Dear Jake’s parents,
Firstly, I wanted to say thank you for allowing Jake to come to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, she loved having all of her Kinder friends there to help her celebrate the big number 5!
For her first big party, she sure knew how to wear that party hat didn’t she? Well actually you wouldn’t know because you weren’t there.
Jake’s mum, you came in with your four-year-old son at the start time, exactly 10am on the dot. You told me his dad would pick him up at the end, then you promptly turned around and left.
When this happened, I was already exhausted. I had spent my entire morning (and the night before) setting up for a party. I was decorating, making fairy bread, cutting up fruit and setting up games.
I was wrapping the exact number of layers of newspaper as children in attendance (31 to be exact) around small toys and lollies for pass the parcel. I was making party bags and filling the Dora the Explorer piñata.
Mamamia Confessions: The worst thing I’ve done at a work Christmas Party. Post continues after video.
I was welcoming guests, making obligatory small talk, trying to get the party girl to be polite and thank everyone for their gifts as they awkwardly presented them to her. I was doing all the things the parent of a party kid does.
Basically, I was in need of a stiff drink, not relying on my brain to actually have to work. So in this situation as you told me that you were not staying, and you were leaving your four-year-old to party solo, I regrettably did nothing.
I’d usually (in non-party situations) respond responsibly and ask that someone please stay to supervise Jake because there were about thirty other children in attendance, as well as my own three children. I really had enough to do without watching your son too. I instead muttered a taken a back “okay”.
As we played party games, ate food and sang happy birthday, I became a mother of four. As well as my own three girls, I made sure that Jake too had an assortment of food and that he drank enough water.
I took his jumper when he got hot and I took him to the toilet when he asked to go. When he got upset that another boy was mean to him, I sat down and listened and encouraged him to go and play with my girls, who I assured would be nothing but nice.
Basically, I was Jake’s mum for two hours. I did what you or Jake’s dad should have done, all the while doing it for my actual children and attempting to host a child’s party.
