A WOMAN was left fuming after forking out almost £30 to make sure her niece can attend her pal’s Build-a-Bear party – only to go home without the toy.
The alleged incident was posted on TikTok by the user @unpluggedmoments who regularly shares stories she’s stumbled across on Reddit.
Baffled social media users reckon the mum had ruined all of her daughter’s friendships[/caption]
According to the TikToker, the anonymous auntie claimed her seven-year-old niece had been invited to a birthday bash by one of her classmates.
Seeing as the woman’s brother and sister-in-law were busy working, the aunt agreed to take care of the party and was handed over the invite with all the necessary information.
”So, the plan is meet at the food court at the mall, have lunch, then go down to Build-a-Bear and afterwards meet at the birthday girl’s house for cake and ice cream.”
After enjoying a pizza with all the kids, the group and the adults headed to the Build-a-Bear store – which the aunt claimed hadn’t been booked in for a party.
”It’s just like a regular customer coming in. There are eight kids, including the birthday girl. No party hosts or anything.
”If you book through Build-a-Bear, they have this little agenda schedule that they go through,” said the aunt.
While all the kids seemed to be having fun building the fluffy toy, it all changed once the group had left the shop to take a snap outside, where the mum allegedly demanded the kids to give their new bears to the birthday girl.
According to the aunt, the mother said: ”Okay, thank you, everyone. Now, if you could hand over your bear to Sarah*.
”Thank you so much for building a person bear, so that Sarah can remember you by.”
Totally baffled, the Redditor said she thought the birthday guests would be able to keep the toys for themselves and even took a proper look at the invitation again.
”It didn’t say anything, so I just assumed. I just shouldn’t have assumed, right?” she shared in the now-viral video, which has racked up close to 941k likes in just two days.
After the school pals and their parents arrived to Sarah’s house, they all handed their gifts to the seven-year-old and sang her ‘Happy Birthday’.
”Birthday cake, have ice cream. Then it’s supposedly game time – what is game time?
”We were all watching Sarah play with all her other animals that the kids had just made.”
Lost for words, the aunt then claimed she tapped the mum on the shoulder to clear the confusion.
Should you invite the whole class to your child’s birthday?
School mums are facing a new dilemma when it comes to their children’s birthday parties.
According to a recent discussion, inviting the entire class to a birthday party has become a contentious issue.
Some mums argue that it’s the polite thing to do, ensuring no child feels left out.
However, others believe that inviting the whole class can be overwhelming and unnecessary, especially if your child isn’t close to everyone.
Here are some tips to navigate this tricky situation:
- Set Clear Boundaries: Decide on a reasonable number of guests and stick to it.
- Invite Close Friends: Focus on inviting your child’s closest friends to keep the party manageable and meaningful.
- Consider a Small Gathering: Opt for a smaller, more intimate celebration if a large party isn’t feasible.
- Communicate with Other Parents: Have an open conversation with other parents to understand their views and preferences.
- Alternative Celebrations: Consider alternative ways to celebrate, such as a special day out with just a few friends.
”I assumed the guests were gonna keep it, so I spent an extra $35 (£30) on accessories and everything.
”She goes ‘Oh, I can look into getting that back for you’.”
Once the short conversation was over, the aunt grabbed her niece and left the party – with the fellow mums following suit – and the pair went back to the mall to make a new Build-a-Bear for the little girl to take home.
”I should not have assumed. But clearly, next time if you all are going to do that, could you please put ‘Every child will be able to build their own bear at their own cost’.
”I would’ve been fine with it.”
‘The mum was 100% in the wrong’
More than 38k people flooded to share their thoughts on the video, which has won over an astronomical 11million views so far.
One wrote: ”That mum single-handedly ended all of her daughter’s friendships.”
Someone else chimed in: ”that mum was 100% in the wrong.”
A third commented: ” ‘No gift necessary, the kids will be building a bear for Sara, take home bears can be made at parents expense’ THAT IS WHAT THE INVITE SHOULD HAVE SAID.”
”Sarah is gonna be having a lot of family only parties for a while,” thought another web user.
*Name has been changed.
