to hold a 7th bday party at 6-8pm on a Friday?

[floridadreaming]

As above really.

6-8pm on a Friday night in the autumn. Private hire of a swimming pool with a flume and an inflatable assault course for 1hr, get changed etc, followed by hot food, drink and cake. Children will be mostly 6, a few 7 yr olds.

Would you bring your child or would it be a logistical nightmare at that time / too late for that age group?

Wilburissomepig - just read your post, sounds horrendous to be honest. I remember being roped into 'supervisory' roles (I am a teacher but really.......???). Supervising that amount of children in a pool would be a nightmare for me.

No I wouldn't - pool parties for such young kids are too much of a faff, and at that time it seems a bit odd as most of them will be pretty tired.

I was all prepared to say the party time was fine, but the combination of the time and the pool element would make me swerve it.

I think it sounds awsome!

All 5 of our DC would have loved it,I'd have to be able to go in with our youngest DD9 if she was invited to a party like that just because she's disabled(she can swim)so I'd need to be close enough if she needed a hand.

But it sounds like you've got everything covered and with it being a Friday night it could be a lovely end to the week and a lovely begining of the weekend.

I would definitely let my kid go. It sounds fun! At age 6-7 they will have rules about how many adults have to be in the pool too. You'd better check that before going ahead; the only thing that would put me off going is having to parade around all the other mums in my bathers!

it would be fine for the 7 year old
but if I was waiting nearby with a cranky tired younger sibling it might be a bit of a nightmare, but even so I'ld say go for it, I'ld let mine go and make it work, and at 7 they'ld love the novelty of a "late night" party!

I've hadn't a few swimming parties for my son and daughter when they were about that age. All lifeguarded and kids absolutely loved it. If invited children can't swim or aren't confident I'd assumed parents would tell me or ask to get in. They did. All parties went down a storm. Not sure about time but think kids would LOVE and parents would just deal with aftermath of tiredness.

I've had!

Too late, too much faff and I think too risky tbh.

Party idea sounds great however it's a Friday and it's early evening. We wouldn't go to a child party on a Friday evening. We probably wouldn't go to a child's party at that time anyway. A bit too late.

Interestingly DD was invited to a toddler swim party (3/4 year olds) on a Bank holiday Sunday. Party was at 8.45am. We didn't accept. Too early for us. We wouldn't be able to go out of have a drink the previous night.

I think if it's someone first child they would probably say no.

Middle or youngest the parents won't care by that stage.

Go for it - you'll attract the more fun ones anyway

Where I live I wouldn't be able to hire a pool for a party for that age group - minimum is 8 years old especially with flume. We do have a community owned pool and a number of children attended there whilst some life guard friends supervised. Children were younger. There was actually a near drowning incident as a girl. couldnt swim well enough and went under out of her depth when they tried to do races. Total nightmare. I don't think you should contemplate it for this age group personally. It takes 30 seconds for a child to drown.

DS (who is 7 this week and thus the youngest in his year) has only been invited to one party this year that was held in the evening. I declined the invitation as it was too late. Bath time is 7pm here and it just messes with routine too much (younger kids to think of) plus I need wine by 8pm on a Friday night and could not be doing with hanging round a swimming pool and dealing with over-tired kids at 8pm

I did a pool party for my DD at that age and it was good fun. I wouldn't have a problem with the timing either, we tend to eat at 7ish, bed at 8.30 as I don't get home until 6 normally.

Not swimming, but DD's 7th party will be 6-8pm on a Friday. It's common in her friendship group.

Friday may be an issue.

(a) it's wind down time for most working people - no way I would want to be faffing with a childrens party after work on a Friday night. when the wine bar is calling me
(b) Friday is often hand-overtime for split parents.

What time do people finish work in your area? For me it would be an issue because of work. My dh doesn't get home until after 7pm so I'd have nobody to watch the younger sibling. Quite common here for kids to be in after school club/childminder until 6pm.

If you're in an area where everyone is home by 5/5.30pm that's obviously not an issue.

Not for me. Logistical nightmare, overtired child, child who can't swim, and as someone who has supervised school swimming lessons, I can confirm that getting a group of 6 year olds changed involves a lot of work.