Crazy early for kids party?!

[sofedupandtiredofthis]

9.30am on a Sunday morning.

Thoughts on whether this is a reasonable time or too early for a kids party?

Have you asked all of them?

Mine would have had their lunch at pretty much anytime from 11 onwards

The idea you find it "frankly quite worrying" that a four year old would be tired after tearing around a soft play area, for two hours, over excited at a party, all their friends, cake etc...is the odd thing.

It's inconvenient. And a ridiculous time for a family to attend a party.

Entirely new as well. This was not a thing before. Our eldest is 15. Youngest 4. Never had a party suggested at 9.30am. This is the first, in the combined 23yrs of parties, both held and attended.

I have no doubt this is when you have planned all your parties for the last 18yrs and also the time of every single party you have attended.

In the real world, it's just not. And there's a reason for that.

11-12

12 fine. That's school age time

11 is early

Think we have to agree to disagree

Depends on the child

Those who have kids get up at 'shudders' 5/6am would love an early party and lunch at 11 coz prob had breakie at 6

Those posters similar to my daughter who wakes 730/8 might have breakfast hour later at weekends so 9ish doesn't want lunch at 11 and be at a party at 930

My kids are happy to go to a party at any time and will happily eat party food at any time. I feel like a huge amount of kids are like this.

Time would have been fine for us, except when dd was small. Not because of sleep, but that I didn't have a car and there were no buses before 10am. So I'd have refused for that reason.

I'd love that. Most of the playgroups around here start at that time so we're used to being out and about at a sensible time. Out nursery Christmas party decided 12.45-2.45pm was the best time for theirs ... Literally during their own nap time. Ridiculous.

DS is 19, his 3rd birthday was 11-1 his 4th a similar time, I also ran parties at a leisure centre as a student , yes some of these parties started at 10am. It's been normal for at least 35years. Morning parties do not exhaust healthy 4 year olds.

For that age group is normal. We’ve been invited to few of those and we held ours at that time. Usually the parties last up to 2 hrs so the family can get on with naps etc for the day.

I wouldn't want my child to be hyped up that early in the morning with sweets and cakes and be overstimulated all day fucking up my entire day, so I would excuse myself from this invite just for the timing. Swim, football clubs ok at even earlier times but a birthday party, hell no.

Look at that. It's as if I predicted your response.

11 til 1, is not 9.30am.

It's not been normal. We all know that.

I wouldn't want my child to be hyped up that early in the morning with sweets and cakes and be overstimulated all day

Does that make it easier for you to understand, seeing as you can't seem to grasp how a 4 yr old might be tired/cranky by that set up. Well, to be fair, you can't see it's any different from 2hrs of primary school, so...

I've had parties at this time before and so have my kids' friends (eldest will be 10 soon so it's not a "new thing"). It's fine I think? I mean yeah it means getting up and organised earlier than you'd maybe do it otherwise but every so often not worth stressing about? Some posters seem quite wound up and anxious about it though! For posters like @WillYouPutYourCoatOn etc how do you cope with socialising/unpredictable things in general? Like do you never go out to dinner, or do things outwith your usual "routine" time?

Actually I've maybe answered my own question there! It's a British thing isn't it, being super tied to routines! I grew up in Spain and when we go back there I always forget how relaxed everyone is over there compared to here where everyone stresses and obsesses over every minute of sleep/snack times/meal times. So funny!

Oh definitely. We don't socialise or go out for dinner.

Clearly we can't, if a 9.30am party at a soft play is ridiculous.

It's nothing to do with routine.

Hyped up and over stimulated is quite different from over tired and exhausted though. TBH parties are a PITA no matter what time. 1- 3pm = on a couunt down all day, would need to go out in the morning to run off some engery anyway, so need to come home and change, wrap present etc - total PITA, 4-7pm similar to abovebut added joy of overstimulation, sugar etc just before bed. So bed ofbad lot is probably late morning, but may run in to nap times for younger sibs. 9:30 isn't as bad as 5pm.

I'm genuinely not sure why people are still getting so wound up about the time? The party's happened and the OPs child plus presumably the other guests had a fabulous time there's really not much more that can be said on the matter.

Then why get so upset and worked up sounding over it? It just seems like a strange overreaction to something. I mean you might think "oh that's a bit earlier than normal" but do you never get up to go hill walking or hiking early, or stay up late with the kids to watch the sun set, or any other things that might be earlier or later than usual? It just seems weird to get so worked up about a fairly innocuous thing like a party at a time that's slightly inconvenient to you.

😂😂

I'm sorry, where was I "so upset and worked up"? What an odd interpretation of some fairly neutral posts.

The mind boggles.

I went today and both DC and I had a lovely time as it happens. No one is remotely "worked up"

Pretty much this with bells on🤣

I didn't mean you, scroll up - I'd quoted another poster who was going on about it being unacceptable. Hope that's clear 😊

I think to be fair that poster wasn't referring to you but instead asking another person on the thread who does appear quite worked up about the party time.

I personally find it odd some of those posting on the thread seem to have got so invested in it being unreasonably early and tight of the parents organising the party despite the fact you've already attended said party and had a fabulous time. 😅

@Doppelgangers
Ahh ok, as you were then 🤣

@Doppelgangers

uoud think!

but honestly people can, and do, just go on & on & on....long past an op resolving the issue.

@sofedupandtiredofthis im glad you went & had a good time!!

Are they usually early risers so up 530/6

Or more chilled /like their sleep and wake 730/8

I'd have muttered a bit, but I would have taken my child and then been quite pleased to have the rest of the day free.

I've always done afternoon parties. Weekends were made for lie ins!