Tacky or not tacky, your opinion (school, price, best)

[ashnat]

Originally Posted by ahoffelt

It is definitely tacky to not at least inform the guests of the fee, but to play Devil's Advocate, spending $45 for a fun Sunday afternoon isn't the end of the world and the kids probably had fun. You would have spent that much going to a movie or going to the mall and if it boosted your husband's relationship with his boss, it was probably worthwhile.

Um, my hubby IS the boss.

And nope, no mistake, my hubby asked them. And the person before him and after him all work for my hubby. They were all charged.

My kids did have fun......until they got hungry. Only cake was served. My hubby had to buy them food too, so he just brought them home at that point.

[uncleharley]

Ashnat, Was the "host" from Chicago? That is the only place I have been subjected to something so crude.
uh

[Chris19]

Originally Posted by ashnat

My family was invited to a bday party at Watiki last weekend. The invitation just said bday party for the kids (names left out here) on Sunday at 2pm. The father of the kids works for my hubby.
So my hubby and 2 kids go to the party, say they're there for the "name left out" birthday party. And Watiki charges my hubby and kids to get in! $45

I've never met them and had no desire to go, my kids have played with these kids twice before.

WTF! If you're going to have a bday party at a place that requires admission fees, wouldn't you PAY them for your guests or forwarn your guests on the invitation???

I can't believe my hubby didn't just turn around and leave! $45 to ATTEND a bday party.

Do you think that's tacky?

Charging admission for a birthday party is definitely tacky. It is the host's (parents') responsiblity to offer refreshments, can be basic or elaborate. If the parents do not want to provide for the guests, then they should not hold a birthday party. Let the guests bring gifts out of their own free will instead of being forced or coerced to do so.

I would not attend if being charged for admission. The parents are subject to criticism of other parents and rightfully so.

I can see exactly where you are coming from and agree with you.

[ahoffelt]

Originally Posted by ashnat

Um, my hubby IS the boss.

And nope, no mistake, my hubby asked them. And the person before him and after him all work for my hubby. They were all charged.

My kids did have fun......until they got hungry. Only cake was served. My hubby had to buy them food too, so he just brought them home at that point.

OK - I stand corrected that your husband is the boss. Even more reason to not be too concerned over the total cost of $65. People do tacky things all of the time and it is your choice to respond to them or not. I think the 'Dollar Dance' at weddings is about as tacky as it gets, so I make the decision to avoid it like the plague. But I don't get upset about it. You obviously have made up your mind that it is tacky and no one has disagreed with you, including me. You win.

[no8fann]

I disagree completely. This went way beyond tacky. It's unforgivably rude. I have a daughter who is 8, and EVERY year we have had a big birthday party for her (I know, but that is another thread entirely, and not the point of this one!). Never, EVER, would I consider holding a party at a place where the guests would be charged a fee for entry! Especially not at a place where the cost is so prohibitive as to prevent some guests from attending, and most especially NOT without forewarning the guests!

The birthday child(ren)'s family are hosting the event, and as the hosts, they have the responsibility for footing the bill, unless they explicitly state IN THE INVITATION that there will be a fee for entry, leaving the guests with the option from the beginning of declining the invitation.

My guess here is that the host family was too cheap to pay for a birthday package at said venue, and just figured that once you got your (very excited) kids to the gate, that you would be too polite to refuse the fee.

Just log this in with lessons learned, and remember to decline all further invitations from this family, thereby avoiding such rudeness in the future.

[GI_Mark]

Well, we just celebrated my sons 2nd birthday this past weekend and I thought it would be nice to invite the people I work with out to (of all places) Chucky Cheese. The kids LOVED it and had a great time. Well, I fed all of the kids that showed up (15) and the people I work with. I figured they work for me, so it was my way of saying thank you for not only coming to the party, but for working hard for me every day. The bill was a pretty good amount, but nothing over the top crazy either.

TACKY !!!

[Jammie]

http://bestsmileys.com/birthday1/10.gif (broken link)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your son.

[GI_Mark]

Thanks Jammie !!! I left to go to Afghanistan when he was two weeks old and was gone for 15 months. He's my first, so I've got a 2 year old son I've been Daddy with for about 9 months now. I managed to take my midtour leave during his first birthday, so haven't missed one of those yet !!!

Thanks again, I'm loving being a Daddy !!!

[BusySocialWorker]

yep totally tacky!

they should either pay (which would be the best bet) or add to the invite the cost.... I really think they should just pay though!

[Camden Northsider]

It's tacky - and I can understand your need to rant about it.

What if you were to send the family an invoice to get reimbursed for the cost of admission to their kids' birthday party? Would that be as tacky or less tacky than the original act itself?