Leaving children at parties.

[twoforthepriceofone22]

Hi! Just wondered if anybody can tell me at what age they would or have left their child alone at a birthday party.
My 4.5 ds is insistent that this is the done thing for his age, but I'm a bit as he seems a bit young and I was looking forward to having birthday cake and a natter.
What do you think?

[Cantseethewoods]

DD is 4 ( in reception). Drop off is fine but not universal. I play it by ear.

It also depends where the party is. In public places parents tend to stay well beyond that.

[usernumbernine]

Where I live a 4.5 would beat school and definitely be left. Anything from about 4 up the kids are left. But there's likely to be a wide vairiance in this because I've seen here on MN that some parents seem to stay until their kids are considerably older.

[Kanga59]

Y1 parent here and the majority of parents still stay.

[MarklahMarklah]

From age 3 for me, but DD's quite independent and confident.

[Chuckading]

My DS is 5, I've been expected to stay with him at all his parties this year. When I had his bday party a few months ago, I had one mum ask if she could leave her dc and go. I said no, simply as there were 30kids in a public hall (along with over 30 parents) and no way of locking them in. I was worried I wouldn't notice if one decided to leave!

[dannyboyle]

Year 1 parent, all parties here still have a parent with each child. Only exception is when another parent takes responsibility for someone elses child, however that is nothing to do with the host.

If I had a reception party I would be shocked if someone left their child without proper prior arrangement.

[Lochan]

In our area the stand is drop off from Primary one (so four or five).

[CaulkheadNorth]

Standard to drop off here from about Christmas of reception, unless specifically put on the invite (i.e. Ice skating party)

[twoforthepriceofone22]

Thanks for the replies, quite a difference in opinions. I have asked party mum what she wants and she said I'm fine to go..... Think I'll see how I feel on Saturday

[3boys3dogshelp]

Usually y1 up here - and in y1 only if you know the birthday child's parents a bit /they know your child a bit. Y2 you can hear a car door open outside then the screech of tires as the parent escapes makes the most of two hours of freedom

[PhyllisWig]

Dds are y2 and it's still a mix. We stayed at a swimming party which made sense due to changing. I drop at parties in people's houses and 50/50 if they are church hall type parties. I am slack though, lots of others still stay to everything.

[NotCitrus]

Reception here - parents who knew me and dd left their kids, ones who had never met me to speak to all stayed. In Y1 had about 3 parents stay, one as child got clingy, other two as their kids got shy and forgot English. Ds first got dropped off age 3.5 but host was a primary teacher. Now we need a parent to attend in case he has a meltdown (though he hasn't been invited to big parties since one in Y2, partly as small groups are now the done thing)