Urgent - how many to expect??

[Confusedteatowel]

Party for toddler DC. Saturday afternoon in mid August. Children from nursery so not people we know well. What proportion would you expect to accept an invitation?

But we did a private hire at a play centre. It allowed 100 people.
I paid for food for ones invited prior. Parents paid for the siblings food from the cafe when there.

@Blankbias there are maybe 2 families that I specifically want there. Otherwise I just want a nice mix of children/parents that go to the nursery. We don't know many nursery families yet so keen to meet some 🙂

@MuddlingThroughLifeLittleByLittle what time of year was that?

So either invite everyone (if you want to meet people), or just pick the ones you feel you’d get on with the best? I’m really struggling to see why you’re so worried? If you don’t want loads of people there, then I would just invite the people you like. Seems odd to panic about everyone coming but still inviting everyone! You’re in control of this!

@Blankbias I don't know who I like, because I haven't met them yet. Plus whatever group I invite 0-100% of them (depending on which pps you believe) will not turn up. It's not easy!

Honestly you’re probably not likely to make friends with the nursery parents on the back of this party, but I don’t really know what your set up is (as in where you live, working patterns of parents, etc). Do something like a picnic in the park, people can take their own food and drinks and then it doesn’t matter who turns up.

Goodness me. Are you sure about this!?

Even if only half of the toddlers can come that’s potentially:

15 toddlers
15 mums
probably 7 dads
Maybe 10 siblings

You could easily end up hosting nearly 50 people!

In my experience, before school age, it’s fairly common for both parents to show up and to bring their other children.

Ooer scale it back!

I speak as someone who always forgets a holiday invite, usually because I've forgotten what day/week/month I'm in!

Invite only the mums who you have spoken to, smiled at, nodded good morning to... I'd say a max of 8. They're toddlers, they're just going to run riot (toddle riot?)

Age 3 is okay as you can do party games etc, but younger then I think you can forget any organisation and it will be very stressful - you certainly won't be sitting back making new mum friends.

I'd just invite a few to soft play or a park. Good luck!

Either hire a hall or invite 12/14 or so that way you would probably get 8 ish.

Invite 6 random children from nursery and even if only 2 turn up just enjoy the day.

You have to assume they may all come so if you don't have room for them all plus siblings and parents then you have to invite fewer.

DD born close to bank holiday weekend and most we every had attend was 70%. If you're worried about numbers, invite say half of closest ones, then have the other half ready to issue a couple of days later. Some will reply quite quickly so if you suddenly have a few and can't invite others, you'll have some of the closest ones/preferred for whatever reason. If anyone finds out they're DC was in the second batch, just tell them you were inviting so many, you hadn't got around to doing the rest.

Thanks @ifonly4 I have left out the younger children that won't be moving rooms with my DC and will consider inviting them next week depending on replies 👍

As an aside, how do you even know so much about the other dc at Nursery ?

How do you know who younger ones are, or even who all the dc are in their room ?

If you invite them all be prepared for them all to turn up! And at least one parent as well!!

This sounds like hell. Trying to host loads of small children plus parents whilst the children are running around trashing the house. They won't respect toys, everything will be pulled out, things will be broken and there will be tears.

You'll be a frantic harassed mess and the workload will be immense.

Book a small village hall. Children that age will just want to tear around the place. If you can afford it, get something like a bouncy castle, if not, plan some activities they can race around with. They will need space.

Nooooo just save yourself the hassle and do a little picnic with family and/or a couple of friends. I say this as someone who hosted a second birthday party recently and went to a massive amount of hassle getting RSVPs then barely spoke to anyone on the day because I was toddler wrangling and now hang out with exactly the same parents and children as before.

50%. BUT. There is covid and cancelled vacations, and inflation. In other words, they might be all there. 80%.