Would you throw class party in this situation?

[vinnabawl]

DC starting P1 in September.

It has a few kids from their nursery school but mostly will be a new group of children. Nobody did a big class party in our nursery. Anyone who did a party just invited a small group of kids.

I’m just wondering if it will be the same in P1. DC is a Sept birthday so if I wanted to do a class party I think I’d need to get invites out the first week of term. But I’m so torn between whether it’s worth it or not!

Is it worth the cost?!

Would you be a bit ‘argh’ to get a party invite the first week of term and would you go?!

Are whole class parties still a thing now?!

Would like to meet some other parents especially as I work FT and don’t do drop off or pick up! I was thinking of just doing a hall with bouncy castle and that sort of thing. Our local place opens bookings for September tomorrow so I need to make a decision!

I did a whole class party in reception and it was awful, one of the mums even left without telling anyone for over an hour. The other parents might have met and chatted but I spent my whole time trying to parent 27 other children, stopping kids taking ride on toys on inflatables, having to stop physical fights. That's before we get to the fact that she was given 26 presents most of which we ended up re-gifting at other parties.

Since then I tend to limit it to 10 guests

They’re not the only ones who don’t attend. Many kids have activities / other plans at wknds. Our kids have parties. We have celebrations for their birthdays but with family & friends: some from
school, some from outwith school from various extra curricular activities etc. We just avoid whole hosting class parties & feel it would be wrong of us to accept invites in return. To be honest, whole school parties aren’t a massive thing where we live.

Our kids have plenty of great pleasurable experiences.

That's fair enough GinLover.
I have also never done whole class parties (no one did 15 or so years ago) but we did always have smaller parties for up to 12 or so friends.
DC would have known when their best friends had parties though and would have devastated to miss out.