Mom heartbroken after 22 no-shows at son's 6th birthday party

[Demovictory9]

A mom broke hearts on TikTok when she shared the devastating news that her son was all alone during his own birthday party when “literally zero people showed up.”

In the video on TikTok, user @dawners86 said all 22 kids invited to JJ’s sixth birthday party were no-shows.

She also shared heartbreaking details that her son was left playing in the park by himself with decorations and cupcakes set up for the party.

The mom explained that COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted in her area and that the party was hosted outdoors to ensure safety, but nobody from JJ’s class showed.

“So we’re sitting at the park for JJ’s birthday party, we got everything ready, his party started half an hour ago,” the heartbroken mom said in the voiceover describing the situation. “He had literally zero people show up for his birthday. My poor little man.”

https://nypost.com/2021/06/23/mom-heartbroken-after-no-one-comes-to-sons-birthday-party/

[XanaDUer2]

1. Poor little boy nt

[EYESORE 9001]

2. No RSVPs?

Manners are dead.

[Caliman73]

66. That is what I thought, except from a different perspective.

We have planned our kids parties with time and with a deadline to RSVP. If we don't get enough RSVPs to have a decent party, then we cancelled and did some other fun activity with our kids.

I am wondering if people RSVP'd and just didn't show, which would be horrible. Or, if no one responded and the parents didn't take into account that no response likely equals no show.

[vercetti2021]

3. I had that happen to me as well

Usually unfortunate circumstances sadly. But 22 invited and not one? Jesus.

[Arazi]

4. Why oh why oh why didn't she set it up as an RSVP? Especially in the era of Covid?

Why would you think ANY large birthday gathering is just going to happen these days?

And why set your kid up for that kind of devastation?

Mom's a fucking idiot. I feel sorry for the kid that he's got such an idiot parent.

We're still in the middle of a fucking pandemic folks

[JohnSJ]

5. Exactly, and since this is coming from Murdoch's NYPost, this is a false narrative to push

propaganda against the the COVID restrictions

[JI7]

7. I could be wrong but I feel like it's an attempt to get gifts from strangers

who see this and feel bad.

[vercetti2021]

16. Yeah I agree

It kinda feels like a sympathy cry

[LiberalFighter]

47. I support that thought.

[summer_in_TX]

41. Mom's learning from experience like the rest of us.

What a painful thing.

[JI7]

6. This has happened before but I'm starting to wonder if they are hoping

to get sympathy gifts with this.

I mean, did people say they are coming but didn't show ?

[BeerBarrelPolka]

11. Yes

I remember this happening before and if I remember correctly, it turned out to be bs.

[gldstwmn]

35. The full article states she refused gifts.

And asked they be sent to children's hospitals.

[MerryHolidays]

8. And why, oh why, would dearest Mom

publicize this humiliation of her 6 year-old son on TikTok?

These days, I don't take anything at face value.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

12. You beat me to it!

Mom is a fucking narcissist trying to stir up outrage and looking for sympathy on her own behalf, not her "little man," who she's dragged into her desire to go viral whether he wants to or not, and he's too young to make an informed decision about that anyway.

Fuck her.

[Shermann]

9. It could have been worse...there could have been a creepy clown booked nt

[JohnSJ]

10. Thanks for Murdoch's NY Post to push a false COVID narrative

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. When you're talking kids that young, who shows up at the birthday party is more a reflection

of the 'popularity' of the kid's parent(s) rather than the kid.

0/22 showed for your 6 year olds b-day, it probably means their parents don't have a lot of love for YOU. 6 year olds don't really keep their own social calendars.

Sucks for the kid who I'm sure would not understand this concept, nor should you probably even try to explain it to them.

[MerryHolidays]

15. Or even publicize it on TikTok to millions/billions of people!

Why would any normal parent do that to a six year-old child? Many of us are parents and would gladly do anything we could to reduce or eliminate any chance that our children would feel bad.

Here, the mother did the opposite and broadcast it to the world. Something isn't right about this, at all.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

17. She's probably mad that some of the other parents said they'd come and didn't

And her desire for vengeance on them in the form of making them feel bad for hurting her innocent son's feelings ... is more important than her son's welfare.

Essentially she took it personally they didn't come and tried to lash out in this way is my guess.

[MerryHolidays]

18. Fair enough...good perspective

Equally, she could be a grifter or publicity seeker.

Either way, to the extent that this story is true, which I doubt, she put her kid in harm's way by doing this.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

20. To be SURE the whole thing could be a scam ... and it was irresponsible to broadcast

it at minimum.

