To absolutely hate organising children’s parties?

[MothExterminator]

I just find it so stressful. Invitations, then waiting for people to bother to reply, food organising, entertaining the children. I find even play dates slightly exhausting.

Am I the only one?

Yanbu OP- currently also organising party and vowing never to do it again

No kids but I'm with you on parties and events in general. I stopped throwing birthday parties for myself the year my mother had decided I was now old enough to take care of it and have never looked back.

I will invite people out to a naice restaurant. If it's work I'll approve the expenses for catering and delegate the job to someone, anyone, other than myself.

I'm with you.

Phew! Sometimes other mums seem so cheerful, attentive to detail and just happy with the party. I try to be friendly and chatty whilst thinking about the BIG glass of wine I will have the the nightmare is over

Nope

My dd is having a small party in 2 weeks time

Out of the 6 children invited, 5 are coming.

But now I’ve got to stress between now and then that everyone will turn up...

The food, party bags and everything I can control is done. But I can’t control what other people do

Don't mind them. But we have gone low key with play centre- they do everything. We are just bringing the cake

Taken, I completely get that. I avoid organising birthday parties for myself like the plague. A restaurant meal and I am sorted. Children seems to get tearful at the very though of no party though .

Sobriquet, that is just it!! And then the child says “I want to invite so-and-so”... Cue, trying to find contact details for some complete stranger who may or may not be bothered to reply...!

I hate it too. I always dread them as soon as I have booked them. We only do one every other year for each DC and now DD is older she has a sleepover but I dread them too!

Oh god u are my people. Im having to organise ds 9th birthsay. So far 1 out of 8 have answered. I have to keep going to plan for 8. 8 party bags, 8 entrances to theme park, cake big enough for 8. Ive had it. Next year im taking him to Alton towers. Fuck it. Its not worth this shit.

Currently swimming in my post party bucket of wine. Why do we do it??? Why don't people bloody reply??? Never doing this again.

Our party is tomorrow. Out of 30 invited, 28 are coming!!! This is going to be fun...

DS1 is in year 1 and we just invite his close friends and family to a tea party at ours and then will take him and his best friend on a day out.

Istart, we have started do every other year too... this year is party year (has no sense to alternate because last year I just really couldn’t be bothered

Crappy, I feel your pain, in the same boat at the moment....

Imfine, I wish I was at the post party wine stage, am so jealous. At my low point I once had a big glass of wine at some crappy venue as soon as the last parent (and DH and DC) left. Just had had enough!! We do this because our children look at us with trembling lips and asks why we haven’t planned a party. And because some weirdos lovely mummies actually like organising parties

Yanbu and I hate it even more because DD has a mid December birthday. Everyone is stressed out with Christmas stuff.

Best parties for me are where someone else (party host) entertains the children and I can hang around and wait for it to be over. The noise, the mess... I'm a primary teacher so I should love parties but, just no.

Today DS age 5 went to his first party without me. I ran out of that hall as fast as my little legs could carry me! It's a drop off!!!

I love the organising. love the actual party rather less

I find it really draining, being sociable doesn’t come easily to me and I worry that no one will turn up, but I just look at it as a challenge to myself to overcome the awkwardness of making small talk and I know the kids love it so it worth it for me just for that. I might be crap at chatting but I try to look on the bright side, I think I’m good at attention to detail so remembering all the parents names and ensuring everyone has a drink and food and each child gets a party bag, so I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

Yanbu. I just hate them. Have done them all - soft play, village hall, bowling, trampoline, and parties at home. All horrendous and a social minefield. Who to invite if you cannot have the whole class? Do you invite all the girls, just a few, hate leaving people out but budget is limited, do you invite the kid that invited your DC even though they are no longer friends.

Beamur, you are a better person than me, I hate the whole thing!

Guinea, I am like you, but without the attention to detail. I think you must be a league above me. I try to chat and be really nice and I do the party bags - but have no idea of the names of either children or adults of a big part of the people there ( bad memory for faces and class changes).

BackInTime, am completely with you!!

Notsure, my kind of party!!!

JustTwo, how are you doing?? We had one of two parties today, on my second glass of wine!!! Not approaching a bucket yet, but am working on it

Argh - had one yesterday.

26 kids, 5 replied, 10 turned up, but not the 5 that said they were going to. Never again!

yes yes yes. Anxiety over others turning up, juggling numbers, worries that it might be crap, doesn't do my anxiety any good and is difficult for someone with social anxiety. Luckily dd is now 7 and getting beyond the invite-loads-of-kids-to-soft-play party stage.

I also just do not understand why parents don't reply to invites , reply with yes and don't come, or no and turn up. Its so rude and there's no excuse, they wouldn't be so careless at work so why make stupid excuses.

You do not have to have a party.

I promise. You don't. Certainly not every year.

StepMuggins . It is over!!!

Takeme, Yes! That is it. Am trying not to worry, but it is so hard isn’t it?!?!

Bridget, skipped it for two years as couldn’t deal with it. Tried to make DC feel special anyway - didn’t work. This is our lucky year!!!