Is this a weird thing for the mum to write on a party invitation?

Maybe English isn't the mom's first language, which could be why she has phrased it a bit awkwardly? Or maybe she just didn't know how to put it.

But yeah, she wants parents to stay, due to the nature of the party. As you were planning to stay anyway from the sound of it, don't sweat it.

I did go to one for dd where parents had to stay and there was no food about once. I think I had DS as a baby at the time and I was absolutely starving when I got back!

Yeah I think she’s saying stay and supervise your child. She’s worded it a bit awkwardly but it’s not an unreasonable thing to ask. If you don’t have family local and perhaps you’re a single parent, it’s hard to look after all the kids on your own.

Hopefully it’s somewhere where you can at least buy food if there’s no provided for the adults!

I would call the mum for clarification, if my kid was keen. Otherwise I would definitely be sorry but we already have plans for that day.

I’m from and live in the Uk. Every party I have been to with both DC, parents have been offered tea and cake etc until they were about 7, then it’s drop and run.

The only party where neither parents nor kids were fed was actually a parent from another country. The party was 11-1 and only a slice of cake for the kids and nothing for the parents!

8 is indeed old for a soft play party and should definitely be drop and run.

Eight year olds would be drop and go, normally, at a soft play. Parents might have to pay an entrance fee too, if they were staying? What if there are other siblings to look after, would they be allowed?
If she wants parents to stay why not just say?

Yeah, where I am, from age 5 on the norm is drop and pick up 2 hours later if it's a kids' school friends situation. Parents would only stay if it was a family/friends type party, and whole family was invited. Also, as others have said, supervised soft play is usually under 5, unless it's something a bit more than that?

Maybe she has some games for the parents planned. Hopefully who can sit still the longest

Do you know the venue? As mentioned 8 is quite old for soft play and I wonder if it is more of a go ape type thing where adult to child ratios are much higher.

when my kids were this age, in the mid noughties, parties were always drop and go and only parents of children with additional needs or batshit helicopter parents, stuck around.

It really depends on the country.

Through a British lens, it might well be an attempt at a polite way of saying please stay and supervise your DC as the British are incredibly indirect as a culture.

Many other cultures are much more direct and it would be normal to simply say what you mean, so if they want you to say, you will know, as they will simply ask you to stay, no guessing / having to work out coded messages necessary.

It might be simply that the mum wants to make the parents feel included and that they can stay if they want.

Amitooldforcbeebies are you able to tell us where in the world you are?

At 8yrs old its def a dump and run scenario.....but looks like yous are expected to stay....

We always fed and watered parents at DS’s parties, though we’re not originally from the UK. Admittedly the offerings at a soft play were pretty minimal.

Basically this

Where abroad? I remember being most shocked (and very hungry) at the first party our DS was invited to in England. Parents didn’t even get a coffee! That is not the norm in most countries.

Yes, this is it.

The days of big children’s parties are behind me but I remember the children who needed little supervision would have their parents stay and the children who needed close supervision (for various reasons) would be dropped at the door and the parent scoot off.

Just badly worded, prob because the Mum feels socially awkward about asking for anything from the other parents.

The venue probably has rules about supervision ratios and in any case she and her husband can't watch everyone. So she should be happy to say 'please stay and supervise - max five kids per adult' or similar

I’d have thought it was reasonably normal to want parents to stay for something like a soft play which needs a bit more supervision because one adult can’t have eyes on a dozen or more children in different areas of the play space. She’s phrased it in a hedgy way but yes, I’d read it as wanting you to stay and keep an eye on your own DC.

If you’re in an expat / international school community, there could also be an adults social event tacked on - that’s very normal

Just means she is not taking responsibility for your child and you have to stay. It's an odd way of phrasing it but think she was trying to be super polite. If you aren't in the UK could the wording be a bit odd due to it not translating exactly.

This

It’s awkwardly worded but not weird.

Exactly.

I mean, she’s being a bit indirect about this, but it’s pretty clear she’s saying ‘Don’t drop and go, I’m not going to be fishing young Ferdinand out of the ballpit covered in someone else’s sick.’

I assume she means 'please stay and supervise' but I would absolutely be asking! In a polite way.

I have flashbacks to a child's party where it turned out we were all expected to
'participate' in the (cringe-worthy) 'entertainment'. The party organiser is the sort of person who cheerfully does that sound of thing and enjoys nothing more than being told to crawl around a circle three times pretending to be an elephant or whatever. It's my absolute fucking nightmare.

(I mean, I hope no one is doing this with an eight year old, but you can see I am still disturbed by it.)

It’s not ‘weird’ at all, shes asking parents to stay and watch their own kids. Better than you all having to guess