Dear Snarky,
I’m so mad at a mom friend of mine for hijacking a high school graduation party that was held at my home. This past weekend I, along with three other mothers, had a joint grad party for our daughters.
Invitations were sent out, food was ordered, “Class of 2021” decorations were put up etc. etc. All the moms showed up early to decorate and to divvy up expenses since we were splitting the cost of the party four ways. So far, so good until one of the moms brought an extra grad to be celebrated.
It was her daughter who graduated in 2020 and yet this mom cleared a space on the dining room table for her daughter’s “Grad Board” (*Snarky note: This is a trifold poster board that students put pictures on from their school days.) When I saw the grad board I just about lost it. I confronted my friend and party co-host and asked what she thought she was doing.
Her reply was that since her daughter didn’t get a grad party last year because of COVID she thought it would be nice if she could display her grad board at this party. She said it was a last minute decision and that because she was a co-host she didn’t think it would be that big of a deal.
I didn’t have time to even offer up a reply because guests started arriving but the whole party I was so upset. This was a party for 2021 grads and what she did was sneaky. I know the reason she didn’t ask if she could display her other daughter’s board was because she knew I would say no.
Now, I’m thinking of asking her to pay more for the grad party since she included her other daughter but the other two moms aren’t with me on this. What do you think is the best way to go forward? A big part of me thinks someone just can’t add a guest of honor minutes before a party starts.
Signed, Grad Party Mom
Dear Grad Party Mom,
You are getting way, way, way, too bent out of shape over all of this. I’m going to blame it on your emotions running high over having a child about to leave the nest for college. But if you break down what this mom did no harm was really done.
Yes, this mom probably should have asked if she could have a teeny-tiny sliver of space on a table to put up her 2020 daughter’s board. But since last year’s graduating class thanks to a pandemic got totally ripped off on having any kind of group celebration she might have thought putting out a trifold board wouldn’t be the crime of the century.
Also, it’s not like this daughter wasn’t already coming to the party or that she received any other kind of attention at the event. So, I really fail to understand why you are still so angry. I’m sure none of the guests were aghast that a 2020 graduate had a trifold on a table or that it in any way made the party less amazing.
The way I see it you can continue being a rage machine and tank at least one friendship (possibly more if the other two moms think you’re being an unreasonable witch) or you can quit being so petty and enjoy the last couple of months you have with your graduate before she leaves for college.
🙂 Snarky peeps here’s some more advice for you – Check out my new audio book! Yes, my first Snarky book “Snarky in the Suburbs Back to School” is now an audio book available on Audible & iTunes. Here are the links.
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/snarky-in-the-suburbs-back-to-school-unabridged/id1564179737
Snarky in the Suburbs 