Saw this article on keeping kids' birthday party spending in control. It didn't offer much new (although I liked the idea for older kids of setting a budget and letting them create a party within the limits), but it made me think.

I love my kids, more than any other parent in the whole world loves their kids (you included), but my biggest fear for them is that they'll end up spoiled rotten, so I question everything we get them and I monitor their behavior to see if they're taking things for granted. Birthday parties have the potential to be the ultimate indulgence, and they become a little pressure-packed if you let them.

Two things at play there, both of which might cause you to take out a home equity loan in order to finance one of these affairs--number one, you love your kids and you want them to have memorable days; number two, you're keeping up with the Joneses.

I have not done this myself (yet), but I have known parents who throw extravagant parties for their kids out of fear as much as out of the thought that the party will be great. The fear is that because the other parents threw big shindigs for their kids, if you don't throw one for your kids, your kid will like you less and/or your kid's friends will like him/her less. The parties get ratcheted up and up, until someone finally hires Hilary Duff to entertain at their party and all the other kids/parents admit defeat and breathe a sigh of relief that the party competition is over for a while.

It's a Downer for family health and well-being, and a killer on your budget (heck, even the Great Zucchini costs $300). If you're living in a neighborhood where the parties have gotten out of control and you feel a need to go along to get along, you're in the wrong neighborhood--it's going to beat you up financially and it's not doing your kids any favors to grow up in that environment.

End of soapbox.