's unbelievably awful.

Yes! If the aunt wants to sell things, she should have the birthday girl's mother buy one thing (i.e. lip gloss or nail polish) for each girl. After all, she's the mother, and normal mothers who give goody bags at bday parties don't charge the guests for them.

OP, it's probably for the best that your friend blew up. Also, imagine how she would've reacted if she had sent her DD to the party and discovered that you knew about the scheme all along without warning anyone. Though you don't like this type of confrontation, it was bound to happen at some point! Better now than at or after the party when her daughter is potentially begging in front of everyone for the eye shadow that MK Creepo just put on her face--that would have caused an even bigger "scene".

Soliciting business from 11yo kids is in shockingly poor taste. I would probably even be okay if the aunt (or whomever) threw a makeover party (donated supplies from whatever line she reps) and then enclosed an contact form with a FREE goody bag.

But having a party purely to make money off of kids and likely hoping to get business from their parents? That's unbelievably awful.

Anonymous wrote:What bad taste.

If you think your dd would enjoy the makeovers, I don't think there's any harm in her going, as long as you tell her ahead of time that Larla's aunt will be trying to sell her things, that you won't be giving her any money, and that buying something isn't at all necessary.

Learning to say no in the face of a hard sell is a good skill to learn.

+1

This is a new low. How gross.

Well I am glad this isn't a trend.

The whole thing blew up via email. I mentioned this to a mom I am friends with yesterday and asked if she had read the email/got the call. She had not but I guess went home read the email and figured it out and then fired off an angry email late last night to pretty much the whole grade about soliciting business at little kid parties and how wrong this was, etc. I didn't expect her to go off like that and I wish I had said nothing. Then again when she figured it out, she likely would have had the same reaction. Lots of emails back and forth with plenty of parents upset. It seems like a lot of girls won't be attending. The mom hosting fired back via email and was pretty nasty in her replies.

Bottom line - our DD is not going and I simply sent a thanks for the invite but dd can't make it and told my DD we made other plans that day. She seemed ok with it and I said if she really wanted to do a make over we could do something over the summer.

A colleague of mine at work is constantly pressuring all the women in the office to buy her stupid Mary Kay products. I can't even believe someone would host a sales party in the guise of a child's b-day party. Now I've heard everything!!

Take her out for a makeover at a place of your own choosing. Do not reward deceitful tactics!

Those Mary Kay reps are snakes and they have no business contacting minors. I would be very blunt with her. I don't care if its rude. My daughters have been targeted by a similar Mary Kay rep. She even uses her kids to draw them in. It ruined a budding friendship, but I told my kids that under no uncertain terms were they to pursue that friendship b/c it was based on manipulation.