I still feel the same about my 20 something kids….And my late mother used to freak out over us, and us included 2 grandfathers!

I suppose we’ll never ever “get used to it”.

Cheers

As a mom, I can relate how something like your child’s disappointment can just break your heart for them. I agree with everyone here, a make up party after everyone gets well will make this birthday something he’ll remember rather something that he’d rather forget.

Happy Birthday to your son!!

Tell him he’s got tons of greetings online. :)

My sole guest and I played games and waited another hour. We didn’t touch the cupcakes and Kool-aid my mother had made, because the party hadn’t started yet. Finally she said she had to go home soon. I couldn’t understand why my best friend wouldn’t show up. My guest and I rode our bikes the few blocks to the So-and-so’s house and saw their car pull into the driveway. They all got out and the parents started unloading groceries, marching right past me and pointedly ignoring my “Hello.” My best friend turned red when she saw me, and muttered that the shopping took longer than usual.

I was about to burst into tears. I asked if they could come over to my house for the party. The mother sharply said that it was impossible, it was too close to dinner time. Then I did start crying. I was not a popular kid at school, these few friends were all I had, and now my birthday, the one day of the year that was supposed to be special just for me, had been turned into a bad joke. The father snapped, “Oh, all right, you can go, but be back in half an hour!”

We sped back to my house, downed the cupcakes and Kool-aid and I unwrapped a couple of gifts I can’t even remember. Then everyone left, half an hour on the dot. I knew the parents of my best friend disliked me – her mother was an immigrant and there were cultural differences – but I will always remember that day as an example of inexcusable, vicious, adult nastiness. Who does that to a child?

Please reschedule a party for your son. As little as he is, I think he needs to know that none of this happened on purpose, that his little friends were just ill, and that they do care about him. At that age friendship is just being in the same room and playing, but it matters.

We have five boys, and I became disgusted with the whole birthday party thing pretty early. We began a different birthday tradition instead. Since the boys were home with me all day every day, on their birthdays they get to spend the day with Dad doing exactly what they want to do. They are given a spending limit (usually $50, or in one case my youngest fell in love with a $3 clearance toy), and they can use it on a gift they’ve been wanting or they can choose to go out to their favorite restaurant and a movie.

The result is that they don’t get as many gifts or cards from family and friends, but that hasn’t bothered us or them (less thank you notes to write for them; less clutter for the rest of us). Plus, they still get to feel special without the expense of a party.

A make-up birthday party is a great idea…but it might be wise to chat with the parents first and find out whether “stomach flu” was really going around, or whether that’s just the most popular excuse. The last thing you need is an instant replay of this fiasco.

This happened to me twice in a row–as a grown-up! That’s why I don’t throw parties anymore: at my house “entertaining” = inviting one or two couples for dinner. Or going out somewhere with friends…the real ones, that is.

I agree with Jade. Can you print out these comments, cut out the Happy Birthday parts, and make a little booklet for your son? Maybe also have him do a special little column within your Simple Dollar. I know I’d love to hear from him.

I also think the surprise party at a later date is a fantastic idea.

Having a b-day around this time of the year when people are getting sick is always rough. Mine is in Feburary, and this year I ended up cancelling my dinner party because everyone I invited got sick that morning. And it’s not the first time this has happened to me.

So you can let your son know that he isn’t the only one who has had a b-day party cancelled because everyone was sick. And every cloud has a silver lining: At least he wasn’t sick! ;-) I’m remembering a nasty cold I had on my 16th b-day, or the stomach flu I had for my 11th b-day. At least he was healthy and had a good time with his parents.

As for a make-up party, it’s a good idea. I had one myself this year… in June! It was the only time my friends and I all had a Saturday night free. Oh well, better late than never!

So you can tell your son that lots of people are wishing him a happy birthday, and lots of people have their parties cancelled because everyone got sick, and lots of people have make-up parties when everyone feels better!

And doing get well cards is a great idea.