What do you think???

[fortato]

I got an invitation today to my friend's daughter's first birthday.

It was very cute... "Please join us in celebrating Princess Jessica's First Birthday"...blah blah blah...

When I read the whole thing, I was STUNNED to see that there was a "B.Y.O.B" at the bottom.

Um...Hello?? BYOB at a FIRST birthday party??? Are you serious?

Now, I have needed a few drinks after some birthday parties I've been to, but never during a children's party...

Am I missing something? I think now, I have seen everything.

[schums]

I guess it would depend on what type of a party it was. Is it a mostly adult party (family friends and relatives) in a cookout type environment? Or mainly kids, like friends from daycare or something? If it's a cookout type party, I'm fine with BYOB or even having the hosts provide some beer/wine. A true kiddie party, probably not.

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[kep]

It's okay, Kristen. You can bring your keg. (Really. They said so, right on the invite! ;) )

Kelli

Proud Mommy to Lukey (2003). Weaned after 3 years of happy nursing!
And Mommy to our newest baby, Joseph, born 3 days after Christmas.

[kristenk]

For some reason, I'm not as shocked as I thought I would be. I think it depends on the guest list. For DD's 1st birthday, we invited all of our friends. I would have been fine with alcohol at her party especially if we had done a barbecue or something. I sort of think the 1st Birthday Party is more about the parents than the birthday child.

I'd have a problem with people getting drunk at my child's birthday party, but that wouldn't have been an issue with the people that we invited (had we chosen to serve alcohol or have BYOB on the invite).

Of course, we did have beer at the BBQ lunch we did for after DD's baptism at 18mo, so maybe I'm not the best person to respond to this question! LOL (BTW, DH and I are NOT drinkers at all, so we pretty much provide beer for other people!)

[Momof3Labs]

Maybe it's not what you think.

BYO Birthday cake?

BYO Bubbles?

BYO Bathtub?

BYO Bananas?

[elliput]

Bottle? Maybe she wants to make sure everyone coming with babies brings their own bottles or sippies? NAH!

[Leeannpk]

I don't have an issue with alcohol at the party, but kinda think that if you're old enough to have kids and throw them parties, you should be providing the drinks for your guests, not asking them to bring their own :P .

Leeann

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds' first b-day was a huge family and grown up friend affair. Only kid there was ds so for all intents and purposes it was a grown up party. Actually, we always have drinks on hand for ds' family parties. No one is irresponsible and no one gets wasted. Most people have just 1 drink, if any. They seem to react appropriately and not treat it as a real party (even my 21yo BIL :)).

My kid parties aren't the only ones I have been to where alcohol was available. Especially for a 1st b-day. I think it just depends on your group. I have friends that crack open the wine for everything and it would be strange for them not to.

I wouldn't make it a BYOB party though. Yeah, have it available but don't necessarily encourage it. Does that make any sense?

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

ITA. :) I can't even remember the last time something I went to was BYOB (besides a block party or something).

Beth

[egoldber]

Sarah's first birthday party was an afternoon BBQ at our house. We served beer and wine along with other beverages. I wouldn't ask guests to BYOB mainly because I think its rude when throwing a party in your own home as opposed to a potluck type situation.

[Jenny_A]

Amen!

Jenny

[deborah_r]

I was thinking BYO Baby.

or BYO Burp rag.

[himom]

We're BYOB people. We didn't start out that way, though.

We don't drink. Our extended family knew it and I guess didn't want to offend us, so once when we were having a party they called before hand and asked if it was ok to bring beer/wine/something. We didn't mind and since that particular party was potluck that's what we did. Turns out they all have their own preferences -- some Coronas, some a particular wine, etc etc.

I guess after that we just fell into a pattern as a family. Everyone just brings their own drinks to any party, from Christmas to birthdays. Good thing, too, because we wouldn't have any idea what the best thing to serve would be.

Having said that...we'd never put it on an invitation!!!

Jodi

PS I know this makes us weird. We didn't even serve alchohol at our wedding.

[BeachBum]

Well I guess we are shocking too. We had an Italian Dinner for DS's first (him and one other child) plus family and good friends. We served wine.
Tonight for his second birthday we are having a train themed party and cooking out "hobo" dinners. We will have a cooler with beer and wine.

To me if an occasion is special enough to send a paper invite then it is too special for BYO. We do BYO for cooking out with family and our closest friends--but always provide for anyone that uses the front door.

[BeachBum]

Well I guess we are shocking too. We had an Italian Dinner for DS's first (him and one other child) plus family and good friends. We served wine.
Tonight for his second birthday we are having a train themed party and cooking out "hobo" dinners. We will have a cooler with beer and wine.

To me if an occasion is special enough to send a paper invite then it is too special for BYO. We do BYO for cooking out with family and our closest friends--but always provide for anyone that uses the front door.

[clc053103]

Ditto!

[clc053103]

Ditto!

[purpleeyes]

Yup, exactly what I was going to post!

Beth

[purpleeyes]

Yup, exactly what I was going to post!

Beth

[hobokenmom]

Well......I haven't read the rest of the responses (and I'm heading out of the house), but we had our childrens' first birthday parties in bar/restaurants (all three of them).

In my opinion, a first birthday party is more for the adults anyway, so I have no problem with the BYOB on the invite as long as the party is scheduled to start at 10 am or something.

Our tradition started with the fact that we were among the first of our friends to have kids, so it only seemed natural to have the big party at a bar/restaurant since there would only be a few kids/babies there anyway. Our single or just married friends probably wouldn't have had much interest in coming to a party at the Little Gym or somewhere like that, right?

[hobokenmom]

Well......I haven't read the rest of the responses (and I'm heading out of the house), but we had our childrens' first birthday parties in bar/restaurants (all three of them).

In my opinion, a first birthday party is more for the adults anyway, so I have no problem with the BYOB on the invite as long as the party is scheduled to start at 10 am or something.

Our tradition started with the fact that we were among the first of our friends to have kids, so it only seemed natural to have the big party at a bar/restaurant since there would only be a few kids/babies there anyway. Our single or just married friends probably wouldn't have had much interest in coming to a party at the Little Gym or somewhere like that, right?

[fortato]

Ok...I should clarify a bit...

It is a princess themed party- and I know there are TONS of kids coming... (mom is a social butterfly). It's very child oriented... princess themed cake- the whole thing. (And a bounce house shaped like a castle.)

I had beer and wine at Jack's first birthday party... so, that's ok. I guess the BYOB part was what shocked me the most.

Showing up with a fifth of Jack and a Bunch of toys strikes me as tacky.

That's all.

[s7714]

ITA!

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Limit Tester 6/05

Our bones may be brittle, but our spirit is unbreakable.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta www.oif.org

[Jen841]

I am ok with 'adult' beverages, sometime we need a drink : )

BYOB could be the way things are with their circle of friends/family, or could be a financial choice.

Long story short... I married a man who's family has drinks everywhere, and I come from a family that is anti-drinking... we drink on occassion. BYOB would have made things easier for the parties we have had b/c one side expects it, and it offends the other. Now... 2 parties!

[o_mom]

For that kid of party - yes, tacky.

Our parties so far have just been family and the drinks are usually tea, lemonade and whatever beer/wine we have on hand. I usually verbally tell people what we have and tell them that if they want something specific to bring it. One person always brings a diet coke, others whatever they are in the mood for. Of course, I have yet to make an invitation to any parties (see the "I'm not girly" thread, LOL) but if I did BYOB wouldn't even enter my mind.