Breaking up with my Pinterest-worthy wannabe mama-ness #parenting
Celebrating a child’s birthday can be a simple affair, anything from cake, chips, veggies and dip to a much larger fiesta with caterers, entertainment and maybe even a DJ. One thing that Canadians share is a sense of community. Growing up, as a second generation Canadian we never had a clown, magician or petting zoo at our birthday parties. Traditionally, my parents would prepare a large feast and invite all of their friends over along with all of their children. It would be a large scale dinner party, with cake, party hats (they were HUGE back then) and the occasional noise-maker, as if 70 people in the house was not loud enough.
I reminisce about those days, those parties and how much simpler life seemed then. The thought of throwing a birthday party for my own children seems so much more complicated now. Reserving the perfect cake from the perfect cake maker, having the right playlist with all the latest songs from their favourite kids’ movie and generally speaking, making it into an event. My love affair with the seemingly perfect world of Pinterest is not helping matters much.
In recent years I have spent as much as five months actively planning out every detail of my child’s birthday party (part time of course!). The point is that there seems to be a shift from a sense of community and togetherness to the perfect event. At the end of the day, the kids hardly seem to notice the difference and I can’t help but wonder who all the hoopla is actually for, my child, or me? Is it to fulfill this inner Martha Stewart mothering mantra in which everything must be perfect, incredible and Instagram worthy?
This year however things are different. Due to circumstances, my child’s birthday is around the corner and I have done absolutely nothing as far as party planning goes. While the Pinterest-worthy mama wannabe in me is cringing at the feeling of imperfectness, the real-deal-make-the-best-with-what-you-have side of me is starting to wrap my head around throwing a simple kids shindig in a few days time. Can it be done? Probably. Will it do? Yes. My son’s already told me he would like to just have a few friends over, pizza, chips and listen to “everything is awesome” for the gazillionth time. Once I take off my white apron and undo my proverbial up-do and see things from his perspective, I realize that yes, everything is awesome.
hah! So true!! He’ll have a blast no matter what. While I’ve always been a party planner, well before pinterest.. I must admit that I’m a pinning junkie when it comes to planning a party now. SO many crazy ideas out there!!! He’s gonna have an AWESOME time and that’s all that matters
I agree, it is so easy to get carried away when Pinning away. Thanks for the awesome wishes 🙂
Sometimes simple is best. Rachel has never had a full blown party with the trimming. Birthdays are family affairs. Her 16th, her favorite pizza and cupcakes with family.
sometimes simple really is best Hollie. It’s a lesson I’m in the midst of learning.
Parties have gotten wayyyyy out of hand. After 4 big party years, dd’s big day number 5 next week is going to be pretty low key 🙂
Nice! I’m sure that will be a welcome change.
How ironic…I opened up my computer to check out pinterest for ideas to plan my daughter’s 1st bday. Then I read this…haha…just what I needed!
Nice! There are no coincidences 🙂 Happy planning!
Loved this article Fariha! I’ve been thinking about this lately and I like how you linked it to a personal experience. I love Pinterest, I go on it from time to time and it serves as a lieu of inspiration, but that’s about it. Maybe because my field is in design, I tend to deconstruct everything I see and the fact of the matter is that everything on Pinterest is a by-product, which, anyone (and I mean really anyone, including you and I) can re-create. So to me it’s no longer ‘a big deal’ or ‘big thing’, so personally I don’t give it more space or importance than it ‘deserves’ (for a lack of a better word) in my mind or heart…or I think I’d become very, very dissatisfied with myself.
Btw, That song at the end is going to be stuck in my head forever now, but that’s okay because – EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! 😀
Awesome Nafeesa 🙂
Hey Fariha! Loved this article – short and sweet. I’m totally with you on the birthday deal. It’s cookoo the way things have exploded. I always do something, but nothing crazy. And sometimes, just sometimes, Pinterest makes me feel bad! LOL But the kids don’t live on Pinterest, I do. And they just want to play with their friends. And thankfully, for you and I, that really is enough which means we have some awesome kids!
You’re absolutely right Julia. There can be so much (self-imposed) pressure as a parent to throw the perfect party when all the kids want is to have fun 🙂