Sure, kids’ parties are fun for the kids. But you know who they’re a living hell for? Literally everyone else. Be it the poor mom or dad having to whip up decorations on a dime store budget, food that adheres to all allergies and preferences, and at least one overly expensive bounce house…or the other parents trying to wrangle their sugar-crazed child once the party is over. And let’s not forget the brave souls who arrive as Spider-Man or a Disney Princess and do a whole song and dance for an hour and a half.
And to top it all off, no matter how much effort is put into throwing this shindig, it will pale in comparison to the meticulously curated soirees seen on Pinterest Boards and social media. It’s all enough to make adults dread the entire experience.
However, one mom decided to completely lean into this fact of life with her no-B.S. party invitation, and millions of fellow parents are absolutely loving it.
The invite was posted on TikTok by Nat Lele, whose son brought it home from school. It read as follows:
“Evan, you are invited to [Insert Child’s Name Here] fifth birthday party. This event is brought to you by Pinterest Fails and the Dollar Store, so please set your expectations appropriately.”
Throwing out a ridiculously hodgepodge party theme, based of course on her kid’s random ideas, the invite continued:
“As requested, the theme will be unicorns but with rainbows and maybe bats, but there should be princesses and also Minnie and we need dancing lights so dress accordingly. Please pack a bathing suit, sunscreen, puddle jumpers, etc. in case your sweet baby angels decide our original plan sucks and the pool would be a better time.”
@not.just.nat #greenscreen These are my people. #birthdayparty #partyinvitations #parenting #funny #hilarious #adultjuice ♬ Comedy Music – Nissa
To be honest, a rainbow-unicorn-bat-princess-Minnie dance party by the pool sounds pretty lit.
Most relatable of all, the invite concluded by giving parents themselves a chance to opt out of the party altogether, saying that:
“If you would like to drop off and run, we support that entirely. If you would like to stay, we will provide adult juice and deny any offers to help, to be polite, but deep down, want to support you. You do you.”
Of course, Lele will absolutely be attending, because, as she put it, “These are my people. This is the kind of mom I can be friends with.”
Lele wasn’t the only one who was totally on board with the mystery mom’s refreshingly real approach. The video got over 4.5 million views, over 670,000 likes and oodles of comments from other parents showing their support.
“This is incredible. It’s what we’re all thinking when hosting kids parties 😂,” one person wrote.
Another added, “I’m glad a parent is finally lowering the standards/expectations because I’m done with these Pinterest/IG inspired kid parties 🙌🥳🍹”
Others were excited to see how the party would actually pan out. One person joked that they “Can’t wait to see how everyone interprets ‘dress accordingly.’ Someone better be dressed like a bat princess.”
“PLEASE update us when you attend. I NEED to know how this sick party rolls out,” another added.
Good news: Lele agreed to post a follow-up video showing how the party went. To find out for yourself, follow her on TikTok.
And parents—next time you’re feeling the pressure from your own party planning, remember that brutal honesty is sometimes the best policy.