Parents in Chester County are spending upward of $1,500 on their kids’ birthday parties, and some of them are starting to wonder if it is worth it, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Downingtown resident Stephanie Carlucci started planning her son’s first birthday party when he was just six months old. After she picked out a theme and filled her online Etsy shopping cart with the necessities, including matching invitations, thank-you cards, and banners, she ordered “fancy catering” from Carlino’s Market in West Chester and secured a smash cake. She also chose a signature drink for the grownups. 

“It’s so over the top,” she said. You’re “spending all this money for a 1-year-old who hated the cake and cried the whole time.” 

Recently, a combination of social media and societal pressure has made kids’ parties more and more costly. According to Platform 1 Events at the Columbia Station in Chester County, some people are spending $4,500 or more on children’s birthday parties. 

“A lot of people parent from a fear of being judged,” said Danielle Looper, a stay-at-home mom from Phoenixville. 

Read more about the parties in The Philadelphia Inquirer.