To not put on food at my child birthday party?

[LittleDonkeyKong]

Having a party for my eldests birthday next month and have booked a DJ with a 2 hour party package. The party is 2-4. I think stopping for food is such a waste of precious dancing time and the party isn't over a meal time. Am I being unreasonable?

Stand down people, the OP has agreed to feed the children

Let's talk about party bags!

Recall you did say this is her first time having a party so maybe you're unaware of the norm but glad you've decided to do food.

Is your dd year 3? Mine is at almost 8 and she has been to loads of parties and had several herself ( all at dreaded soft play venues but easy for me ) and the kids love party food.

You would definitely be the topic of an AIBU? If you provided nothing at all, regardless of the time of the party.
Can just imagine it now... don't be "that parent"

Anyway, best of luck to you and I hope it goes well, you're braver than me!

Of course YABVU

Just coming on to agree that crudités sound shit.
Bring on the Haribo!

A light tea for 20 mins in the middle of the party will give everyone a break, the kids will get to calm down a little and the DJ gets a break too. It doesn't have to be much at all. A few sandwiches and crisps would be fine If you don't want to do much.
I've got adult children now but must have hosted well over 20 parties for them and 2 hours of any kind of entertainment is too long without a break and a recharge IME.

If you decide not to do food then as others have said you must make it clear on the invitations.
Hope it goes well whatever you decide

Yes OP, I suspect you may not have given thought to party bags. They are also necessary!

Look at it this way - you have been stuck with the little buggers dears for two solid hours of over-excited screeching and jumping about.

You should at least send them home containing enough chemicals and e-numbers to keep them bouncing off their parents for eight hours after they get home.

Never suffer alone - that's my motto!

You sound like an oddball, a tight miserable strange person.

Crisps, chocolate fingers and party rings are the only reason to go to anyone's party, surely?

The replies have had me in stitches

Op it’s the first birthday party you’ve thrown in 8 years - DO FOOD

Never known a kids party with no food or snacks, very strange and tight

For my first borns 3rd birthday party my friend convinced me that proper food was a waste of time so I did little snack boxes with cake and snacks but no sandwhiches. It was 2-4. Kids kept asking me where he sandwhiches were. I felt like I was being cheap. Lesson learned. Will always provide a proper meal no matter what the time of day.

You need to put food on.

SoftSheen

If I ever find out who introduced the satanic concept of party bags to the UK, I will personally lock them in a room with 40 over-excited children, high on Haribo and pink wafer biscuits, demanding their "lucky bags" and shrieking at the tops of their excessively high pre-pubescent voices.

The bastard!

The crudité suggestion is making me smile a lot. We all offer some token healthy snack which the polite children take, the hovering parent adds to their kid’s plate. 99% end up in the bin at a party.

Most kids expect lasagne and a chocolate fountain as a minimum.

My DS 7 thinks a party is all about the cake. He talks for weeks about what each cake might be at his friends parties. He might have got that from me.

Party food buffet has always been my favourite. If I went to a party at any age and there was no food I would have been extremely pissed off!!

A selection of sandwich triangles, mini sausage rolls, quiche, crisps and pickled onions.. it’s not expensive or hard to provide a simple buffet. It’s very odd not to at any gathering.

I'm really surprised at this thread. DD has been to loads of parties where the only food is a slice of cake at the end. Unlimited drinks though. Kids have never seemed to mind.

Personally I love a buffet with party rings and chocolate biscuits and crisps, but have never thought anything of parties with only cake, especially when they are between meal times.

Yes OP, I suspect you may not have given thought to party bags. They are also necessary

Party bags are easy. Buy bags. At party get children to write name on said bags. Games of hide and seek, pass the parcel, musical statues all rewarded liberally with chocolate, sweets and plastic tat which is put in own party bag.

Chuck in a piece of cake at the end.

Do I need to ask about allergies, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance on the invite???? Seems to be a minefield nowadays who can and can't eat what 😂

Incredibly strange.
I’ve never had ds at a party or held a party where the parents didn’t offer at least little sandwiches, sausage rolls, picky fruit, crudities, crisps and fairy cakes.
It can be done so cheaply I don’t undersand why you wouldn’t. I’d think that this was incredibly mean spirited and I think most children would be disappointed at not getting the little treat of a party tea.

We used to just have snacks at this time. Grapes, crisps etc

A light tea for 20 mins in the middle of the party will give everyone a break, the kids will get to calm down a little and the DJ gets a break too

That's a good point - trust me,after about an hour of the little darlings screaming and running about and dancing to the loud pop music, you'll be thinking "STFU, sit down and eat cake for a bit"

Pickled onions?! I love them but have never met a child who doesn't think they're satanic eyeballs

You've not done a birthday party before your kid is 8 and now you don't want to bother with food. You sound a riot...

Actually downtheroad I actually am the life and soul ironically 😂😂😂