HYDERABAD: There was a time when children’s birthday parties used to be a simple affair. The parents of the birthday boy or girl would invite all his friends for an evening of fun which would involve simple games like bursting the balloons, musical chairs, dance around to the trending music of the time and call it a day.
The children on their part would come bearing gifts of varying shapes and sizes -- it would be sketch pens, crayon sets, camel geometry box, board games, box of chocolates, toys if one was very lucky. Relatives and close friends would give the blessed child clothes or a token amount of money.
However, these days children’s birthday parties have become a much bigger and pricier affair. Young parents are going all out to make sure their ‘ladla’ has a ball of a time.
For software engineer Karuna Desai, the cost of her son’s birthday came up to Rs 40,000. The total tab included food, play equipment and entertainment. Keeping the current prices in mind, this figure would be on the lower side. “We got a clown as well which naturally led to increase in the cost. Our idea was to make my son’s birthday memorable. So we didn’t mind shelling out so much,” says Karuna. The catch here is that this kind of expenditure on children’s birthday parties has become a sort of a norm these days. A ‘normal’ birthday party will cost one Rs 7000 for 30 people at Pampered Kidz, Jubilee Hills wherein they will provide the venue, music, two housekeeping personnel for cleanup later on. Food though is not included in the package. However, the price goes up if one wants a theme party. The packages for themes start from Rs 12000 going upwards. A magician will cost you Rs 2,500, nail art Rs 1800 and a commonly chosen Disney package will dent your pocket by Rs 25,000.
A theme package may vary according to different event planning companies. Nail art stands, magicians, DJ, Balloon twister, temporary artist, 3D themes, you name it, it’s all there, provided you are willing to shell out big bucks.
“Even the birthday cake has undergone a sea change. The simple mickey moused cakes have given way to cartoon-themed cakes,” says Prachi Dogra, a post graduate student. Minions, Chota Bheem, Harry Potter, Photo Cake have become commonplace these days. “If you want to stand out, customised cakes are your best bet as they ensure people talk about it much after the birthday has finished,” feels Kanya Reddy. According to Dr Jayanti, Roshni Couselling Centre, it also has a lot to do with social media where people share pictures and see who has managed to one up on the other. “A lot of times, when both parents are working, throwing a big birthday party is their way of making up for the lost time with their child,” informs Dr Jayanti. The flipside here is if a birthday party turns out to be mediocre, it can create discriminations among children. “The child may be taunted by his peers which may affect the child’s psyche,” shares Dr Jayanti who goes on to add, “instead of focussing on an expensive party with all the works, parents should stress on traditional games which will help the child’s mental development.”