when to stop inviting all class to bday parties?

[Belfield]

My DS is 9 soon. Until now within his class, either all the boys, all the girls or the entire class were invited to parties. I think around this age it is usual for children to start inviting only some classmates and then other friends from sports/activities etc. My DS still wants to invite everyone so I will do that but am just wondering in general when the numbers tend to dwindle. Is it usual to invite everyone until they go to second level?

Whenever you want? I’ve never done a whole class party.

I did one all class party in reception then after that it’s been 10 friends. I think 9 is absolutely fine to just do friends.

Don't start it in the first place.

My sons are 9 and 6. In their classes there is a mix of whole class/friends only parties. I have not done a full class party for a while but would if one of my sons asked for one.

When they want to do more expensive things?

eg bowling for 30 would be ridiculously expensive, so bowling for 6 sounds much more practical.

We never did whole class parties. DD found that many overwhelming.

We never did all class parties, some people did and some didn't and nobody objected either way. But by 9 nobody was doing them.

Stopped doing all class parties after yr 2.

I only do whole class parties when they are joint. I wouldn't do it if it was just Ds party as it would be too expensive with over 20 kids. It's worked in our class so far where those with birthdays in the same month tend to join up - could be 3 or 4. Some of the kids have their own party and would only invite a few of the boys, which is perfect too.

Y1-2 they seem to dwindle at our school. DS1 was bored of soft play by the end of y2. We've done a couple of all the boys y2 & y3. I've vowed not again after being mucked about by the same core of parents who are not DS's closest friends and have never invited DS to a party. The trouble is that there is a small number of boys in the class so by the time DS wrote his list, I thought we may as well invite a few more to include them all. This year (y4) he's wanting something more low-key anyway.

Thanks everyone. It will probably stop naturally next year

As soon as someone is brave enough to be the first . Then all the other parents breathe a huge sigh of relief and get their weekends back.

Ah, but then you move to the realm of the birthday sleepover. I'm not sure which I found harder - the feeling like you've been hit by a bus after a whole class party, or the not getting any sleep because they are still squawking at 1am and then one of them wakes up at 5am.

End of infants for us. I think people are over the wanting to socialise by then and as a PP said anxious to get weekends back! I actually turn them down for my younger two unless they are specifically friends with the all class child and it has had no adverse effects. Lovely to have weekends back!

I never did a whole class party. Luckily DS has a June birthday so by that point in the school year particular friendships had been formed.