Party Invites, at you peril

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the story currently bouncing around the Internet about a mother who sent an invoice for a claimed 'no show' fee when an invited child failed to attend her five year old's birthday party.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this farrago are one thing is certain, when the child reaches six he's likely to have very few attending that party, something that in her righteous indignation the mother seems to have overlooked. As for persuing a claim in the small claims court - who is she going to sue, the five year old?
Give me strength.