The year is 2003. You’re wearing your best tie-dye shirt and comfiest overalls, carrying a gift bag with the newest Bratz doll, and rolling up to the hottest birthday party location of the year: McDonald’s.
Fast forward to 2025. Now you’re planning your child’s birthday party, and the pressure is on. Are you renting a bouncy castle? How about a ball pit? Are you hiring a taco truck? Creating a margarita bar for the adults? What about the decorations — balloon arch, photo backgrounds, custom LED signs? Are you going to have a candy station? Custom cookies for everyone to take home? Who is going to take pictures? Are you getting a photographer, or just taking photos yourself?
STOP. It’s all too. Damn. Much.
Kids’ birthday parties have gotten completely out of control — and I think social media is to blame. As children, we happily attended casual birthday parties at friends’ houses, ate pizza and cake, opened presents, and had a great time. But now it seems like every party has to be picture-perfect, catered to both kids and adults, and ready for content creation.
Social media has normalized these celebrity-style birthday parties. Just look at the bash Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi threw for their son’s first birthday:
And who can forget Stormi Webster’s insane “Stormi World” birthday party thrown by parents Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott:
My daughter turned one earlier this year, and Instagram had me convinced that I needed to throw a lavish birthday party with a unique theme, trendy decorations, and exciting activities. Not only is hosting an “Instagram-worthy” birthday party expensive, it’s also a lot of work! And unlike the celebrities who throw these kinds of parties for their kids, most of us don’t have assistants to organize all the details.
The truth is, kids don’t need parties like this, especially when they’re really young. My daughter isn’t going to remember her first birthday party, and I didn’t want to overstimulate her with activities, experiences, and decorations — so we hosted a classic pizza party. We blew up some balloons, put up basic decorations, ordered a bunch of pizza, and picked up a sheet cake from the grocery store. And everyone had a blast.
So to other parents, I just want to say this: Relax. Put down your phone. Think back to the birthday parties you enjoyed as a kid. Instead of basing your party on the crazy events you see on social media, just host a party that’s fun for your kids.
