Strict? Never thought of it that way!

Me too. I know that for most kids birthday parties are a big thing, and as long as our son is happy with it we try to make sure he shows. Having to do that on just a few days notice isn't always easy.

The teacher just sent out a letter to everybody about the small celebration at school. Handled very nicely: she wrote that while birthdays usually have nothing to do with school, there had been several unfortunate misunderstandings and the class has "no-one left out" as a kind of motto. And she discreetly reminded all parents to keep a careful eye on invitations and give a response whether the invite asked for it or not, without laying blame.