"I rented out a local neighborhood restaurant for her first birthday. We had an open bar, matching outfits for the whole family, a photographer, a face painter, a balloon artist, and even glitter tattoos. Her birthday cake was two layers tall. We had a ton of desserts, pizza, pasta, and quesadillas. We even had a Build-a-Bear instead of traditional goodie bags for each child to take home."
"Once everyone left the party, I was surrounded by leftover and half-touched pastries, cake, and pizza. There were balloons all over the restaurant and glitter all over the floor from the face painting. I was tired, my feet hurt, and I had to pay a $1,200 bill that I was already regretting. The next morning, I woke up to text messages and Instagram DMs, thanking me for the invite to my daughter's birthday party and letting me know what a great job I did."
A mother threw an elaborate first birthday for her one-year-old, renting a restaurant, hiring entertainers, and providing matching outfits, a photographer, an open bar, glitter tattoos, and Build-a-Bear favors. She spent heavily, including a two-layer cake and abundant food, partly motivated by a desire to give her only child everything and partly to show off on Instagram. The immediate celebration felt rewarding as guests praised the event, but the aftermath left trash, glitter, fatigue, and a $1,200 bill. The social-media validation faded quickly while financial regret and ongoing comparison to other mothers persisted. She attempts to give herself grace amid persistent Instagram-driven pressure.
Read at Business Insider
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