The woman turned to Reddit users for advice after she feared she had been the root cause of the blunder.
asserted
she → turn → blunder
The mom said she invited all of the boys in her son’s class to his upcoming celebration at Lazer Tag, but was surprised to receive a response from a parent asking if they could also bring two additional children.
uncertain
they → say → children
“I was extremely confused.
asserted
I → confuse → ?
I had invited boys, and I realised there must be boy/girl twins in the class,” she said.
asserted
she → invite → class
“After thinking about it, in [my] opinion there was no confusion on who was invited.
asserted
who → think → opinion
I hand wrote names on all the invitations.
asserted
I → write → invitations
I’m immediately extremely uncomfortable.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
This sort of thing gives me extreme anxiety.”
asserted
sort → give → anxiety
The mom probably would have let it slide if the other parent wanted to bring the invited child’s twin, but including a third sibling seemed excessive.
asserted
including → let → sibling
“We only do a birthday party every other year because it is insanely expensive,” she said.
asserted
she → do → party
“The cost of the uninvited children is $74, sorry I’m not willing to pay that.
asserted
I → ’m → that
I’ve allowed siblings at birthdays before but the cost was much less, and his class was smaller.”
asserted
class → allow → birthdays
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asserted
Report → start → news
The woman explained that she has also had to bring siblings to birthday parties when she had no one to watch them, but “made it clear upfront” that she would pay for any additional costs.
asserted
she → explain → costs
In a text to the inquiring parent, the mom detailed her stance.
asserted
mom → inquire → stance
So happy XXXX can come!
asserted
XXXX → come → ?
I apologise for the confusion, we had no idea there were twins in the class and we had just invited the boys.
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we → apologise → boys
We have a booking but I can call and add two more if you want to pay the additional cost of 74 (37×2),” she wrote.
asserted
she → have → 74
Despite trying to be “as polite as possible”, the woman said her “mortified” husband took great offence at her request, deeming it to be “extremely rude”, despite also not wanting to pay for the uninvited kids.
asserted
it → try → kids
After some time, the parent responded that all three of her kids would attend, and was seemingly fine with the $74 payment.
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three → respond → payment
Half an hour after the party started, she texted the mom of the birthday boy to say they would be there soon.
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they → start → boy
But one hour after festivities started, the parent suddenly announced the sibling trio wouldn’t be attending at all, leaving the mom hosting the event $111 out of pocket, and very annoyed.
“We changed the reservation because she said all three kids would come the night before the party.
asserted
kids → start → party
My husband paid the bill based on the reservation we made, and the pre-ordered food,” the mom said.
asserted
mom → pay → reservation
Despite concerns that she was in the wrong, Reddit users largely declared the mom was not an “a**hole” and had made a “reasonable request”.
asserted
mom → declare → request
“Trying to bring two extra kids to a party you weren’t invited to is wild.
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you → try → party
The audacity of some parents is unreal,” one person said.
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person → say → parents
“This has happened to my children’s birthday parties.
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This → happen → parties
I have had to pay the difference.
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I → have → difference
It’s not fair to the invited kids because the uninvited siblings expect a goodie bag too.
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siblings → ’ → bag
Then I’m the bad guy to not have extras,” another commented.
asserted
another → ’m → extras
“The rude person is the one who wants to dump all of her kids at your birthday party,” someone else said.
asserted
someone → want → party
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asserted
Report → start → news
However, several people reprimanded the mom for asking for money for the additional children, calling the move “tacky”.
asserted
people → reprimand → move
“Should’ve just said no,” one person said.
asserted
person → say → ?
“I think it would be better to say that you can’t accommodate the extra kids than to send them an invoice,” another chimed in.
“I’m a ‘more the merrier’ person, but it’s completely OK and very understandable for people to have a budget at a venue.
asserted
people → think → venue
I probably would have responded that the party is capped and it’s a set package deal,” someone else said.
asserted
someone → respond → ?
Others pondered why the mom was hosting elaborate parties for her children, to which she responded that the rate is standard at venues like Lazer Tag and Chuck E. Cheese.
asserted
rate → ponder → Tag
Australians are spending an average of $1118 on their kids’ birthday parties, according to a Decathlon survey released last week.
uncertain
Australians → spend → survey
The Aporia
