Birthday party around 10 am on a Sunday morning.

[gg1234]

One of my friends invited me to their child's birthday party at 10am on Sunday. AIBU if I refuse to go? What you would have done assuming reaching the venue takes 1 hour. And you have school going kids who need a break on Sunday?

[SoyDora]

Would much prefer 1-2pm but everyone seems obsessed with events for small kids being early?

I don’t think anyone is obsessed, it’s just what suits the vast majority of parents. My DC sleep 7-7, they have to be up at 7 for things like school/pre school etc. When younger, they napped 12.30-2.30ish.

[PhilomenaButterfly]

Olivia not if they have to get up early to go to it. DD would have to get up earlier than she does for school, travel on a tube at 8.45. She'd be overtired and moody for the rest of the day. She finds school draining.

[PhilomenaButterfly]

Rachel a party isn't a break for an introvert. It's more having to interact with people.

[sharpstick]

10am, early??

I agree with a pp, it’s about whether your dc would like to go to this party, not whether you can be arsed really. I’d like to flip it around, how would you feel if people didn’t attend your dc’s birthday party because it involved setting an alarm clock? I’m guessing you may be a little peeved, I know I would.

If you dont want to go then don’t, politely make an excuse and decline, but don’t expect birthday family to go out of their way for you when the time comes.

[HopeGarden]

I have the same problem with playgroups - they’re all at 9-10am so I can’t get to any of them

I think part of that is to tie in with school drop off times - e.g parents are out of the house early dropping older DC off at school, so therefore taking younger DC to a playgroup before they go home is often more convenient than going out to a playgroup later in the day.

[Ellapaella]

I think I'd prefer 10am - get the torture over and done with.
I've got one today at 12pm - that's annoying, I'll miss my lunch and there's not much time to do anything before it and there'll only be two hours of daylight left after it finishes.
Sigh....
I have 3 DC with very big age gaps and I've been doing birthday parties almost every weekend for the last two decades of my life.

[Ellapaella]

In being lighthearted about torture by the way. I am quite a chatty person but really I can think of a zillion things I'd rather do on a Sunday than make polite conversation with people I don't know very well for two hours.
Also DS always says he wants to go then changes his mind at the last minute so I spend an hour convincing him before hand that he has to go and be grateful for being invited etc etc.

[HauntedPencil]

This is fairly normal isn't it? I get loads for 10 on a Saturday or Sunday. I prefer it as the day is yours after and all the excitement is done.

[Yura]

10am early - (hollow laugh). mine wake around 6 the latest. 10 is great!

[Yura]

1-2 us classical nap time for most younger children, so unsuitable fir most

[Wednesdaypig]

I'm assuming you are a single mum so can understand that a lie-in on a Sunday is something you look forward to. It's lazy-arsed DHs that piss me off who have no problem getting up for footie or golf on a weekend but shriek in horror if they have to take their own children somewhere.

[LewisMam]

My smalls definitely don’t do early, either bedtime or getting up. Putting to bed simply doesn’t work, it just causes hysterical crying. It’s usually 10pm before sleep can be guaranteed, and 9-10am wake up. I’m inclined to think it’s genetic because I really struggle with mornings and basically can’t function before 9-10am. My DF is the same.

[puzzledlady]

10am is too early?! What time do your children wake up?! 10am is perfectly fine.

[TrickyKid]

I don't understand. Pretty normal for a kids party. Yes I'd go.

[Sleepyblueocean]

Lots of children are out doing stuff from 9am onwards so it isn't that early but if it doesn't work for your family it is fine not to go.

[SoyDora]

Well that’s fine for you I’m sure LewisMam, but most parents have to get their children up before then in order to get to work/nursery/pre school/school runs etc. I’m expecting DC3 and whatever their ‘natural’ sleeping pattern they’ll have to be up early for the school and pre school run, so a 9am group is perfect.
Most people loosely follow ‘core working hours’ for a variety of reasons.

[kaytee87]

@LewisMam so what are you going to do when they go to school? Obviously if they've been used to going to sleep at 10pm and getting up at 10am then they won't go to bed early straight away. If you move their bed and wake up time by 10/20 minutes a day then you should be able to change it.

[needsanewname]

They can't control the weather you know..

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

That's bormal round here. Sat mornings everyone has activities so Sunday morning is a good bet people will be free.

[VenusInSpurs]

For a good friend and an event my Dc would enjoy, I would go.

But you don’t want to, so decline. Politely. Because it is fine to decline but to be ‘annoyed’ that she has invited you is VU.

[Birdie6]

What do you have against 10am ? I can't get my brain around it.

[Parker231]

Ellapaella - we were the same - almost every weekend taken up with parties. It was easier when DT’s were little as they usually both went to the same parties but as they got older and received individual invitations, I would take one to their party and DH to the other. DT’s enjoyed themselves so it was worth it.

[LewisMam]

@LewisMam so what are you going to do when they go to school?
Cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ll probably be the mam dropping the kid off in my pjs with no makeup on, then going home for another hour in bed! It’s not laziness - I feel permanently jet lagged if I get up at a normal time. Spent years feeling absolutely ill when I went to work and now enjoying being a SAHM who can get up when she likes!

[PhilomenaButterfly]

Birdie because she has get the DC up early, they have to travel for an hour. My DC were still in their pyjamas at 10am - BECAUSE IT'S A SUNDAY!!!!!

[NerrSnerr]

10am on a Sunday is great for us. Our children are up before 7 every bleeding morning. It also means the little one can get back for a nap. I'm not keen on afternoon parties as the children are tired by the end. I once went to a 4-6pm 4th birthday in a soft play. That was hard work.