Can You Avoid Your Friend's Kid's Party...Without Hurting Feelings?

I recently received the followed letter from a reader of The Spinsterlicious Life:
"I was just curious if you've ever touched on the subject of singles being invited to countless kids' parties...when they don't have kids of their own? I'm reminded of Carrie on the Sex & the City episode where she went to the kid's party and someone stole her shoes and the hostess was mortified when Carrie asked to be reimbursed. I feel obligated to go to my cousin's kid's parties...but really don't want to! I know I should take that up with her but I'm curious how others handle these situations."


Yeah, being expected to attend the parties of your friends' (and family's) kids is one of the burdens the childfree must bear. Here's what I think: I think the parents are confused. I think they think that because you love their kid that you want to come to their party. And that might be true if their kid was the only kid at the party. What they fail to take into consideration is that it's a kids party…meaning there will be other kids there. Lots of 'em. And that's really the problem. The kind of person that chooses not to have kids is usually the kind of person who doesn't want to hang around with a lot of other people's kids. Why don't parents know that?


Fortunately, most of my friends are pretty good about not forcing me to come to parties for their children. Every now and then one of them slips up, but I usually manage to have other plans…. Read more: http://eleanorewells.com/do-i-really-have-to-come-to-your-kids-party/