Would you have cancelled 3rd birthday party?

KDR1979 · April 2015

My twins started with colds after Easter. We saw a lot of family and friends that weekend, so I'm sure that they were exposed to something. Well, a week later, DS has an ear infection. So me and the kids head to the doctor (Monday, 4/13). He got meds. The very next morning, DD woke up puking. She has only had strep throat 1 time before that, but n/v was her main symptom. She went back to the doctor that day, + strep throat. She started meds on 4/14. Well, on 4/15, DD started having diarrhea. DS started throwing up on 4/16. They had their birthday planned for 3pm on 4/19 for months. It was booked at a kid's play place, a deposit was already paid and party food trays were ordered. The kids felt fine by Friday and went to the zoo for a couple hours, but they were having diarrhea. We figured out that they had gotten a GI bug on top of the other illnesses. The doc said toddlers can have diarrhea with a stomach bug for 10 days. Well, we didn't want to cancel their party. We would have lost the deposit and not have been able to reschedule at that place for awhile and we picked up a $50 party sandwich on Saturday, 4/18. We also had their party cupcakes ordered for awhile. I didn't prepare any food, everything was party trays or stouffer's mac in cheese in a crock pot. We warned everyone with kids that our kids had been sick.

Well, everyone had a great time at the party. It was a lot of fun.

Well, my sister's (ages 7 and 12) kids got sick and now my husband's nieces (ages 6 and 10) are starting to get sick today. My SIL is giving me a hard time...telling me that I should have rescheduled the party (even though it would have cost us money and would not have been an easy process) Dh & I feel really bad about it and don't know what else to do. They were forewarned about the stomach bug.

What would you have done?

cole2144 · April 2015

Personally I would have cancelled the party especially since the kids were still sick the day before. Did you tell people that the kids were sick on the 18th with a stomach bug or just that the kids had been sick?

dufferoo · April 2015

Yeah, I would've either rescheduled or cancelled, even if I had to forfeit the $50 deposit, but what's done is done, and your SIL and her kids will survive. I feel bad for you that you guys went through so much leading up to the twins' birthday

KDR1979 · April 2015

Yes, everyone with kids knew there had been a stomach bug. We would have lost more than $50 for cancelling. We had tons of balloons ordered, 4 trays of party food (including a $50 Servatti sandwich), 36 custom cupcakes and 4" mini cakes for the twins, a $75 deposit on the kid party place (which had been booked ~3 months in advance and would have taken awhile to get back in, The kid place we booked only has 3 party slots/week-every party is a private party, so the place is closed to the public).

I LOVE throwing their parties and worked on it for months. It was a hard situation.

It definitely stinks that the kids were sick the week of their birthday!!

My niece actually has a rash with her GI symptoms...which my kids never had. I think she has a different virus than them. She could have caught it just from playing at the kid party place.

KDR1979 · April 2015

The kids hadn't thrown up in the 36-48 hours before the party, but DD was still having diarrhea. Diarrhea in toddlers lasts 7-10 days.

Designermomma · May 2015

Also diarrhea could be caused by taking heavy antibiotics as well. You could give them yogurt or a probiotic to balance their stomach. That was a tough call but if they are fever free and on meds for 24 hours daycares and schools let you return and sounds like that was the case with your kids then I think you're fine.

ksteeb611 · August 2015

Im.sure the kids loved favor bas with flus. That was crappy not to reschedule. No one else cares about your deposit.

Litterateur · September 2015

MamiDofOne · September 2015

It was a tough call but I feel like if they enjoyed themselves and you gave fair warning then dont be so hard on yourself. Life is never black and white. Some will frown upon your decision but if it made sense to you then dont lose sleep over it. Whats done is done.

2Swanns · September 2015

I prob wouldn't have cancelled either. Also, your SIL needs to lay off. What's done is done.

DisneyIsabelle · December 2015

I'm so sorry your children have been so sick. I would have cancelled as unfortunate as it is. I own a party company, I don't refund for cancellations or customers trying to move their dates. That being said, my performers and myself do not want to attend a party where the birthday child is sick. Also, I understand sometimes things come up and kid's get sick. When we have a last minute situation like this I try to work the parent to reschedule them with no financial penalty. So, I would always check with the vendors and explain the situation as they may be understanding

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