Published on 12, July, 2020
Birthday parties seem to be repeatedly in the news. Some autistic child is upset because either he/she is not invited or school kids don't go to their party.
What are our experiences of birthday parties?
Well.... I've never had a birthday party in my honour! I just don't see the point. As a child I received a few birthday cards and presents from my immediate family and that's about it.
I've only attended a couple of small parties . And that was the girl next door, called Zinta. And I was under ten years old.
To me it's a mystery why people have these massive parties and everything that goes with it. A B l o o d y mystery?
My mother was chatting to some parents outside my primary school in the late 1990s when the topic of birthday parties was brought up. One parent mentioned how birthday parties have become more sophisticated, and expensive, compared to what her generation had back in the 1970s. That was about 20 years ago now, but despite a worse economic climate in recent years, parents are still more than happy to spend money on extravagant parties for their kids. What has changed is that there is less emphasis on toys and more emphasis on experiences and entertainment.