Fun fact about Calgary: My industry commissioned a study on residential features and amenities a while back. In 2016, according to public information via the tax rolls, there were exactly 6 in-ground swimming pools in private yards in the city. 6 in a population of 1.4 million people. Of course it’s all climate related or as we say here on the DIS “it’s a regional thing”.----------
And before people think there are no pools in Canada.I grew up around a good amount of backyard pools. And boy oh boy one was popular if you had one.
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I've heard grab bag too. I think grab bag and goody bag I've heard much more often than a loot bag.
Yeah, trampolines are another one. Lots of Homeowners policies won’t even cover them.
I’m pretty sure this lady and my former neighbor are the same person. She had the “my kid is NOT going over there” trifecta. Took pills (even offered to sell me some), gun in an open handbag on her kitchen table, unsupervised pool. Allll her girls including the baby had to come over if the middle one wanted to play with DD. Problem was, she didn’t tell me she was sending them all over. So I go over and I say, “listen, you can’t do that” and she says “well then middle girl can’t come over anymore.” Well, okay, cool. I tell DD she can play with her in the front yard if they happen to be out at the same time. Next thing I know all the girls including baby are in my front yard and see neighbor driving away. I go over again (when she finally gets home) tell her don’t get it twisted, just because our kids are playing together does NOT mean I’m watching her kids, that’s her job. A week or two later all the kids are out playing and DD comes in and asks if one of the girls can use the bathroom and get a juice bag. I tell her kids live next door they can use their bathroom. DD tells me, mom locked them out and they’re not allowed to knock on the door for two hours. On one hand they’re not my responsibility but on the other you can’t bring yourself to to just throw little kids with a baby to the wolves either. After much door pounding and numerous phone calls she finally let them in. DD always had something else to do if those kids came out after that.Having raised 3 kids to adulthood (DS turned 18 in October! WOOT!!! FREEDOM!!...ahem, anyways...), I can say that yes, people are that clueless and invite themselves and their younger children to a party. I've always had a little extra for goody bags, and when I've had less bags than kids show, I would add extra goodies to the siblings bag and tell them it's for them and their siblings. It's not the other kids fault that their parent is a jerk; I would never want a kid to feel unwelcome or unhappy because of what the adults are doing.
One year, when DD#2 had her bday party (her bday is in July, so we had it at the beginning of June right after school let out, so her friends could be there before taking off for summer plans), she invited her whole class. She had just finished 1st grade, so she was turning 7. Everyone showed up, including one little girl with her younger siblings. She was told by her mom she could only go to DD's party if she brought her siblings (mom was not Mrs Beaver, if you understand what I'm saying). So, along came the girl, with her 4 younger sisters, one of whom was not potty trained and one of whom was not walking or talking yet. BTW, I had never met these people before, and had never even talked to them on the phone. No diaper bag or anything; and they walked to our house from theirs. They lived by the school, and to get to our apartment complex, you had to cross a big soccer field and a 4 lane road with no lights.Now, I walked DD to and from school almost every day, so I knew the walk...and it was not one I would let my kids do on their own at those ages!
We were having the party at our apartment, so I didn't have to worry so much about paying for extra. DH was picking up Little Caesars (no delivery in our town from any pizza place, and it was either LC or Roundtable), so I had him get an extra pizza. Koolaid was easy to make more of; and I had plenty of veggies (carrots, celery, ranch etc) I had made cupcakes, so there were plenty; had mini cups of ice cream too, so glad I bought 2 bags that week! I just made goodie bags for the 2 older girls with all the extra stuff, and put suckers and sticker that I had laying around in bags for the non potty trained girl, but nothing for the baby, because, hey...baby. I walked the kids home after (because I am mom); the mom was home but only waved at me through the window when the kids RANG THE DOORBELL TO GET IN.
The NEXT DAY, they all show up at my house again. All of them. No diaper bag or anything...again. No contact with the parents...again. They didn't even know if we'd be home...they just showed up. Right before lunch. I fed them ramen noodles and carrot sticks (what I had enough of for 6 kids at that moment; DD#1 was with her other side grandmother, and no DS yet). DH came home from work and they were still there! I walked them home again, and asked the little girl to get her mom. Kid again rang the doorbell, she came to the door, and I told her I didn't mind her daughter coming to play, but I couldn't watch all her kids, nor could I feed them without notice, and that if her daughter wanted to come play, to please call me first, to make sure we are home and available. Mom was visibly hammered, and didn't even know where her kids had gone. She never called the police or anything to find them either.
They tried to come over again the next day, without notice and yes, all 5 of them, but we were leaving to go somewhere, and told them they had to go home. I walked them home, DH followed in the car to get me after I made sure they were safe. Never saw them again; the little girl wasn't in DD's school the next year (only 2 classes per grade, couldn't have missed her).
ETA: I have only ever been asked about guns once, and that was from the woman who was our then-new next door neighbor, who had a son the same age as DS. At the time, it was no, we didn't have any; same with a pool.
It’s okay if people continue to discuss and expand on a topic.
Of course, but I was speaking about quoting me with "well I do" as I was quoted again early this morning.
In general people quote so there’s reference or they haven’t gotten to the point in the thread where it’s been discussed.
Def.
Fun fact about Calgary: My industry commissioned a study on residential features and amenities a while back. In 2016, according to public information via the tax rolls, there were exactly 6 in-ground swimming pools in private yards in the city. 6 in a population of 1.4 million people. Of course it’s all climate related or as we say here on the DIS “it’s a regional thing”.
I think the invite the whole class thing has to do with how invitations are distributed, they could only be handed out at school if everyone was invited (or at least the same sex). In the early years parents might not have contact lists for other families (our schools don’t provide them). Some friends are only seen at school, especially if both parents work.
Is this how it's approached these days? I remember giving my friends b-day party invites in person at school all the time. I don't remember the inviting the whole class so no one feels left out being much of a thing growing up but I think it was because it wasn't looked at as an intent to leave someone out. It was just "these are the kids my kids play with" type thing. Do schools have these rules now? I know Valentine's day cards have sorta shifted to that where everyone makes a card for everyone it seems like where that didn't used to be as common.
Yes, it’s mostly the norm, same with valentines (you can’t address the envelope). My oldest entered kindergarten in 2001, rules were in effect then.
They were def. not in my immediate area at that time (although I was not in kindergarten then lol but still in schooling) but I can see how it would be more common these days. Back then Valentines Day was you made a box and whom ever would put whatever in the box, no requirements to make/buy cards so every kid in class got one wasn't really there but I know that is now. It's what made me think about your comment about not being able to hand out at school for b-day party invites.
Another regional difference...we call them treat bags in my area.
