Would you drive 25 minutes for a birthday party?

[SparePartz]

DD would like to do a certain activity, but it's 25 minutes (via motorway) or 40 minutes driving. Or 60 minutes by foot/public transport.

Would you take your child to a 12th birthday party so far away?

Would you be happy to give the fare (£15) as a gift if your child came with us on public transport?

A 25/40 minute drive each way for a party is not a long drive and £15 for a gift is not excessive, so I would as a one-off.

Or unable to drive, or don't have access to a vehicle.

We live in a rural coastal village. The vast majority of parties my dc are invited to are between 25 mins and 40 mins drive away. Dc1 was invited to one over an hour away. We took him.

Surely that's just part of having kids?

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Of course I would. I am a non driver without a car and have taken DS to every party that he was invited to no matter how far on public transport. I think it's important to make the effort when you have kids.

We drove 50min to take DD and a friend to the cinema at the weekend, it’s 15min to get to school etc… 25min wouldn’t be out if the ordinary for most people.

In all honesty if I realised you were taking a bus and train I would offer up the spare seats in the car too.

Yy Anglo-Saxon - if there is some sort of coffee shack for parents, great.

@SparePartz are there any girls with birthdays at a similar time who might want to party share with DD? You could then share cost of party and get a lift with the other birthday girl.

No, she gave two driving times- one on motorway, one avoiding motorway.

25 minutes drive down the motorway, OR 40 minutes (I assume not on the motorway,) OR 60 minutes walk?

How does that work then? How is a 25 to 40 minute drive a 60 minute walk?!

Just to confirm
The £15 is the bus/train fare to the activity?

You are paying for everyone for the activity?

@SweetBirdsong i assume it’s a train and a bus and a bit of a walk from the bus stop.

she said “60 minutes by foot/public transport” - ie you walk to train, and walk from station at other end.

That's well within the distance I'd travel, yes. Piece of cake.

What do mean by giving the fare as a gift? A gift for who, surely it pays the fare?

If you have parent numbers, setting up a WhatsApp group is really great for people finding lift shares.

Yes, seems absolutely fine. Actually, unless you have a party at home or in the village hall, there is nothing around here within 25 minutes. Dd (10) had her party at a venue about 30 minutes from here last year. And it will be somewhere about 25 minutes this year. We usually offer to take as many as we can with us (we have a 7 seater plus a van that could squeeze in 5 if needed). This is what lots of parents do and it works fine. The ones that need to carpool and the others sort themselves out. We don't have any public transport here really, but yes, I'd very happily also buy a train ticket and put them on the train with you too.

That the girls pay £15 to travel instead of a present

25mins is fine.
Most parents, IME, will drive so you don't need to worry about public transport cost. I wouldn't even mention it, and definitely not in context of your DC's gift. If the parents choose to give a smaller gift because getting to the party cost more than they allowed, that's fine & their decision, no need for you to be involved in the thought process.

60 minutes by foot/public transport, not a 60 minute walk. I presume the OP is planning to walk to a station or bus stop and then get the train or bus, not walk the whole way.

Yes £15.60 is the what the bus and train ticket costs to get there and back.

I would pay for the party admission, activity and food.

If people wouldn't automatically discount it, I will investigate further. If they'll allow my eldest (with SN) then I'll find out how many children they suggest as a group and potentially sound out DD's best friend's mum and see what she thinks & or if she wants to do a joint party there in the holidays.

We live in the back of beyond so are used to driving for parties. 25 minutes would not be an issue.

We just had my DS' party and it was 25 mins from our town centre. Everyone invited turned up and most had already been to the softplay previously.

Totally fine, my DC and others in his class have had parties 30 minutes away. Worst case people can say no if it’s not convenient for them.

And yeah 25 minutes is a 'not very far' drive for me too. Living quite rurally, it's a 15 minute drive just to the closest (small) market town. Can be more if I get caught behind tractors and combine harvesters. Family live 30 to 40 minutes drive away, and I visit them 2 or 3 times a month. 25 minutes is nothing for me.

I remember some people (in a town 20 miles from me!) whingeing about their GP practice shutting down and forcing them to go an extra HALF A MILE to the next one! PMSL 😆 Don't know they're born. The closest one to me is 6-7 miles away! And that is the only one for 20 miles!

Wouldn't blink at driving for 25 mins for a party.

DC are at school rurally and most friends live 45-60 mins away from us - in a large radius around the school.