Even though she'd have no reason to think the story would blow up being big news at the time she posted, at bare minimum she should think that all it takes is ONE parent to tell his classmate little Susie or Johnny that nobody showed up to her sons party ... and s/he'd they tell every other kid they know, and birthday boy would be teased relentlessly over it.

Cause most kids are little assholes about stuff like this. Part of why I never wanted any

[JI7]

19. Did she mention anything about people saying they would come but didn't ?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

21. Nope, not in this story, but I'm speculating that's what it's really about

SHE feels rejected ... is the bottom line.

[Blue_true]

34. You sort of hit near my vibe on that issue.

I would have a home party for a child that young, with family invited. The classmates would be invited to stop by if they want to, but would not be put into a situation where they felt like they had to.

[madaboutharry]

14. This makes no sense to me.

Did she not communicate with the parents of these kids?

She is making his classmates out to be cruel bullies.
Something isn’t right about this story.

[Blue Owl]

22. Call me cynical

But one wonders if it was some kind of staged, unofficial Tik Tok “go fund me” pity party with the intent of soliciting funds and sympathy — I know it seems mean to suggest, but there are some real sickos out there who will exploit anything for a buck…

[Takket]

28. yeah. this smells rotten to me

she didn't get confirmation from even one parent a kid was coming? i find that hard to believe.

i'd like to know how the invites were sent, if she even called one parent to see if their kid was coming, etc... obviously if 22 kids were invited they would invited kids that were actually the friends of their child, so some of them are going to show up if it is legit...

[obamanut2012]

57. Oh, it is 100% that

[catrose]

44. Thirty years ago I knew I had to call everyone invited and ask them point blank, even with RSVP

[shrike3]

23. Something similar happened around where I live. Pre-Covid. It was real.

The little boy had learning disabilities due to health problems. Had had a lot of surgeries: a photo showed him in one of those halos. A different kid, the kind who often gets bullied and/or ostracized. Local paper did a story on it. Adults sent him cards, presents. Eventually the reporter did a follow-up with the boy and his mom. The boy was asked, "What did you want most for your birthday?" He said, "Friends." The reporter choked up.

The nice thing is, a mom whose son had the same condition the kid did (I do not remember what it was called. Obscure thing) contacted the boy's Mom. They arranged a playdate, and another follow-up reported they were seeing each other regularly. That's what a kid like this needs. A friend.

[smirkymonkey]

24. I hope this isn't real.

It would break my heart to think of that poor little boy being disappointed like that.

We don't really know exactly what happened here, so I'm not going to say anything else.

[dalton99a]

25. Cool story, stupid mom.

[Blue Dawn]

26. I was the kind of mom who....

....always asked for RSVP responses by a certain date. I would even write on my child's invitation WHY it was important to get an RSVP.....because I paid $10 a head at the science museum, or ice skating rink, or zoo, etc., and if their child could not make it we would like to have the privilege of knowing that in advance.

Guess what? There were still moms who never RSVPed. So, I would actually call them to ask if their child was coming. They always made excuses why they had not responded. Hey, all I want to know is who is going to show up!

I always RSVP. Always. People deserve to know if I am coming to their wedding or shower or party. It is so inconsiderate to merely ignore an RSVP.

Lol....I guess you can tell it's one of my soapbox issues!

[madaboutharry]

30. I was at a Bar Mitzvah where at least 40 people who never

bothered to RSVP showed up. They created chaos. What is the big deal of sending back an RSVP that already has the stamp on it, or with a birthday party making a 30 second phone call? People can be so weird.

[Blue Dawn]

33. I totally agree with you, madaboutharry!

It isn't difficult to do. Just pick up the phone and call the person and say "yes, I am coming" or "no, I am not coming." Or, if it is a wedding invitation with a stamped return envelope included, just fill out your info and mail the card back.

That must have been terrible for the people hosting the Bar Mitzvah. Wow......that is pretty shocking...I think that's the worst scenario I've ever heard on the subject.

[madaboutharry]

36. They didn't have enough food!

Or tables. They were expecting 250 odd people and 300 showed up. That is a big difference for a formal dinner. It was the strangest thing to watch the scramble to make it work.

I thought it was terrible of people to be so inconsiderate.

[Blue Dawn]

40. It IS terrible!

I can't even imagine the scramble and stress that the hosts had to go through to find a way to feed fifty or so additional people.....especially for a formal dinner.

I would never have the nerve to attend a party to which I had not RSVPed. Wow.....

