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AIBU

Another new fad

(135 Posts)
pensionpat Sat 17-Nov-18 08:02:08

One which I really hate is the fashion for a “cake smash” at a very young child’s birthday party. A real cake, large and beautiful, is put on the floor, and the birthday child literally smashes it with their hands until it it completely demolished, inedible and they are covered in it. The child would have to be encouraged by adults and the whole thing is probably filmed as an amusing video on Facebook or YouTube.

Even worse, I have seen adverts for cake smash clothing.

Words fail me. Wrong on every level.

Mapleleaf Sun 18-Nov-18 16:44:06

In a word - "pathetic"

Happysexagenarian Sun 18-Nov-18 16:55:57

My friend's daughter spent £130 on one of these cakes for her daughter's 2nd birthday. The cake was beautiful, looked like Cinderella, and must have taken many hours to make. When it was smashed it was hollow and filled with sweets. Most of it ended up on the floor trodden into the carpet. The doting mother put the photos on social media. My friend and I were horrified at the price and what happened to the cake. Utterly disgusting, wasteful and senseless!

specki4eyes Sun 18-Nov-18 17:26:02

I despair of some of the new generations' habits and what they find amusing.
Two of my grandchildren spent 20 minutes on Skype informing me of their preferred eating places and the menus. No mentioned was made of family meals at home!

GrammaH Sun 18-Nov-18 17:37:49

These cake smashes seem really popular with local photographers based in & around our county town on the Welsh borders. I think it's crazy but DDIL is a cake maker & is regularly asked to make them. She's not that keen on doing them but she needs to earn money and, as they're a good income source, she doesn't often turn them down.

icanhandthemback Sun 18-Nov-18 17:49:20

Just crazy!

Sam1965 Sun 18-Nov-18 19:35:42

It’s normally for a child’s birthday...
They do the cake smash it’s photographed and a bath is then had and that is photographed special tutus or pants are worn ... professional ones can cost upwards of £800 ?
Shocking

Sam1965 Sun 18-Nov-18 19:36:27

Should say 1st birthday

Apricity Sun 18-Nov-18 20:14:01

What happened to the days when a one year old happily jumped on a sandcastle or a mud pie at the end of the day? Or everyone got excited if they managed to blow out the single candle on the cake.

Celebrating "smashing" a birthday cake, whether home made or expensively purchased, is just insane. What values about the world does that demonstrate to a child, the family and friends who witness such a crass event and see the ghastly photos?

After setting the standard and arranging a "cake smash" for a toddler's first birthday what do you do for subsequent birthdays? Trash your room parties for 6 year olds followed by wreck the house extravaganzas for teens? And for adult parties what about a good old riot and street rampage? It's all just a bit of fun!!!! ????

Hopefully it's just a localised fad that will die a natural death when everyone realises just how stupid it is. ???

GabriellaG Sun 18-Nov-18 20:27:45

Nothing more than mindless 'amusement' for the brain dead in society.
Hey! Let's do it for granny's 70th.
Great idea mum, can I be the one to push her head in? grin

GabriellaG Sun 18-Nov-18 20:32:27

...and I truly think that anyone who organises that sort of stupidity or allows their children to go to parties where it's 'on the menu', is beyond brainless.

twiglet77 Sun 18-Nov-18 21:51:57

I utterly despair at the Instagram generation. These parties are huge business, especially for the professional photographers who promote them.

annep Sun 18-Nov-18 22:00:00

GG I agree totally!

annep Sun 18-Nov-18 22:08:41

about beyond brainless.
And I don't like the way the world is changing.

Jalima1108 Sun 18-Nov-18 23:02:06

Is this the same generation, spending all this money on a cake which will not be eaten, just smashed, and far more money on a professional photographer, the same generation that is always moaning that they can't afford anything and that we stole their future?
confused

codfather Sun 18-Nov-18 23:45:43

Can't see the point! Waste of a good cake! Won't be happening here or it will be the last cake they get!

newnanny Mon 19-Nov-18 00:18:00

Never heard of this before. Don't think it happens at parties my gc attend. I thought it only happened at gypsy weddings.

MissAdventure Mon 19-Nov-18 00:34:13

I've just seen ads for adult cake smash photography, cakes, and so on..
Dumb and dumber comes to mind.

annep Mon 19-Nov-18 03:50:10

yes Jalima, the generation that has so much less disposable income than we had.........

absent Mon 19-Nov-18 04:03:57

My grandchildren look forward to whatever cake I bake for their birthdays – and all eat it. That's what you do with birthday cake.

Daisyboots Mon 19-Nov-18 08:30:45

Well said Jayelld. These cake smashes are usually part of a series of photos done by a professional photographer as part of a set to celebrate a one year old's birthday. They are not for older children and are usually just a largish cake with a little butter icing. I have a photographer friend who will provide one if the parents want it plus the baby is usually only wearing a nappy when the photos are taken.
As for the wedding dresses my young friend had photos taken the the sea in Cyprus wearing hers for photos but before the English reception it had been dry cleaned and looked immaculate again.
Both are rather silly practices but not really hurting anyone else. The photo of the mother pushing her baby's face into the cake is quite awful.

Daisyboots Mon 19-Nov-18 08:33:27

As for having school shirts signed at the end of your school life has been going on for many years that I know of. My eldest DD is 55 this week and she still has her signed shirt.

Hilltopgran Mon 19-Nov-18 09:01:47

I first heard about this a few years ago when DD was living in Dubai, parents had cute photos of baby 'smashing' first birthday cake by professional photographers, who advertised their services for the event. Not something our DGC have taken part in, but babies can make a mess when eating cake, so think its a current fashion aided by social media.
DGD has messy afternoon play at her nursery in this country and loves them, they include cake, paint, mud and all the things you would not want thrown about inside at home,

Margs Mon 19-Nov-18 11:30:51

......and then I would make the destructive, spoilt brat eat up every crumb to teach them a lesson.

Jalima1108 Mon 19-Nov-18 11:36:13

babies can make a mess when eating cake
Yes, they do and I have the cute photos to prove it - a slice of home-made birthday cake and a snapshot taken by me!!

Jalima1108 Mon 19-Nov-18 11:38:11

think its a current fashion aided by social media.
Agreed, Hilltopgran - someone found a way of parting over-indulgent, gullible parents from their money and now they are all trying to out-do each other.