Navigating birthdays when you have more than one child isn't always easy, and some parents will often give a small present to the child who isn't celebrating a birthday just so they don't kick up a fuss about not being the centre of attention. But a mum-of-one has been left infuriated after her sister tried a similar tactic at her daughter's birthday party - by bringing a separate cake for her son.
The mum explained her daughter Maya will be turning 16 at the beginning of October and is planning a small party with friends and some family members, including her aunt and her little cousin Dylan, two. And instead of allowing Maya to celebrate her special day, the mum's sister has insisted that Dylan should have his own cake so that he doesn't feel left out.
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Dylan's birthday is also in October but not until 12 days after Maya's, so the mum believes he shouldn't be allowed to have his own birthday cake as it may "hurt Maya's feelings".
In a post on Reddit, she said: "I am throwing a birthday party for my daughter Maya, who is turning 16 at the beginning of October. It's nothing huge, just a party in our backyard with music and food, and Maya gets to invite some friends from school.
"Some of our family will be attending as well, including my younger sister and her son Dylan. Dylan's birthday is 12 days after Maya's, so my sister asked if she could bring a birthday cake for Dylan to the party, and was talking about baking a cake with his name on the top.
"I immediately shut that down, I tried to explain it carefully to my sister and said that the party is for Maya and that bringing Dylan a cake could hurt Maya's feelings.
"My sister said that 'it's just a cake' and said I'm being difficult over nothing. She went and told our other siblings and our parents, who think I should just drop it and let my sister bring the cake, and that it's a petty hill to die on."
Commenters on the post were on the mum's side, as many of them said her sister was "trying to turn it into a joint party" without asking, while at the same time not paying for the cost of the bash.
One person said: "She's trying to turn it into a joint party. If she wanted to do that she should have discussed it with you."
While another added: "Unless it's a cake specifically catered to dietary restrictions, why is your sister trying to piggyback on your party? That's just really awkward."
And a third wrote: "This isn't Dylan's party. If she wants to celebrate that, she needs to create her own event. It's not reasonable to hijack a 16-year-old's party either. They're not close in age, it's not a joint party. She's being unfair to both children if she's bringing that cake."
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