I went into mummy-stealth mode and my challenge changed into to hunt down the RSVPs one after the other. For the parents I had a phone number for, I sent a text message to see if they were coming. For the mums I accidentally-on-purpose bumped into in the school yard, i dropped a brief 'oh-by using-the-manner-are-you-men-coming-to-the-birthday party?
And this is the part that made me a little irritated, if not annoyed. All the answers were "of course, yes, we wouldn't miss it!"
So i cannot help but ask the question: why, mother and father, why didn't you RSVP?
The lack of RSVPs, whether they're a yes or no, appears to be a not unusual fashion these days - or so i found after a prolonged dialogue with different mums
Angela, mum of two, vowed after her daughter's tenth birthday to not throw a birthday party again. "we despatched a lot of invites and only two replied, and in the end three girls came to the party. My daughter became devastated, that is the last thing you want to be to your birthday."
My boys received an invitation to a laser tag birthday party some weeks and the invitation had three reminders to RSVP
three! All on one small piece of A5 paper:
- You must RSVP on time to be included
- Please RSVP as it is very important for our party planning
- Make sure you RSVP by Monday
Are parents too busy? Too lazy? Or have all of us forgotten our manners?
The lack of a RSVP can cause chaos, in particular whilst minimum numbers need to be booked and paid for earlier at most birthday venues. Even for the birthday parties catered for at home, an RSVP is essential to planning. Food and drinks need to be prepared, a cake baked, party bags prepared. Trying to do any of these party basics without knowing the number of guests can be nothing short of a nightmare.
My boys and I attended the laser tag party - the only with the three RSVP reminders - and of course Party Mum was anxiously watching the door, waiting for guests to arrive, mentally counting them, trying to stay calm as the venue hosts stored asking "is everyone here yet?".
At one point she turned to me and stated "Do you know what's worse than parents not replying for a party? Parents who do that and then don't come, without any be aware at all."
I stood beside her in support, counting little heads and knowing all too well what she was feeling. At my son's birthday party we had one child who did RSVP sure and never arrived, one got here forty five minutes late, and one child, who didn't RSVP yes or no, came alongside as if it was the plan all along. My stomach turned somersaults for the first hour of his birthday party.
SHARE THIS
Share
Pin
Comment