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Super soaker etiquette at parties

411 replies

tigermoth · 17/07/2008 19:22

Does this sound ok to you?

My ds2 age 8 has been invited to a classmate's party tomorrow (after school ends, last day of term).

The party will take place outdoors in a small park next to the school. (Host and helpers will take the whole class to the park after school ends in the afternoon - hurrah!)

I saw the host's mother yesterday to confirm arrangements. Ds1 begged to bring his large super soaker water pistol with him - and a spare one to give to someone else.

Host's mother and I had a quick talk and agreed it was ok as long as it was warm weather. But I am not sure if host's mother was agreeing under duress IYSWIM. Ds2 was being very insistent and I wonder if the mother was just being polite through gritted teeth?

I told ds2 in front of host's mum that she had my absolute permission to veto any super soaker activity on the day.

ds2 has come home from school today obsessed with super soaker plans. He has apparently got his teacher's permission to bring in bottles of water and store them, along with his two super soakers, in school for use at the party (as there is no water supply at the park). I keep reminding him that if it is cool or if children get upset, the water fight is off, but he seems to have his mind set on this.

I cannot contact host's mother - can't get her phone number and I am unlikely to see her tomorrow morning as she does not do the school drop off. So as it stands,
ds2 will arrive at school tomorrow complete with super soakers.

I plan to write a letter to host's mother re-iterating that she has my utter permission to ban super soakers and ds2 knows this. I will give this letter to ds2 to give to her at the beginning of the party. Ds2 knows I will check that he has given her the letter when I collect him.

It's the end of term, the party is outdoors, I don't want to put the dampers on ds2's plans but hmmm.... what would you think if you were the host's mother? Would you be ok with this?

PS Bit of extra background - some of the parents of ds2's classmates see him as a bit of a livewire, so from what I can gather, he tends not to get too many play date or party invites. This is the first class party he has been invited to for ages and I have told ds2 it's really important that he does what he is told by the host mother so the other parents will see he takes notice. At school, ds2 is reasonably well behaved - I never have to see his teachers about his behaviour, and as a rule he plays well in a group, but I know he will be running around in a frenzy of super soaker, end of term excitement.....

OP posts:
unfitmother · 18/07/2008 20:23

Glad to hear you all had a good time!
(fancy a Pimms now)

tigermoth · 18/07/2008 20:18

Back from the party, not a bit wet. No super soaker action at all - too cool and overcast.

When I arrived, I made a point of asking host parent if she had organised any games for the children as I could hear wild shouts from the nearby woods. No sign of ds2. Another group of children were kicking a ball around on the grass. The other parents were drinking pimms and looking unconcerned. Host parent said absolutely no organised games, just children running off end of term energy.

Ds2 emerged from the trees with a large stick gun and a collection of outdoor plastic toys tucked into his trousers. He had organised an army game (no surprises there then) to do with military demolition. He was using the toys to construct explosives to attatch to enemy buildings so they could be blown up. Don't know where the toys came from - I think it was one of the birthday girl's presents; lots of the other children were playing with these toys.

DS2 was in a happy group of approx half the guests (boys and girls) For some of the time, birthday girl was amongst them. She happened to be wearing a red bikini she had been given, so would have been very well dressed for any super soaker activity.

Ds2 did ask for the supersoakers at first but I just told him it was too cold and to go back and play his game without them.

While he ran in and out of the woods, I chatted to the other parents, loosely arranged a playdate and chilled out. No problem attitude from any parents, spoke for half an hour or more with host parent, had pimms, came home.

Had the day been blazing hot, I probably would have taken host parent to one side to say I had the supersoakers in the car boot, then up to her to say yes or no. As a lot of the children were already running around with toy stick guns or being chased, it would have been just another element to their playing.

Thanks to those who praised my tenacity (and the positive character references from those who have met me and ds2).

I did take some notice of this thread, you know, as originally I was going give ds2 the super soakers and a letter for the host mother about how it was up to her to permit their use or not. I still can't really see what was so outrageous about that, but I did adapt my plan, so that I kept the super soakers under lock and key in the boot of my car.

