All kinds of surprises happen at parties, however, our reader really went overboard with it. She brought her toddler to a party without letting anyone know. On the one hand, she badly wanted to join in on the fun. On the other, her friends were hoping for a peaceful evening without having to listen to a crying baby.
Our reader reached out to us.
I’m 22 and I have a toddler. She’s a very calm baby and cries
very rarely. Even if she does, I can quickly calm her down.
Recently, my friends decided to throw a small party. I also really wanted to hang out with them. I’m a single mother and no one could babysit my daughter at that time. I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to bring my toddler with me.
I turned up, came into the room holding my baby in my arms. My friends instantly went silent. I said hi and was going to sit on the couch with them, but one of my friends put a pillow where I wanted to sit down. She gave my baby a weird look said, “What is THIS?”. I was standing near the couch, nobody wanted me to sit down with them. I felt so unwelcome.
It got even worse when my baby started crying. My friends rolled their eyes and said, “Here we go.” The party host got up and slowly led me to the door. When she made sure we were alone, she whispered, “We want a normal party, sorry,” and slightly pushed me out of the door.
I broke down and took a taxi home. It was the most horrible thing that had ever happened to me.
Thanks for reaching out to us! We understand how hurt you were. We’re ready to share some tips with you that might be useful.
Apologize to your friends.
I’ve always thought if invited to lunch or a party of some kind, one should ask if it is okay to bring another (whether child or adult.) It was rude to show up with your baby without asking first. Lesson learned.
It’s not always possible to change plans at the last minute, especially when you have a baby. It’s sad that your friends don’t like kids, and they certainly shouldn’t have treated you like that. Still, you could have at least mentioned that you’d come with a toddler.
It’s better to apologize for bringing a small uninvited guest. It’s great that you love your daughter, but sadly, not everyone is ready to show her the same level of affection as you do.