Mum's 'revolutionary tip' to avoid 'awkward' part of kids birthday parties

"I've just been at a party where they did this, and it made all the difference." 

"I’m about to give you a revolutionary tip," Aussie creator Shayne Spencer promises at the beginning of a recent TikTok. 

The mum-of-three explains she's just been to a birthday party where "they did this" and jokes that she's  "annoyed I didn't think of it."

So, what is this game-changing party hack?

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"Do the birthday cake at the beginning of the party"

"Any parents out there who are doing a birthday party... do the birthday cake at the beginning of the party," Shayne advises.

She promises it "made all the difference" at the party she'd attended.

"'Cos not only is there not all that awkward standing around at the end, there's also no leftover cake."

As a veteran parent/aunt/stepmum and (looong ago) child, I've never found it an issue to do the cake at the end of the party, which is the usual way things go.

Party hard, scoff food, more partying, cake, then party bags (maybe)... and goodbye. But I see Shayne's point. She's advocating for skipping the 'hanging around' for cake, and just releasing everyone when it's the finish time.

I love it... I've just never thought of being a rebel and changing the routine.

One of the earliest viewers on Shayne's clip asked, "But doesn't the cake cue that the party is over?"

Shayne replied, "The mum here just started handing out the party bags at the end haha people understood the hint." So there's still a 'cue'.

"Let them eat cake - first!" Image: TikTok/Nama Winston

"Next day cake is my favourite"

Other viewers loved the idea.

"Lets the kids run off the sugar," one said, and another agreed, writing, "Yes, best way to do it... means people can leave when they want rather than wait to the end especially if you have young kids."

This parent liked the suggestion, but had one objection: "I support this because then if I child has to leave early they don’t miss out. But I don’t support no leftover cake. Next day birthday cake is my favourite."

Totally fair enough, especially considering the effort and cost of most birthday cakes.

Then, there was one viewer who could foresee a potential issue: "The problem with that is everyone needs to be on time. I'm 37 years old and I have never been too, nor held an event where everyone is on time. Not even weddings."

A valid point... which sounds like a them problem, which leads to more cake for us!

What do you think of doing the cake first? Tell us in the comments on Facebook!

Originally published as Mum's 'revolutionary tip' to avoid 'awkward' part of kids birthday parties