One such voice in a recent podcast episode of ‘We Met At Acme’ was economist and mom Emily Oster who got bold. Converted from generative AI with unknown model Oster believes in protecting family time, including on weekends. She values the time spent with family and prefers that over attending fundraisers or social functions.
Oster, an educator and co-author of the book “The Unexpected,” told her own family’s story of adhering to a tough pact. They schedule weekends as necessary for hiking or other interests that take precedence over more traditional birthday party obligations. She articulated her views further during a live discussion at Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC, where she promoted her latest work.
The issue blew up on social media after clips from the podcast started going viral on TikTok. In these clips, Oster outlined her philosophy: “If the birthday party is a Sunday morning, which is a time that we like to go hiking or do stuff together, it’s just no.” She elaborated on her family’s decision-making process: “We decided a thing that was important, and the other thing is less important… the idea of prioritizing some time that the four of us can spend together that is family time, that is very central.”
Oster isn’t against birthday parties, he just wants it to be fair and balanced. To be perfectly clear, she explained, “It’s not that I’m saying I’m categorically against the idea of a birthday party. If there were a Sunday afternoon birthday party… I would be happy to let my kid go if they wanted.” This nuance caused quite a bit of ire among listeners, especially in the TikTok post’s comment section.
Many commenters expressed concerns regarding Oster’s approach. In response, one commenter suggested, “Sounds more like mom doesn’t want to adapt her own lifestyle choices for her children. She would still like to go hiking; the kids probably would still prefer to be at a birthday party for one of their friends. Another shared a personal experience: “My mum was like this. Ultimately if you reject enough hosts, guests will simply stop asking your kid over. It was very sad for me.”
A teacher chimed in with a shared professional perspective, stating, “I’m a teacher. Kids talk about their birthday parties all week and after the weekend. You’re excluding your child not just from the party, but from the whole experience around it. It’s isolating.”
Even with the scrutiny, Oster stands firm in her contention that her family’s values should always come above social commitments. She emphasized the importance of having every family figure out what’s best for them. She continued, “That might not be everybody’s thing, but that’s our thing.”
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