AIBU to drop and run from a (preschool) kids party

[poppydan]

Really not sure what the etiquette is on this one. My daughter (a confident 3.5) has been invited to a birthday party and I am really hoping I can just drop her off and run.
I am heavily pregnant and have been very stressed out recently due to work (having panic attacks etc). This means I am really not feeling very confident socially at the moment and am not sure I can make it through a 2.5 hour party (1.30 - 4 specified on invite!).
It is at the parents house, who I know to say a brief hello to at school drop off, but no more. I really don't want my daughter to miss out but not sure I can cope with that long socialising with people I don't know at the moment. I feel like a right crap mum. Advice please!

I've done this before when my DD was a similar age. It was actually the party girl's mum who suggested I drop and run as she didn't have space for several mums as well as the kids.I left my mobile number in case of problems. DD had a really good time.

I would call the Mum and ask if it it's ok. You know your daughter. I left ds1 at parties at that age but not the others. Ds2 wouldn't have stayed and ds3 may still have needed help in the toilet.

RFLmum I wouldn't expect to stay at a 5 year olds party and I think you should have made that clear on your invites. It was not the other mothers problem that you had not organised enough helpers to run your party and manage your twins safely.

I have not expected parents to stay at the ds's parties and if I had to stay at a party the siblings would have to stay too.

I dropped my very confident then-4yo at a party ... and had to go back not long afterwards because he was so upset.

What would be harder - staying, or having to rescue?

He copes now at parties which only have his classmates in, but we probably do half "stay" and half "drop and run". He is 5.5.

Too young to drop and leave, I'd say. If your DC gets upset it will add to the stressed of the already stressed hostess.

Thanks for all the replies - it seems that there is no correct answer!

Anyway, I called the mum and asked if it was ok, as long as dd was ok and she was absolutely fine with it - phew. In the end, it turned out there were other parents who had thought along similar lines so was not the only one. I have another one coming up in a few weeks where i can't 'drop and run' so will have to brave that one out!!