Super soaker etiquette at parties

Water pistols - fun squirting others

Miserable being squited yourself

Unless it's a very hot day which makes it just about bearable and worth tolerating enough for the payoff of squirting others.

Being randomly squirted by the only 2 poeple with water pistols-not fun.

Honestly. Just beacuse people aren't crying when squirted doesn't mean they're not thinking 'i really wish they wouldn't do that' or even 'please just fuck off' whilst maintaining a fixed grin so as not to look like a good sport.

I found your reluctance to say no to your son quite concerning, and the fact that you had to fabricate reasons.

Sometimes just no, should suffice. But in this case there were good reasons that you should have been able to tell him.

It does make me think that there is a link between your reluctance to say no and him being a 'livewire' who rarely gets invited to parties.

God, where is everyone's sense of fun?? I would absolutely agree for super soaker and would only emphasis that he must share it if other people want a go. Similarly, if anyone tells him to stop, as you have told him, he must stop. I would have NO problem policing such a thing, if kids get upset (the wet farts) then just stop the water.
I will now run ...

another message in support of Tigermoth here. No real views on suitability or otherwise of supersoaker at parties - my DS only 11 months so not quite got to that stage yet! - but don't think there was any cause for mean and judgemental responses, esp not the one equating "live wire" son to "pain in the arse." that's a pretty horrible thing to say to any mother, esp one who is just asking for views on a parenting dilemma.
hugs to you, tigermoth, if you feel hurt by some of the extraordinary responses to your quite reasonable original post.

Haven't actually given a view on this (and don't intend to, lol) but just want to say, water pistol to supersoaker is like air gun to AK47

Glad the party went well though.

Hi Tigermoth. I've just read this thread with increasing surprise as I went through it at how vehement people have been about sayng no to the super soakers.

Tbh, if, when my ds had been 8, there had been an end of term thing in a park and he had a water pistol and had asked me if he could take it then I'd have probably said yes, you can, without thinkng much about it. I also think children + water pistols + end of term + putdoor space is fine, actually. It wouldn't have occurred to me that it would be rude or outrageous or anything.

I do think people are sounding a bit precious about the whole 'children getting wet' business on this thread: small children aren't made of paper! I also think if the other mother did mind then she should have said so. If someone had asked me I'd have said 'it's fine' and I would have MEANT IT. None of us is mind readers so when we ask for a view we expect some honesty.

I know I'm the lone voice on this thread but I think it's indicative of how sheltered our children are these days and how uptight and controlling many, many mothers can be that the very idea of a water pistol in a park at the end of term on a summers say is so outrageous . I know it was a party but it wasn't an indoor party, it was hardly equivalent to saying "can I scribble on your Renoir?" was it? But many of these posts seem to view is at so. But maybe that's childhood these days? Or mumsnet these days? I don't know, I can only express my surprise and bewilderment.

When I was small water pistols were great fun .

I also think all the unpleasant and personal remarks were completely uncalled for. Those of you who made them should be ashamed of yourselves.

Tigermoth has been posting for many, many years (since mumsnet began) and I too have met her several times. As you can see from her calm responses on this thread, she is a reasonable person and she certainly didn't deserve the unpleasant remarks directed at her here.

But hey, it was too cold anyway and all's well that ended well but I really am quite at this thread.

"Was this a wind-up? The birthday girl wore a red bikini......in this weather?"

"too cool and overcast."

hunts for 'perplexed' smiley

What a fabulous thread.

Tigermoth, you're unique. Do you work in a job which requires fiddly accuracy and chasing things up? You should!

All's well that ends well. And I bet BD girl didn't want to get her new bikini wet.

Your ds's games sound very inventive tigermoth...

Was this a wind-up? The birthday girl wore a red bikini......in this weather?

Dodge City round here.

splish splosh

pointydog - you truly are like a dog with a bone! You tal like round your way there are gangs of hoodlums with 'water guns' out to get you on every corner

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haev you a lot of ecperience of water gun parties where only two people are armed, ever?

aw, Tigermoth, sorry to see you had such a hard time on this thread
who would have thought supersoakers would conjure up such a debate!
glad you and ds had a nice time

"Trouble is, there's NEVER any etiquette when it comes to water pistols. It's each man for himself, the largest gun wins and the fate of teh vanquished is ugly. The tears, teh injustice, the rage, the rat-atiled hair and the wringing clothes." I repseat.

How many water fights have you seen where only one or two kids have super soakers and the rest have nothing or small pistols?

I haven't seen one yet where everyone had fun. And lots have gone on around my way.

I'd send dd, who took out two Yr 4 boys from the roof of the TP den earlier this summer Blu

Ooh, I would happily send / invite DS to a specifically advertised 'water fight' party - the advantage of these things in gardens is that then you have a towel handy, and spare clothes if their enthusiasm outpaces their circulation, and hypothermia threatens.

Of course if my Pimms was contaminated with a slug of water from inside a festering supersoaker, well then I'd be proper peeved

HM - missed you today

TM, I think you have possibly missed the point of the thread's responses - I don't think anyone - or many people - actually object to super soakers (except Moo was it who saw a person half-blinded by one), so they wouldn't necessarily object to water bombs - it was the whole issue of "time and place" that was the crux or thrust of the whole shebang.

Glad it was good though and cheers [Pimms]

Well, I don't know how I missed this but am glad for you that all's well that ends dry tm - it would have been a brave bunch of kids opting in to supersoaking on this rather bracing day! (We did NOT spend the afternoon at Danson Pk water feature as intended, I believe the pipes froze )
Agree with some latter posters that the tone of some of the posts here is incredibly rude
I also know tm in RL and have spent many happy, relaxed and untraumatised hours in her company and that of her two fab dss.
I thought your remark about her ds2 being left out of parties because of her attitude was particularly mean-spirited sophable.

Hallelujah. Common sense has prevailed.

As far as I am concerned, Super Soakers belong in your own garden only. Unless of course than an invite makes a particular reference to them..

I like to think of myself as a down with the kidz, happy go lucky kind of girl, but I would not be happy if some horrible snotty nosed child sprayed me with water at an event... I would get really really cross and tut out loud!

all's well that ends well .

I never want to hear the words super soaker again .