03-14-2015, 08:57 AM
The question stems from my feeling bad about not going to these events when invited. Some of the couples that we know who have children are very dear friends, but I still don't want to go to their children's birthday parties because I feel out of place.
Having no children of my own, I don't have anything to do at those events other than eat cake and slip off to smoke. Sure, I can get high before I go but then I am the weird guy playing in the bouncy tent with the kids.
And the other issue, though less important, is that there is an unspoken gift protocol for those events: I buy your kid a gift and you buy my kid a gift, I attend your kid's parties and you attend mine, et cetera.
I don't have any kids so I am buying these gifts while you lay back and pump your wife full of kids, reaping all the rewards?
Having no children of my own, I don't have anything to do at those events other than eat cake and slip off to smoke. Sure, I can get high before I go but then I am the weird guy playing in the bouncy tent with the kids.

And the other issue, though less important, is that there is an unspoken gift protocol for those events: I buy your kid a gift and you buy my kid a gift, I attend your kid's parties and you attend mine, et cetera.
I don't have any kids so I am buying these gifts while you lay back and pump your wife full of kids, reaping all the rewards?
