Drop and run at parties..

[pennyhasdropped]

What's your thoughts on this .. planning a Halloween Birthday Party this is a big affair and intended for children and parents to keep out the cold and enjoy some fun. It's about 30/40 children and I have said siblings are welcome but need to confirm for numbers.. age range 5/8 yr olds. Why do some parents see it as an opportunity to drop and run?! Those that have replied stating this I have advised that because of the size of the party it's preferable for parents to stay with their children AIBU?

It's not CF to drop your 5-8 year old off at a party they've been invited to. Nor is it CF to drop off a sibling if the invite states "siblings welcome". If you want parents to stay you need to explicitly state this on the invite. In this age range (particularly the upper end) it is totally normal to drop your child off, and most party hosting parents prefer it!

If my child is invited to a party I expect the party host to make sure they have enough adults to supervise. I would not expect to be invited to the party of a school friend of my child, unless I was also friends with the parent(s).

Not CF at all to drop and run at that age is it? I can't imagine anything worse than having a room full of adults to entertain!

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age. I'm clearly in the minority here. When they were 4/5 I see it as an opportunity to meet the other parents. Most of the kids are now 6/7 and a handful 8. Too many of the parents in the past have relied On this kind natured mother picking up their kid with 10 minutes notice at pick up time.. I grew hardened to it and had a thread a while back before school went back and the advice was great - flat NO funny enough they stopped asking. So yeah I see them same parents as CF but I can't dictate who my child invites to his party and never would. Some of those parents see it as a way to ask if I could pick up and then take to the party .. give em an inch. Anyway the reply is the same for each and every one NO the wicked witch remains firm

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age

Dropping and running as you put it is very common here as soon as children have started school. Sometimes if it's a short party at a location which means it's a pain to go home and come back again, parents will stay. I have hosted loads of parties in sports centres, soft plays or whatever and parents just don't stay. This is not cheeky fuckery. This is absolutely normal.

A child's Halloween birthday party is my idea of hell. I wouldn't want to stay and certainly wouldn't be getting dressed up. Let's see how your 10 or 11 year old feels about Mum hanging around when they're invited to a party.

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age.

??!?!??!?!!??!?!?!???!?!!

@pennyhasdropped you won't leave your kids at a party till secondary?

Blimey where I live you'd be seen as a right odd ball where I am from primary one (age 5) everyone leaves their kids.

A parent hanging around would be very strange even by age 6 or 7. At 11 - you would be getting talked about.

I’ve never stayed at a party past reception age for any of my kids and, unless they’re at a soft play in the middle of nowhere, none of the other parents do either.

The thought of staying with an eleven year old at a party is hilarious. Do they even have ‘parties’ at that age or do you go along to the pizza place and the cinema with them OP?

Because I'm not invited, nor do I want to be. If my child is invited to a party- I assume the parents have supervision sorted. If I wanted to go to a family Halloween party- I'd go to one with my family or our friends. I find this new trend of expecting parents to stay and supervise weird and annoying.

I think it’s more cf to turn up at a kids birthday party and expect to stay, unless at soft play etc where there is a cafe. I wouldn’t go if I had to stay (probably) and tbh I probably would miss the “and family” bit on the invitation.

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age.

That's awful, just why??

I wouldn’t even consider doing this. You’ll end up chasing round 30/40 6 year olds for a couple of hours. The fact that you’re advising parents to stay won’t matter, they’ll still dump and run. Imagine how stressful the evening will be.

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age.

They're not CF'ers - drop and run is perfectly normal. You've invited siblings and while you've said parents can stay you haven't said the child can only come if the parents stay.

For some parents the idea of being in a hall with 30/40 kids is their idea of hell. As is enforced socialising with other parents.

Just accept you do things different to them. Either have the party and accept that people will drop and run, or don't have it. You can't expect everyone to do things you way.

I do large whole class parties for my kids and much prefer it when parents drop and run. Kids behave better when their parents aren't around, and some parents are a pain in the arse (especially ones who like to take over how things should be done)

Neither of my children are keen on parties at peoples houses so we tend to decline those, I've stayed at soft play parties and such like as one of my children has SEN and I wouldn't want to worry him by leaving him somewhere he may become anxious. So the CF is me whoopee for actually caring

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age.

Hmm, so let me think about some of my DC's primary school parties...

Sleepovers (no you are not staying at my house)

Activities where they go off with an instructor and you can't see them while they do it (you can stay in the cafe if you really want, but other than being on site, you can't actually interact with or see what your children are doing)

House party where they were sent to the local park to do a treasure hunt (I don't want you sitting in my house, and the DC don't want you following them round the park)

Parties at home (we don't have space for you. you can sit outside in your car if you really insist)

I will give OP the benefit of the doubt in that she does have younger children, but this is insane.

I will give OP the benefit of the doubt in that she does have younger children, but this is insane.

Yes, it's completely off the scale madness.

I take it you only have one child OP?

Because if my kids got invited at that age I would drop them off! What parent wants to be crammed in with 30 5-8 year olds

If you want a party with grownups you need to invite your own friends, not your children's friend's parents. My daughter is 5 and my general rule is if the child is school age or older a parent can drop and run, under school age parents stay.

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age

You’d sit with a 10/11 year old at a party?!
DD1 is 6 soon. She’s having 6 of her friends round to ours for a tea party (I am not hosting 6 parents too!) then taking 2 best friends to the cinema (it’ll be weird if their parents tag along!). DD has been to multiple 6th birthday parties in the past 6 weeks including a bowling party and a party at a climbing wall... I haven’t stayed for any of them. It wasn’t expected.

I've never left my children at a party and doubt I ever would until secondary school age

Be careful OP - you'll be finding your child not invited to any parties if you're fixed on this.

Agree with titchy. Your DC will end up not getting invited to parties I’m afraid

@titchy really??? I shall walk off smoking a fag and hope for the best eh ffs