3 year old birthday party time - AIBU

[shinytartlet]

Is 4:15 - 5:45 too late for a 3 year old's birthday party?

Majority of child guests will be 3, but there'll be some younger children there between 6 months and 18 months.

A party tea will be served.

Some guests will be travelling up to 45 minutes to the venue.

Worry is largely around whether children will fall asleep on the way back home or be grouchy if they've started to drop naps.

Yes - too late
No - the time is fine

I would say it's too late, the vast majority of parties for that age seem to be either morning until after lunch or across lunchtime. Unless it's a special event / experience that can only be booked for that time? The likely unwanted nap on the way home would be annoying but I'd still take my child if they wanted to go...

Its across a meal time, which makes things easier. Better than 2-4 which throws the whole day out!

It's not ideal with the potential for a danger nap that late in the day, but as a one-off I wouldn't mind.

We were at at soft play party for a 2 year old at 4-6pm and it was fine. They got a hot meal and play, home for 6.30 and my daughter who's 6 was shattered but loved it.

It didn't ruin our Saturday waiting for the party as could still do what we needed to, didn't interfere with lunch and was really good.

Mine would've been fine with this so long as there was plenty of food, I'd just put them straight to bed when we got home, but only if it was close. Saying that I wouldn't travel 45 minutes for a party unless it was family or very close friends.

@Jules912 vast majority are local and won't need to travel that far

As long as the party tea will fill them up and you offer pizza or similar to the grown ups it’s fine, if a one off.

45 min drive isn’t too far to get home, and most people are just happy to be socialising again at all post lockdown.

Our DS’s 3rd birthday party is coming up; we’ve gone for a 2.30pm start, but we’ve got people coming from 2 hours away, so it gives them more chance to get home. We’ll serve the party tea at around 3.30pm/4ish and will put pizza etc in oven for grown ups. We’ll be at home so won’t ask anyone to leave by a certain time; I’ll do a pan of chilli for anyone who stays late but expect most will go by 6pm as they all have toddlers to put to bed.

Are you hosting at home?

@VestaTilley No, not at home. It's at a popular party venue and they only offer one exclusive-use party slot on the day we want (4:15 - 5:45).

I would suggest doing the food at the beginning of the party as most children eat closer to 4pm than 6pm.

I think it's OK as a one-off special occasion and most are local.

They can always decline the invite if they are worried about it being too late for their individual child :)

@TeaAndBrie That's a good point. Food would be served at 5. Not sure if the venue offers room for manoeuvre with this.

I would that consider that too late tbh.
I personally wouldn't do a party after 4

I think it just depends on individual timetables really.

If given the invitation I wouldn't think anything of it! I'd just work the afternoon evening with it in mind. Depending on the child the night/next morning too.

If it's a great place your child will enjoy, just go for it!! Most people will just work around the time. Some might decline if a nap on the way home means their child won't sleep until midnight and they can't deal with the next day, but, there will be people who feel other times don't work for them, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ah ok, in that case I think there’s nothing you can do - I really wouldn’t worry about it. I doubt it’ll prevent too many people coming, just serve them at 5 and enjoy yourself! I hope your DC has a lovely time.

My 3 year old would be fine with this. He hasn’t napped for a long time and still fairly energetic at that sort of time, bedtime is at 7 so it wouldn’t throw that off at all.

My dd is almost 3. I’d be worried with a party that late she’d be too tired to really enjoy it. I would still come so she didn’t miss out.

I said yanbu but then I 4remembered mine that age and it is the beginning of the witching hour. They're tired /overtired and starting to get grumpy. Better to move it to earlier imo

That’s perfect timing for my 2 year old. If he naps it’s after lunch, so enough time to nap and head out. Dinner is 6.30pm here usually.

I did a party at very similar times when my dd was 3, a few people did decline but the majority attended.

I have a 2.5 year old and I’d m quite like that time because I often find the hours between 4ish and dinner tricky to fill. And if you’re giving the kids dinner/tea I’d see that as a welcome break from cooking!

my 3 year old is still a bundle of energy right until bedtime at 7pm! Wouldn't be a problem for us and would hopefully mean she would be tired out for bedtime.

Skip the bath. One off treat

I think it’s ok. I’m really surprised that anyone thinks is 4pm is the time that most three-year-olds have their meal. Definitely not.

It wouldn't work for us

[quote shinytartlet]@TeaAndBrie That's a good point. Food would be served at 5. Not sure if the venue offers room for manoeuvre with this.[/quote]
5pm is perfect! Just let everyone know they will eat then. Nothing worse then a 330/4pm meal as they are then starving at bedtime.