WIBU to book a 'pamper' party for 7yo?

[GreatBallsOfFluff]

DD is turning 7 soon and I'm trying to think of what to do for her birthday. For the last 3 years I have hired a hall and had an entertainer/dj but I simply cannot afford it this year.

I'm really not good with entertaining and interacting with other people's children which is why I've always done that sort of party. The thought of having 7 or 8 of her friends at my home to entertain for 2 hours fills me with absolute dread.

I suggested to DD going bowling with a few friends. She wasn't interested. I suggested taking her and a couple of friends to the cinema. Again, she said no. I asked her what she wanted, and she shrugged. I then (foolishly) suggested a pamper type party with nail varnish and the like. She really liked the idea

So I've had a quick look around the internet and found the following:

PAMPER 2)
The mini princess Pamper age 4 up
This glittery party is recommended for children of all ages. All products are non toxic & kiddie friendly where possible & always age appropriate. Shimmery make-up is applied to cheeks, eyelids & lip gloss to create fun glamour!

Price includes:

Themed invitations
Gentle file & paint for fingers OR toes
Glitter & sparkle non toxic polish & nail stickers/art (age 4+)
Glitter make-up Age appropriate make-up (shimmering cheeks, eye shadow & lip gloss)
Face jewels
Hair straighteners, crimpers & heated tongs.
Fruit punch fountain with pink plastic cocktail glasses & accessories
Glitter hair Highlights
Spray of perfume
Aftercare advice
CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO

So I was wondering what you would all think if your little girl was invited to a party like this, or is it an absolutely stupid idea which I shouldn't even entertain doing, and convince DD that a perfect idea for her 7th birthday would be perhaps her first sleepover with her best friend?

Please be gentle

This is the most hilarious thread ever. It's playing pretend for crying out loud.

I wouldn't have stopped my daughter going to something like that at age 7 (although I'm a bit surprised that hair crimpers still exist unless you go back in time to the 80s), but I'd not have valued the chances of a beautician type managing to get her to sit and have stuff splodged on her face or hair! She did once have nail varnish at around that age but decided it was all too much trouble.

Well it sounds like a bad idea, simply because so many other parents are so about it. I really, really fail to understand why though.

I used to be a childrens entertainer and worry about these type of parties from an insurance point of view as well as the moral side. Children's faces can be very delicate and one of the party could have a reaction to the products. Even face painting I took out extra insurance kept to the manufacturers guidelines and health and safety regarding sponges, brushes etc. What is wrong with a childrens entertainer. This age I usually recommended a little bit of everythig. Disco, games, comps, show, face painting. With a few children you would only need to hire one for an hour. My daughter is 8 and I would not even suggest this. I agree with other posts about it being inappropriate for this age. What is there to look forward to when she is older. Sorry if this is not what you want to hear, but its my opinion for what it's worth.

What about wee girls who don't like hair and nails and pretending to drink wine like mummy? Would they be excluded from this party or feel embarrassed maybe that they still liked doing stuff like musical statues or pass the parcel? 7 is far too young imo to start the whole process of 'women do stuff like this...' They are wee girls who have the rest of their lives to decide if that's the sort of thing they want to waste their time on, let's hope the vast majority of today's wee girls have higher aspirations than some of these 'pamper party mothers'.

Agree with rumngingerbeer.
Why teach them to use beauty products and focus on their own looks so young?

But girls who don't like swimming, the cinema or who aren't able to go on a sleepover for whatever reason, and 7 is quite young for a sleepover imo, might all feel excluded if you chose those options.

Why would they feel embarrassed that they still liked pass the parcel? What on earth has that got to do with anything? How do you know there won't be games at the party as well? There are companies that offer pamper parties which include playing games, you know.

Hired a swan?!? Did anyone get chased? The ones on my campus tend to be friendly and chilled, if slightly greedy for other people's lunch, but I still feel a bit when someone has toddlers near them...

Why the fuss over children's parties FGS? Whats wrong with musical chairs, some chicken paste sandwiches and a penguin?

Can't help but feel that if dd came home and was talking about a party so and so in her class was having and then it turned out to be a pamper party and we told her no you can't go, that it would just make the whole thing seem much more appealing tbh. As it is, she would be allowed to go, would probably have fun, come home have the make up taken off and get on with playing and all the other things kids do.

