I’ve stopped throwing birthday parties for my children – they are expensive and exhausting

As Carrie Johnson shares pictures of her son's fourth birthday celebration, Anna Tyzack says they've become pressurised and eye-wateringly expensive for parentsOne of the many benefits of my three-year-old son, Edgar, not being on social media is that he won’t see the Instagram pictures of Wilf Johnson’s 4th birthday party.

But as a mother of three older children as well as Edgar and his little sister, I don’t begrudge Carrie. She’s only doing what all the other parents at Wilf’s nursery do. It’s now normal to hire an entertainer for a party, along with a bouncy castle or soft play equipment. Even at toddlers’ birthdays, I’ve seen balloon displays and bespoke cakes – reflecting the theme of course. Parents are working so hard that they simply don’t have the time to arrange these themselves.

I scrimped on helium balloons and expensive tablescapes, taking the view that I’d invested in the entertainment, which was surely the only thing children cared about, but mine surprised me by pleading for themed plates and napkins.

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