Birthdays Gone Wild

So when did it become the norm to spend hundreds on a kids birthday party? I remember growing up we were lucky if Mom let us have a couple friends over for cake and ice cream. The only time we were allowed something more extravagant than that was on special years - 10, 16, 18. We never went anywhere for our birthday parties - they were always at home, no fuss, just cake, the birthday song, open gifts, done. Occasionally, someone was allowed to stay for a sleepover but that is only if we behaved during the rest of the party.

Now, it seems that as parents we are trying to out do each other on every party. It started in preschool.....Chuck E. Cheese parties, McDonald's parties, bouncy houses w/ clowns or Batman impersonators. Then we graduated to Main Event bowling parties, Build a Bear parties, Laser Tag, Skating parties, Sweet & Sassy makeover parties. So for A's 9th birthday, I thought I'd throw down the gauntlet and have an old fashioned sleepover!! 11 girls, pizza, snacks, drinks, decorations, activities, gift bags....and I actually spent more than I ever had at Main Event! It was crazy.

This year is trying to balance a party with two classmates who share September birthday's w/ A. We have settled on a swimming party but we cannot come to a consensus on whether to pay $300 for a DJ for two hours or have a couple of High School students DJ for a free piece of cake? I'm voting free but one of the girls feels like it will just be considered a boring swimming party if we do not have a real DJ on site. A says the HS students are fine with her but that is beauty of my laid back child.

I know that all the party hoopla is my own fault. Miss A would have been perfectly happy all these years to just have a few friends over for cake and ice cream, but how could I allow that when all the other girls her age were having big parties at fancy establishments? I had to compete, be in the game, make an impression that I, too, could spend a ridiculous amount of money entertaining a bunch of kids!!! I could be the queen of the birthday party circuit!! Now that I see the error of my ways.....the question is whether or not I will be more practical when E starts having birthday parties? He's already been to one Chuck E Cheese party for a preschool classmate and during the party I found myself thinking, "you know, this wouldn't be so bad for his 3rd birthday!".. Darn me.......stop the insanity. It's going to be cake and ice cream at home with family....he won't know the difference, he's only three. But his friends parents will know and I might become an outcast.......