If your 6-10yr old child was invited to a 1pm-3pm party would you give them lunch first?

[HollyTheHedgehog]

Would you?

I would have fed DS as normal beforehand, knowing that he'd only go for the cake at a party. I've given up doing a big spread at children's parties as whatever time of day it is, the children never seem to eat much.

I would give them a light snack around 12. In case they didn't eat until 2.30.

just a quick sarnie i would do .

yes definitely.
and afterwards.
parties are rubbish for meals.

I would give them something because assuming as with most parties, the food bit comes near the end, that means they wouldn't be getting lunch until half past two, which is a bit late.

My kids eat like horses, they'd eat a full lunch and then again a couple of hours later. Hollow legs I say

Of assume food would be served halfway through. My 6yo old would need feeding before 2pm or she'd be mardy as hell. So yes I'd feed her before. Nothing huge but enough.

It's too bad about your buffet OP but you can't expect children to eat just because the food is there. This the kind of message that I personally try to avoid. I encourage mine to eat when they're hungry and not just because there is food. If you offer lots of food from 1-3 pm, this is not a standard mealtime period and many children will have eaten. I wouldn't like to wait for my lunch until 2:30 and I'm not a little kid.

Have fussy eater so would always as a matter of course give food before she goes working on the assumption that she won't eat anything while she is there

Yes - my ds would be really hungry by the time there was food at 2.30 ish

They had a party today 2-4.
Gave them a sandwich & a few crisps and a yoghurt around 1145.

They still ate the party food.

The food is never going to be the first thing to happen at a party so a party starting at 1 even though that's lunchtime still wouldnt involve food until at least 2 I would imagine

Damn it's a party. Nobody is trying to convey 'messages' and standard mealtimes don't need to be adhered to. It's supposed to be fun.

I would give something to my DC's at about 12. They couldn't go until 2 ish without food.

Ds is 8 and I wouldn't feed him beforehand. I also wouldn't be bothered if he didn't eat at the party either.

Cor you live and learn dont you?? I wish Id asked here first!!

I would either give them a brunch, like egg and toast at about 11, or normal breakfast and a snack at 12.00.

Damn I hear ya! Except my children eat at 1pm usually. We planned for the party kids to eat then, they were all here at 1.05pm
And all said no.

I tried again at 2.45 and all said no again.

Its a learning curve, Ive never done a home party before.

Well, you've learnt a lesson haven't you Two actually.

1. Ask MN
2. State if food will or will not be provided on the invite, don't expect others to be mind readers.

Actually - probably 3... kids will always do the opposite of what you expect, especially when they are en-masse

Hope you can store the food to be used up over the next couple of days! Lots of 'picnic' meals!!

Ah well now if only you'd thought to invite ds, he'd've been happy to help out with that one!

But if you hadn't fed the DC, OP, then you can be sure as hell one of the mothers would have come on MN and started a thread about her DC being offered no food at a party.

Were there more fun things to do, rather than eat? I think most children are used to doing something first, before having some food at a party. Kids get used to a formula; play, eat, play a bit more, party bag, home.

If you'd written on the invitation that they'd eat at 1 I think less people would have given them lunch beforehand.

I find kids get so excited at parties they don't eat that much anyway, i try to never go over board providing fancy food. and not panic make extra sandwiches

Food is nearly always towards the end of parties, I'd assume they were eating at about 2.15 so would give them a decent snack around 11. DS is extremely fussy and quite likely not to eat anything at a party anyway.

Exactly Lynette can you imagine the OP serving no food at all and nobody saying anything? Can't win. I have never seen an invitation to a party at home with any mention of time that food is served.

Sparkling I know that. But OP posted this

B- AIBU having created a huge buffet of party food today assuming the kids would eat and every single one said they didnt want anything because they'd eaten. Waaaaaaaaa!!!
It was regular party food too!

and my response was to that really. Don't matter if there is food there and what it was, they weren't hungry.

OP see if my kids were attending it and you were feeding first then I would have held off, my in the gazillions of parties I've been to in the last 6 years, I've never seen it done this way, so still would have fed mine.

Still at least now you know, and if you ever want your food eaten, ask my 3 gannets along and they'll polish off the lot!