An amateur baker took to the internet to ask whether she did the right thing by denying a seven-year-old a cupcake.
Writing on the Am I the A**hole forum on Reddit, a 24-year-old social media user explained she baked a few goods for the recent potluck party her grandmother had organised for the family.
The woman said she had promised to make an elaborately decorated cupcake “for each and every” child and baked a cake for the adults to share. She added: “I elaborately decorated the cupcakes and made sure I made enough. I didn’t have the energy to make extras.”
However, on the day of the party, one of the woman’s cousins brought along unannounced the daughter of her boyfriend.
This seven-year-old girl, Gina, saw the pretty cupcakes and asked if she could also get one but, the amateur baked noted, all the treats she had decorated were already destined for the other children of the family, so she could not spare any.
She wrote: “My cousin then said I should just give her one because she was sure at least one of the kids would not show up. Again, I refused, saying that I promised all the kids a cupcake and would feel awful if anyone had to miss out on the promised cupcake. My cousin then walked away with Gina.
“She was right though as one of our cousins’ girl, Amy, was sick and couldn’t come. However, her dad and older brother did and the brother asked if he could take the cupcake back home to Amy and I said yes.
“My cousin and Gina were in the kitchen when I brought the cupcake inside to pack it up for Amy. When they saw me packing the cake they asked about it and I said it was for Amy who was sick.”
While the amateur baker believes to have made the right call by giving the cupcake to Amy as it had already been promised to her, her cousin informed her after the party that young Gina was “really upset” the child who did not attend the party got the cupcake.
Her cousin, the internet user added, also accused her of “hurting a little girl’s feelings”.
Many of the Redditors who shared their opinion on this issue agreed that Amy should not be punished for being sick and already missing the fun of the party. Rather, they argued, the woman’s cousin was at fault for bringing Gina unannounced.
One comment read: “You can’t bring extra people without notice and expect them to get preferential treatment.”
Another said: “They showed up unannounced, and while it’s unfortunate that Gina couldn’t get a cupcake, you had already made commitments to the kids who were on the original guest list. It was a situation beyond your control. You were just committed to keeping your promises and treating everyone fairly. Your cousin’s complaint IS unreasonable, considering the circumstances.”
Another Redditor, however, believes everyone is at fault in this situation, as they wrote: “Your cousin was out of line with the demands, and what kind of vaudevillian villain takes home a cupcake when there is a child at the party who didn’t get one. But baking the exact number of cupcakes? Come on. An easily preventable disaster.”
Yet another internet user pointed their finger at the 24-year-old woman, claiming she should have simply baked more goods. They wrote: “This was a party for children, not an artisanal pastry tasting. Make a larger amount of lower quality pastries because children don’t know, or care, about a curated gourmet experience.
“I take you at your word that you’re a great baker who makes amazing cupcakes. I don’t dispute that at all. But you need to learn how to cater to your audience.”