[itcfish]

70. My Daughter's

Wedding, people who RSVP'd that they were and attending and then didn't show up. That cost us $175.00 per person of the no-shows. There were about 20 no-shows. That really made me angry.

[madaboutharry]

71. That happens all the time.

Don’t take it too personally. When I was getting married, the caterer/venue person told my father that for every 125 people there are typically 10 to 20 no shows. I had 8 no shows, including a former boss who I am sure was on a bender somewhere.

[catrose]

45. Yes. Me too.

[JI7]

51. Part of the reason people don't respond is they might have other plans

So they want to keep the option open without committing either way in case they don't end up doing anything else .

[RobinA]

64. Yeah, The Old

"I'll come if nothing better comes up." Very rude

[Orangepeel]

27. well, posting on the internet about it will help

[roamer65]

29. For better or worse, the boy has learned one valuable lesson about his fellow humans.

Eventually, they ALL will disappoint you in some way or fashion. Best to learn that one early, rather than later.

That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

[RegularJam]

31. About a month and a half ago I host an event at a park...

For my sons preschool class. I printed cards and gave them to the Director to send home with the kids. The cards listed two ways to RSVP and ask questions. The week before the event I printed more of the same cards and had them handed out again.

How do you not request RSVP’s?

[ruet]

32. The NY Post?

Ant-pandemic restriction propaganda. GTFO.

[Hekate]

37. Happened to me once: but having read the heartwarming responses here, I'm self-deleting.

[shrike3]

62. I'm sorry that happened to you.

[GusBob]

75. I know right?

Which is worse: DU or Tik-Tok? Tough call

These things happen. The mom requested any gifts be sent to a children's hospital

Sounds like a truly horrible mom hey?

[Tarc]

38. /sighs... DU, this is a Tiktok trend, it isn't real

People take videos before the guests arrive, post the sob story, and monetize the views & likes.

Little JJ was fine.

[Xavier Breath]

73. With her as a mom he certainly faces some challenges,

but, yeah, he's probably fine otherwise.

I'm not all that savvy about social media and even I thought this seemed like b.s.

[Marrah_Goodman]

39. Stupid mom

Your child is turning 6. Invite family. If he has a friend or two, invite them. She set her kid up to be hurt, even if that wasn't her intention.

[GoodRaisin]

43. Seems reasonable.

That's what we always did with our kids. Never a problem - we knew who was coming because they were family and friends and we talked with everyone to confirm they were coming. Same with the grandkids too - family and close friends.

[Sibelius Fan]

49. Not everybody lives near family.

And what really hurts is when the “friends or two” the kid does have are also no shows.

[JI7]

50. Family can just be whoever the kid lives with

[Sibelius Fan]

54. Right. So if the family consists of the kid and his single mom, why bother

trying to make it different by inviting others to some lame party? Got it.

[Duppers]

59. Perhaps they live 400 miles away from any family

Like my son?


That poor kid & poor mom; I really feel for them.

For us it was extremely difficult because my son was an obnoxious ADHD child and my hubby wouldn't allow Ritalin until our son was in 3rd grade. It made all the difference in the world (prescribed by Dr./Gov. Ralph Northam, btw).

And note, there's hope for this kid. Just because you're a loner or an obnoxious little kid doesn't mean you'll grow up w/o friends.
(My son's had at least 40 guests at his PhD graduation party. How many of us have that many friends? ....My mother did but not me...I don't attend church or the neighborhood RW social gatherings.)

[raging moderate]

42. This happened to my son at this age, in a nasty little town.

We had just bought a little house in a little town in Southern Illinois. I asked the people if they were coming, and they acted as if they would. They deliberately did this to us because we were "outsiders" and "not from there." We gradually realized how nasty most of these people were, and we got out of there a couple of years later.

I turned it into a good thing, though. I secretly ran out and bought a bunch of nice little presents I knew my son would love. The next morning, he awoke to find a pile of wrapped presents and his favorite breakfast. Then we went swimming, to a special lunch, and out to see a special boys' movie about the Transformers. We ended with a special dinner out.

I will never forget his face when he asked, "Who are all those presents for?" At bedtime, I asked him, "So was this day okay for you? " He smiled and said, "It was great!" I had to cut corners financially for awhile, but it was worth it.

[Bettie]

60. This is exactly the reason I never had parties for my kids

not birthday parties, not graduation parties, none.

Because even though we've lived here since all my kids were babies, two of the three born here, we're outsiders, because our grandparents weren't born here and we don't have the right last name.

