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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Party for a 5 year old held 10 miles from home...why????

86 replies

barbie007 · 29/09/2011 21:25

DS has brought a party invite home today. It's for his friend who will be 5 next month which is lovely but why on earth are they having it in a place that's 10 miles away? Do the parents think I've got nothing better to do?

OP posts:
halcyondays · 29/09/2011 21:40

Maybe it's his favourite soft play. Maybe the other places were too expensive.

ivykaty44 · 29/09/2011 21:40

they thought

I know lets have a party 10 miles away as barbie007 will get really infuriated with us if we do that...haha

chicletteeth · 29/09/2011 21:41

I drove my son 70 miles to a seventh birthday party on Sunday.
We just made a day out of it and did other things.
If you really don't want to go,then don't.

booyhoo · 29/09/2011 21:41

"why make people's lives complicated by booking a softplay that'll take 45 min to get to when there are so many other softplays nearby."

what makes you think everyone attending will be coming from your street? isn't it plausibl that some people will be cming from the other direction so this is central softplay centre?

Original poster
barbie007 · 29/09/2011 21:41

ok ok...I get it...I'm being unreasonable :(

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityhat · 29/09/2011 21:43

Yes, its a pita. Not as though the darling child is turning 18 or 21 or anything truly significant. Welcome to the world of competitive birthdaying Grin.

NoNoNoMYDoIt · 29/09/2011 21:45

we could have had DS's party 10 miles from where all his friends live and from where he goes to school. i am separated from his father and his father lives 10 miles away. but DS wanted his party as his dad's house because his dad has the 'best garden', 'best toys' etc etc. in the end we had it in a soft play place thing 4 miles from where DS goes to school (and where i live) but 14 miles from where his father lives... i did worry that, if we had had it at his dad's house, no-one would have gone. so in the end i am pleased we had it where we did because everyone came.

so basically OP - there may be other reasons than the one you assume for him having it where he is having it...

Stoirin · 29/09/2011 21:47

It's a long shot, but perhaps they are unaware that their party is All About You?

PootlePosyPerkin · 29/09/2011 21:49

DS2 was invited to one of his school friend's 5th birthday parties at a farm, 20 miles away on Christmas Eve (as that's when the boys' birthday is). Not entirely convenient but we still went. Either go or don't go - YANBU to not go if 10 miles is too far for you but YABU to complain about the location of someone else's party.

backwardpossom · 29/09/2011 21:49

Stoirin Grin

lazylula · 29/09/2011 22:09

Ds1 often has invites to parties 16 to 20 miles away as our town only has one softplay area and so once you have had the place once, you don't want to do it again, plus there are other places ideal for parties (including a zoo and a fantastic park, ideal for picnic parties). If I felt it was too far to go, I would decline the invite.

bluelaguna · 29/09/2011 22:12

Maybe they got a cheap deal at the far away place.

I went to a party 10 miles away at the weekend with a 5yo.

flyingspaghettimonster · 29/09/2011 22:17

That would have been a nightmare when I was a kid, as we lived 8 miles from town and my Mother couldn't drive/Step-Dad wouldn't, so no parties for me. Now we live in the US though, and I can't think of any parties that haven't required a 20 minute drive. To be honest, most things, like shopping trips, swimming etc involves driving a long way. I don't think it is unreasonable if you have transport.

ladywithnomanors · 29/09/2011 22:21

I live in a rural location too but I must say that the majority of children in my DS's school have their parties either in the village hall or at their home. My DS wouldn't be able to get their otherwise as I don't drive and DP works 7 days a week.
So yes I sort of agree with you OP and ignore the shitty responses from other posters who obviously have too much time on their hands.

slartybartfast · 29/09/2011 22:22

can you do a share, you take, someone else bring home, or even ask the host if they can take your dc?

ladywithnomanors · 29/09/2011 22:23

Chic - 70 miles to 7th birthday party? Get a grip!

grumplestilskin · 29/09/2011 22:28

10 miles is local! is 10 miles not considered nearby by some people???

and may be cheaper/more convienient for family travelling there.

grumplestilskin · 29/09/2011 22:30

there are some soft plays that are free if you pay for food, others that will let you cater yourself if you pay for play. central ones often charge through the nose for group bookings AND insist you pay for their food too.

going a bit out of town can reduce your soft play party cost by LOADS

bibbitybobbityhat · 29/09/2011 23:36

10 miles is more than a one hour car journey for me grumpel.

Stoirin · 30/09/2011 01:41

in what, a go-kart?

GwendolineMaryLacey · 30/09/2011 03:48

MIL has offered the use of their lovely big house for dd's 4th birthday party in January as we live in a cardboard box, will be skint and have a 1 week old baby at the time. MIL lives about 10 miles away. Guess dd isn't getting her first ever birthday party then.

Marne · 30/09/2011 04:08

Theres no good venues within a 10 mile radius of us, soft play is 12 miles away, have driven a lot further to parties. I can see it being a pain if you don't drive but if you drive then its not a problem. As others have said 'you dont have to take him'.

Backtobedlam · 30/09/2011 06:33

You drive at less than 10mph bippityboppity? We had ds 3rd birthday party at a theme park a whole 45mins drive from where we, and most friends, live. Everyone still came, made a day of it and all said they'd had a fab time. Its not a big issue though, I wouldn't have been offended if some people hadn't come as it was too far...in fact it would have made the day cheaper

mumblechum1 · 30/09/2011 06:36

How can it be 45 minutes away? More like 15, surely?

Backtobedlam · 30/09/2011 06:40

No honestly, it was 45mins. We went on the motorway and everything

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