I see that it's just pretend but it's so much more real than other pretending as they are using actual make up etc - it's not like an obvious costume or toy. So in that sense it is different from pirate parties or dressing up as a doctor with a toy stethoscope. In a pamper party you are literally doing what adults do (apart from the cocktails obviously) instead of doing a watered down plastic version of it with the help of ELC. If that makes sense.

But adult make up isn't completely sparkly, and I'm pretty sure they won't be going for the natural look / applying foundation etc. It's just for fun, did you never have play make up? Or play with your mums lipstick. I have to hide this thread now. I fear for the children of today when I see how PC mad everyone is.

Fair point on the sparkles but hair straighteners/tongs and nail varnish can't be much different.

The cocktail thing I'm not sure about - if it's given as "a nice yummy drink in a fancy glass" then fine, if it's "pretend cocktail" not fine, for me anyway.

I think there's definitely a compromise to be struck. Someone in to paint their toes and do hair braiding and face painting (like fairies or cats or whatever, not like makeup) and then decorate your own cupcakes and a movie with popcorn would be fine in my opinion.

Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope your DD has a very happy birthday. :)

Personally I would leave this until they're older. As someone said, when you want to do this when they're 12 Dd will say 'But I've done that!"

OP - Normal party is easy and fun and tiring but worth it. Have a google & find some games. (We had lots of fun with Eat the Chocolate where you have to put on an adult-sized coat/hat/gloves before someone else throws a six) Welcome them with paper plates & pens - design a face. In a two-hour party you will find that eating takes up an hour: make jellies, then have sausages, sandwiches & bicuit-type sweet or cupcakes. Most important: get min one helper, pref two, mums/grans. While one is supervising games the other can cut up the cake for them to take home a piece each. Oh, and have a max number of guests for the year, so for you, seven.

Hth

I dislike the whole gendering of kids' parties but I do feel your desperation OP that it can seem like there is no other option. However, I really would try to keep this till older. For all those saying 'why do you object?' I object because even in a 'play' setting, you are basically telling them that this is what girls do, and boys don't, so girls = people who need to put a load of sparkly stuff on their face to enjoy themselves/look nice. I don't like the normalising of being a girl as = putting make up on.

Maybe normal face painting?

I have a 7 year old dd,she'd love it but wouldn't be going.

Hair straighteners on a 7 year old!.I want my dd to value her beautiful wavy hair not worry about straightening them.Wouldn't like the perfume either or the aftercare advice-what how to cleanse,tone and moisturise????

In fact I don't like the idea of any group of 7 year olds being sat together and being taught to preen and slather themselves in make up.Having said that I'd hate going to something like that myself.Far more into natural beauty and beauty within-want to instill those values into my dd,this type of party would teach her the opposite.

DD is 10 and has been to a pamper party. She was very bored because 90% of the time was just spent waiting for a turn. I can't really think of any other party where everyone spends most of their time waiting to have a go at something. Surely most of the point of a party is to have collective fun.

As for children thinking musical chairs is babyish, where do you live? LA? DD had musical chairs at her next party and not only did her friends love it but DS's 13 year old friends really wanted to join in. Because actually, it is great fun at any age, unlike standing around watching somebody else have their hair crimped.

Yes, bunbaker, my life is so worthy.

Or maybe I just don't totally infantalise my shit boring life by needing to give myself naughty little treats when I've been soooooooo good all week.

Both my girls have had pamper parties, hair up, face paint and such like and its harmless fun, think mini princess rather than pageant queen. It never encouraged them to wear make up any other time its just fun and colourful. If your still in doubt ask a couple of the parents of the potential invitees how they feel as you will probably have similar standards as them whereas you dont know the lifestyles of the mums on her that don't agree. As a party option in general its a breeze the ladies entertain the girls so your free to hide in the kitchen making jam butties. Hope she has a lovely time whatever you choose.

I don't know. Maybe it is archery with only one or two targets, so that you spend an hour and 20 mins watching somebody else with a bow and then 10 mins doing archery yourself. Great fun. Teaches them to queue, which is obviously the point of parties.

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