or is turning up 30 mins late rude?

[mumaa]

MIL & SIL turned up at DDs bday party today 30 mins late, made no reference to being late.

AIBU to think this is really rude? entire party was 90 mins long. The venue of the party was soft play & also open to the public, there was a member of staff who met all party guests at the door and brought them to our party area but after a while she had to get on to other things for our party (party bags/organising the food/etc), so I had to keep leaving guests to see if they were at the entrance to meet them and show them where we were. I get that soft play isn't exactly every grown up's idea of a good day out but the offer to attend the party was entirely optional and they both said they wanted to come

They probably came to see your dd blow out her candles etc which happens halfway through usually.

YABU, I wouldnt want to sit at a public soft play for 90 minutes.

I think if someones running late-intentionally or not they could at least send a text or phone to say they'll be a bit later- no excuse these days as everyone must have a mobile phone.

OP you also could have phoned them to ask if they were okay and were they on their way?

Adult family members are not what the child is there for. They want to play on soft play with their friends. I wouldn't have apologized either because it hasn't caused any upset except some weird slight for you not your child! Honestly these are family and friends, why would they need to apologise? You are massively over reacting and sound quite hard work tbh.

If I'd been invited to my DGD's birthday party I would have expected to go and stay for the full time.

But that's just me.

I suspect a "good" grandparent would have asked what time to arrive and what she could do to help. I presume she's not that old if the kids are young. If relatives are coming to a kids' party I expect them to help not be more people to entertain.

I wouldn't have been offended by them not being there for the entire time. They showed up, and sounds like they were there for most of it.

Yes, it's rude. I was taught that you call (or text) if you're going to be more than about 10 min late?, and they should have said if they were planning on poping in only for part of it.

But why didn't you text them?

That's true ^, we would have let them know we if were going to be late.

I didn't call/text them before they arrived because i assumed there was a reason they were late - traffic/problems getting parked/leaving house late due to baby needing fed/changed, etc. It didn't cross my mind that they would come later intentionally or just for portion of the party.

This only become apparent when they arrived but made no reference to being late.