[shrike3]

61. As I posted above, something similar happened in a town near me.

I won't identify the town, but it's hardly known for open-ness, exclusivity, etc., etc. The mom had no partner, probably had no time to spend at school, and was probably excluded for additional reasons. Things turned out well for the kid. You gave your son a wonderful day.

[vercetti2021]

46. I gonna retract my statement

Yeah this is not what a parent that cares about their children would do. Tiktok being tiktok. It's pure clout. Garner sympathy from others.

[Sibelius Fan]

48. When we lived in NJ, kids all went to each other's bday parties.

So we were shocked when we moved to Las Vegas and half the kids invited to parties were no shows, and few parents bothered to call ahead to convey regrets that that their kid wouldn’t be coming.

Different experiences in different places.

[BGBD]

52. cynical I suppose

but I don't buy these stories anymore.

In the age of "influencers" being a career choice, staging something like this to get eyes on your post and getting the NYPost write a story on you with your @ included is a good way to get followers and clout.

[Polybius]

53. Happened to me too

But I was 43.

[Nexus2]

55. Apparently, she refused gifts, suggesting that they be given to Children's Hospitals

I'll give the benefit of the doubt. Its a unfortunate story so I kind of hope it isn't true but I don't see any immediate reason to assign malign motives to the mother for making a mistake. and/or going to vent her problems online as millions do.

[Captain Stern]

56. I don't get this

I get that this sucks. I get that the mom is angry and sad. I get that the 6 year old is heartbroken.

What I don't get is why mom would post this so her son can relive this his whole life.

Internet stuff doesn't ever really vanish. When that kid is 17, he'll be getting made fun of at his high school.
It's not the end of the world...but totally unnecessary .

[Boomerproud]

58. I hate social media.

Mom just wanted attention so this would go VIRAL (another word I hate).

[RayOfHope]

63. Kindergarten teacher here with insight on lots of 6 year old parties

No shows happen quite often for lots of reasons, I've seen this over the 15+ years I've been teaching:

Mostly its that other parents can be reluctant to go if they don't know the child's family (this could be especially true after a year of covid and possibly virtual school)

Invitations being sent out only a few days before the party and families are already busy with other plans

A general party invite on social media not asking for RSVPs (such as a facebook post saying "hey, come to our party!&quot

I am sure the child is pretty sad, but it's not that they don't have friends/are being ignored.

[Caliman73]

68. Agreed.

I would bottom line it that the parents of the birthday boy, didn't plan and follow through well enough.

When we threw parties for our kids in grade school, we would aggressively try to find out who exactly was coming. Mainly for food and goodie bags. As long as a couple of kids came, and our kids' best friend. It was usually enough to be happy.

You are absolutely right about the parents not being comfortable and needing to plan out further than a "spur of the moment" party.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

69. Thanks for sharing.

I suspected it was mostly a parental decision, even without any experience in the matter.

Just like I suspect sleepovers are far more rare today compared to when I was a child. Parents are far more protective today, to the point of paranoia sometimes.

[ibegurpard]

65. Tik-Tok attention grab

I have a hard time taking these things at face value.

[StarfishSaver]

67. This doesn't pass my smell test

No RSVPs?

And why publicize her child's "humiliation" this way?

Hmmmm.

[FakeNoose]

72. Mishandled by the mom, who is now playing for sympathy

Any small child's party - even from pre-Covid days - should include invitations for at least one of the parents along with the child. This goes without saying because no responsible parent is going to drop their kid off with a group of strangers. That is DOUBLY true now that we have Covid to worry about.

In the New York area, most parents do not have birthday parties in their homes or apartments, they arrange something at a public venue such as a restaurant, public park or public meeting place like a theater or museum. Phone calls are made in advance to discuss arrangements with all parents, and anything less would be remiss. Parties for small children need to include a parent, unless an arrangement is made ahead of time with the host parents. Adult supervision must be assured for all kids.

If this little boy's parents did not do that, they are to blame for the fiasco.

[Bucky]

74. This is about her disappointment, or sense of guilt.

Why put her son's failed birthday party on display? If she's just venting how upset she is, then this is about her, not her child

I mean, seriously, it sounds like she didn't ensure a turnout. I mean, of course it's been a tough year for kindergartners to make playmates, with so much time being spent in quarantine and in online learning.

But surely that means mom should have made the extra effort to get RSVPs, right? I dunno. Maybe some neighborhood moms and dads will see this and and they'll make some more playdate friends.