To send invitation for 8th party happening mid-Jan?

It might also be worth giving people another message after Christmas just as a reminder as I swear half the world has amnesia the beginning of January. Im just as bad

I don’t know that I would have worded it so bluntly ‘waiting to see if something better comes along’ but that is the crux of it because people aren’t usually going prioritise an 8YO’s party over other stuff they have going on.

Off the top of my head for January:
DD plays on a sports team, we wouldn’t miss a match except for her absolute best friend but would potentially skip a training session
Both my parents birthdays, Dad’s is a big one, if they have a do of some sorts I’d prioritise that
There’s a festival in DH’s village in France we were thinking of going to but don’t know the exact date yet but it is usually mid-late Jan

If I got your invite now I’d pop it my diary as tentative and ask when you needed RSVPs by and hope you said a month before or something more sensible! I wouldn’t forget to come back to you but you run the risk that some people might and then it’s more faff chasing up responses than if you’d just sent the invite in December.

Yes as a random child's birthday is quite low on people's priority lists so there will be many more important things that may come up in that time frame. If you ask a couple of weeks before or even a month before id be more able to say whether where available or not.

I'm in the same position as my daughter's party is booked for the first weekend of January as her actual birthday is over Christmas.

We don't send invites as such. We just pop a message in the class WhatsApp group (small class so everyone's invited) and then
WhatsApp everyone else outside school individually. This happens around early December to give people time to buy a present / put some money in an envelope.

We still have to remind parents as everyone forgets over Christmas.

Our party is just a flat fee for a number of kids up to around 20 so ultimately we don't particularly care exactly who turns up or not as we're not paying per kid who RSVPs.

It's different if you've booked the exact number you need or if it's a pain to increase or decrease the numbers.

TL:DR - tell people in early December.

Do you mean they're waiting to see if something better comes along?

We won’t have finalised when we’re visiting family for the weekend, won’t have the timetable out yet for sports fixtures, there may be invitations like a family Christening still coming out for that weekend. I don’t think you can expect someone to block out a weekend for a classmate’s birthday that far in advance. Six weeks is a good amount of time.

Well yeah, and that's fine, isn't it. We all know that plans can change.

But if OP knows the date for sure, she may as well tell people.

No, but they probably won't have any idea of work schedules yet, etc. We could probably accept now, but the vast majority of DS' friends parents are doctors, vets, etc; and they couldn't accept yet.

I also wouldn't send save-the-date notices for an 8th birthday party. I'd just get the invites out in early December.

But I'm NOT going to plan around a random friend's 8th. birthday party. So you could send me the details and I'd put it in my diary... but as a tentative thing. And I'd be completely upfront that I can't commit as I have no idea what might be happening that weekend this far in advance.

I was on a thread here once where someone was really upset because she couldn't understand why people wouldn't commit in advance and she thought it was all about FOMO. But that's not it at all. I'm just not goign to rearrange my entire schedule around an 8 year old's birthday without a really good reason. I imagine that when my children are goign to 18th or 21st birthdays, then yes, we might plan accordingly and commit further in advance. But not in this sort of situation, no.

If that is definately going to be the date then I would let people know by whatsapp at least. I mean, why not? Better for people to know and to be able to plan accordingly.

It's far to early. At this point anything could change. My kid might decide to join a new club on that day. Kids could have football or a karate grading on that day we don't know about yet. A family member could book a christening in the next few months. I could not guarantee this far in advance for a 8 th birthday that is not family

If your child has had the same group of friends to his parties since nursery and still friends with them then message the mothers to say so they can pencilit in. This was case with my oldest he always had same friends.

If your child changes friends as some 8 year olds do like my youngest then you have to wait until closer to the time to save inviting someone who your child then doesn't want there. Remember this is for your child's party not yours so child picks the guest list and it isn't based on what you think is fair or the ones whose Mum's you like.

I think you'd be crazy to send these now. Nothing would make me roll my eyes harder than someone sending a save the date for a bog standard 8 year old's party 4 months ahead. So fro ma judgement perspective, don't.

There are also practical considerations:
1 Except for my DC's absolute BESTIES, I am NOT going to commit that far ahead for an 8 year old's birthday party. I have no idea what we might be doign - what if family visit from overseas? What if DD gets the opportunity ot take part in a dance show or has an exam scheduled? What if we decide to take a weekend away? These are all things that I woudl consider perfectly justified in prioritising over a kids party, but they're things that I might not know about in October for January.

2 8 year olds' change their friendship groups. By December, your child may want to ditch Johnny in favour of Jackie.

I would send a save the date and send a reminder 3/4 weeks in advance of the date

I wouldn’t for Jan. But at the same time I would never give anyone less than 8 weeks notice because I work with professionals who book up their evening and weekends quite far in advance: You can always send a reminder closer to the time.

Yeah way too early. I received an invitation 3 months in advance last year, and had to say I couldn't RSVP until closer to the time - because I didn't have my work schedule that far in advance.

My son's 8th birthday is in 3 weeks and I sent out Whatsapp invitations yesterday (and everyone had RSVPd by bedtime!!)

RSVPs received now will be unreliable as people might drop out nearer the time for various reasons. It would be better all round to wait until just before the Christmas break and people’s answers then are more likely to be solid. I received an invite literally months ahead for a child’s party earlier this year and I thought it was mad. Yes you book the party if it’s an in demand venue but I wouldn’t dream of sending out invites more than six weeks max in advance.

It's too early. I'd send invitations about a month before.

I don’t understand these replies. If you’ve booked it, send a save the date. Most people will put it in their calendar and make sure they don’t put anything else on top; some people will forget but be free anyway by the time you send the actual invitations. If you feel odd about it, just preface the message with an acknowledgment, eg “I know it’s crazily early to be thinking about January, but DC is really keen to do [activity] and the slots get booked up far in advance, so please save the date. I’ll send proper invitations closer to the time.]

Yes exactly. Be realistic, sometimes higher priority things come up, especially for family events, or commitments for other siblings that might be more important.

I’m guessing that all parents will have a similar age child and appreciate things need to be booked early.

For me, the more notice the better. Invite everyone via text saying Timmy’s 8th Birthday has been booked for 12th Jan, got in early as laser quest was getting booked up! Hold it in your diary, proper invites to come in December.

Surely parents will just put it in their diary and reply formally when you send the invite. If you know the date no reason not to tell people!

So would I.
Also, they might have a new best friend by then.