Is 6pm-8pm too late for 8yo birthday party?

[laserpartyplanner]

Posting on the app so can't do a poll but..

My son will be turning 8, this year he wants to have a laser tag party at a soft play venue. They do 'regular' parties during the day but laser tag is only on in the evenings, 6pm to 8pm, we'd have full use of the space. Hot dinner would be included and there is always plenty of food and it's nice.

So not really an aibu but is that too late? My son goes to bed around 9pm so he'd be fine with that. DH is also worried people won't want to drive their kids around as it will be on a Saturday evening. It's a 20min drive from our town but that's a normal distance to travel to a kids party in our area.

I'd happily bring my 8yo along, but I d know some parents who couldn't possibly imagine not having a glass of wine in their hands by then 🙄

I generally lift share for stuff like this, so would offer the DC with a single mother and younger sibs a lift, as I'm sure others would as well.

I think it is a little late for an 8 year old's party, yes, but I don't think many people would care as a one off invitation

My son just turned 9 and his party was at same time for similar reasons. Every1 invited rsvpd yes (including younger cousins and family friends) most people were happy getting tired kids back at 8 ready for bed!

I’m in the overtired ratty mess club. Some kids can cope with staying up later, some have to be in bed by 7 or it’s a total nightmare. The parents of the latter may decline the invite.

Yeah too late. Pain for bed time, annoying drive, siblings.

If he is turning 8 now, then presumably most of his friends will be 7.

If any of mine were only children, then getting back at 8.30 as a one off wouldn't be an issue, but, on the occasions dh wasn't there, I wouldn't want to be taking younger siblings out at that time. So, for me, it depends on how close a friend it was, (as in how close my dc was to them), and if I could get a lift home for them.

My dd is 5 and I would be happy with this.

My 8 year old has lights out at 7.45 (except cub night) but I would be fine with her going to a party at that time on Saturday. I would prefer sat night to fri because she has a comitment early on sat morning.

I would be surprised at the time, I think. But it wouldn't bother me at all.

I'd probably hang around for that length of time/journey.

I always try to make sure DS gets to parties though, regardless of the circumstances.

I wouldn't have any issues with this. My child is a few years younger, I don't think it's too late as he does extra curricular activities most nights and isn't asleep till 8.30 on school nights. He is an only though, so we don't have to worry about younger siblings.

My 7YO goes to bed at 9 weekends so it’d be fine. I wouldn’t love spending my Saturday night waiting around to do pick up but parties are always a faff for the parents aren’t they?!

Too late unless you’re hosting them all for a sleepover after. Reason it’s too late is not so much for the 7-8 year olds who can cope with getting home slightly later in a weekend night but DH and I usually out socially on a Saturday so 8pm really inconvenient and would ruin our night. Also likely to disrupt younger siblings.

Late for a regular thing if it was a club but fine for a one off.

Would be fine for us. 8 is when our Cubs finishes and that's for 8 year olds and on a school night.

If it was DS's friend there would be plenty of parents happy to and happy to lift share to make it easier for anyone with younger children and no other adult at home etc.

I don't get what difference it being cold and dark makes unless you're walking there.

Wouldn't bother me at all. Absolutely book the party

You go out socially every Saturday night as parents to a young child. The op doesn't need to worry about that as that's not usual. And if it really is every Saturday you can miss it for once for your child.

Me neither

My DC2 would be fine
My DC1 would not

I would be annoyed if I had Saturday evening plans and pick up got in the way. Unlike a pp I don’t have Saturday plans every weekend but that’s precisely why it would annoy me if this clashed!

Fine by me. But my family are all late to bed and late to rise.

My concern would be people not turning up at that time because it will get to 5pm and people will think oh sod it and not bother venturing out.

I think it's fine, we've been to several lazer tag birthdays in the evening (all 7th or 8th birthdays)

We'd say no to that one. It's rare we don't have something on Saturday evening.

Fine on a Saturday night. Those parties are really cool and you can’t do anything about the start time as it’s when the soft play closes

I would be fine with that provided it wasn’t a school night. Even on a school night I would probably be ok tbh.

This would piss me off. I’d accept the invitation so my child didn’t miss out but I’d be annoyed