Don’t know how to explain to DD6 she can’t go to a party

[HomeostaticSetPoint]

DD6 has been invited to a birthday party at someone’s house. It’s drop off. I have concerns about the ability of the adults in the household being able to keep DD safe whilst she’s there (social issues and stuff I’ve seen at the school gate). How to explain to DD that I can’t let her go without telling her why?

Just tell her you have other plans that day. Then take her out and do something else with her 🤷‍♀️

Be busy?
I've been putting off a playdate invitation for months!

I think this is where it might be best to pretend you’ve prebooked something your DD would enjoy.

Say you've already got plans and take her somewhere nice 😊

Oh just say you are busy working or something. Or ask ti stay and help.

I would think of a treat (something minor - don't go OTT) and just say "Oh dear, that's when I had arranged to take you to xyz."

Surely you just 'have something else on'
You don't have to accurately explain every parenting decision to a 6 year old.

You don't explain the real reason that age.

You take her to the zoo/skating/aunty doris's care home etc (any old excuse) which means you can't go as you have plans.

Yup agree with just being busy and then finding something else to do. Don’t whatever you do say anything negative that she might repeat at school.

Exactly.

Can't you just make up an excuse? Like we are visiting Granny and Grandpa that day or we're going to cinema and pizza with such and such friends? Just do something else she'll enjoy and she'll be fine. I didn't really do drop off parties until my kids were a bit older!

I had similar when ds1 was that age. I had reservations anout the family but let him go as he was desperate to be there with his friends. I thought, "It's only 2 hours, it'll be fine".
Party host parents rang me after 45 mins as he told them he was feeling sick, so I picked him up early. He wasn't feeling sick, but he just really didn't like the party - said Dad and Uncles were drinking and smoking and an older brother told the little ones he had a glass eye and kept threatening to take it out and throw it at them.
If I hadn't let him go he'd have felt he'd missed out. Perhaps you could do similar - let her go but give her an excuse to leave early if she needs to.