Kids Parties - Endure or Enjoy?!

[Mykidsweird]

Kids party season is upon us again - ive started to notice people’s styles of throwing a kids party fall into two rough camps.
Totally kid focused, adults sit on the sidelines making awkward chat, everyone including the hosts going through the motions and getting it done as quickly as possible or a full on party for the kids, bit less organised fun and a bar/decent food for the adults etc
When I was a kid my mum always threw amazing parties at Halloween etc as well as birthdays, very creative loads for kids to do but also would always offer wine/nibbles for parents - we have taken this on with our DC and really look forward to throwing a right good do that adults and kids can enjoy!
A lot we take our DC to though seem to be people going through the motions and hating every minute of it/ something they just have to do for their kids
So Endure is YABU and Enjoy is YANBU

I put endure because I can't stand other kids screaming. I find decent parties with naice food good, but the noise does make me feel irritable and when that 90 minutes is up, I am out of there like lightning. And if it's soft play, I make my DH go. The noise there is unbearable.

When DC were small we always put on big whole class parties with wine and food for the adults - we had some great parties! Hired a cinema for a private viewing of 'Home' hired out a miniature railway place one year, and did a great street dance class in a hall for DD once where the kids put on a show for the adults at the end. I've always embraced them but fully accept that's not for all.

your going on the assumption that parents always stick around at children's parties. From about aged 6 round my way that's not the case.

Yep obviously as they get older this all changes anyway, want smaller parties to do specific stuff, just thinking the 4-7 sort of stage

My children and I enjoy going to them and hosting!

I think it totally depends on the party. Personally, I hate kids parties. Mine are a week apart and it’s a relief when both are done and I don’t have to deal with it anymore.

I spent a few years putting on nice parties with grown up food and drinks for adults. They just wouldn’t touch it. I had an entire buffet of food go to waste because no one would eat it and just hovered around their dc. I’ve stopped bothering now. From reception, nearly everyone dropped and ran anyway (except for the few nervous parents who were too stressed about their dc leaving their sight to even consider eating some cheese and biscuits).

Definitely in the endure group, but we don’t actually go to them anymore and I just have to get through my own two and that’s it!

Never been to a party where there's been wine for parents!!! Most parties are in play centres and dont think its allowed.

For close friends and their kids I sometimes do ‘birthday ’ barbecues, and Halloween/New year things.

But for a party where at least half of a class are coming, I haven’t got the money or energy to cater for parents as well.

In my experience most parents don't want to drink wine and eat nibbles at a child's party. Shame because other people's children are much more bearable after a glass of wine .