I have already had a small super soaker party here at home, and may try for a bigger one. As long as no water bombs aew involved - they make such a mess of the kitchen floor. If you find super soakers irritating I dread to think what you all feel about water bombs.

OP posts:
pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:59

what did yousay, prof, and when?

ThatBigGermanPrison · 18/07/2008 19:58

No no no.

If a child even dribbled water at me at a party, then unless it was a water fighting party, the super soaker would be snatched off with a trill of "I don't think that's a very good idea, let's give it to Mummy at home time, shall we?"

ProfessorGrammaticus · 18/07/2008 19:50

I'm sorry if I was a bit terse. I wouldn't have said that to you in that way in RL and maybe that's a good guide as to what to type on MN. I take the comments on board and I'm sorry if I upset you tigermoth. I do stand by the substance of my post, though.

pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:43

ahhhhh!

ok.

Of course do not let ds take a feckin super soaker to a party where no one else will have one. What's wrong with you

Blu · 18/07/2008 19:42

Ahem, Pointy - that thread was started an hour after this one and is clearly a norty thread!

maidamess · 18/07/2008 19:42

pointy, this is the original thread.

TheFallenMadonna · 18/07/2008 19:41

That one was an hour later pointydog.

pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:40

I haven't the energy to read through this whole thread but it is an uncanny coincidence if tigermoth genuinely started this thread when this one was started at almost exactly the same time.

S1ur · 18/07/2008 19:20

Ah the ornamental use of the soaker, gotcha

nappyaddict · 18/07/2008 19:19

actually i think you'll find i said i would let him take it as long as he wasn't going to be getting anyone else wet

S1ur · 18/07/2008 19:11

I am not sure I have ever seen MN so united.
Clearly you may quibble about sausages and the whole grey area of boden but super soakers? We say NO, step away from the gun.

I too am now waiting with great anticipation, what happened Tiger? Did DS have a good time? Was there water involved????

hunkermunker · 18/07/2008 18:53

Agree with Spidermama - and your reaction on this thread has prompted the snidey tone of the latter part of it, imo - MNers do get sarky when their "nay, nay and thrice NAY" gets met with "But... "

I've got a constructive idea for you though:

Have own super soaker party for DS2 where the rules are laid out clearly in advance and every child invited has a super soaker.

[resolved]

lizinthesticks · 18/07/2008 18:37

Wow - when will this place get a proper quote function.

lizinthesticks · 18/07/2008 18:36

Probably pissed it down and EVERYONE got soaked.

Doodle2U · 18/07/2008 18:35

Oh give over. Tigermoth has been bloody brilliant about this thread and she's shown herself to be an absolute star for not knee jerk reacting to any of the comments.

Actually, she didn't respond to any of the comments full stop - particularly the posts which specifically said "Don't do it" - you may have noticed that one or two said that.

itati · 18/07/2008 18:34

Came to this via the request to put it in classics. Took ages to read. Not entirely sure it was worth it but interested to know what happened.

pointydog · 18/07/2008 18:10

Is this a spoof thread? In response to that water pistol one? surely...

ThingOne · 18/07/2008 18:03

I just want to know how it went!

zog · 18/07/2008 17:55

Completely agree with TotalChaos:

at taking supersoakers to a party

but

at unnecessary insults to TM and her ds2

ThePettyandIllinformedGoat · 18/07/2008 17:54

TheProvincialLady: i clicked on this thinking it was some lentil weaver thinking about taking her pissy baby to a party in felted nappy covers.

fwiw (which is v. little) i LOATH children with water pistols.

FabioUnblogged · 18/07/2008 17:51

I think it's rude to take toys to a party.

lol Blu, but will lol more if Tigermoth comes back on and says 'I'll post about the party once I've stopped dripping onto the laptop'

serenity · 18/07/2008 17:50

Can I just echo TotalChaos? This thread is hilarious but let's not spoil it by insulting either TM or her DS? It's been a couple of years, but IME both TM and her sons were rather lovely when I met them.

Hope the party went well!

Blu · 18/07/2008 17:49

Agree with TotalChaos...

I have actually met TM, several times, in RL, and have escaped on every occasion bone dry!

( a position I would like to maintain, true, but still!!!)

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