Child Invited To Birthday Party Parents Expected To Pay

[Warrior96]

Hi so I know a child who has been invited to a birthday party, the child is 5. All the kids invited to the birthday party are 5-6 years old so parents will be expected to stay. The invitation asks the parents to pay for themselves. Am I being unreasonable to think this is a bit cheeky?

Pay for the parents or the kids?

I'd drop and run!

Completely weird. That's not a party is it... she's just organising a play date...

How much ?

Just to clarify the child gets in for free but the parent has to pay for themselves to get in to supervise their own child.

If you can drop and go (because the party is staffed) then its reasonable to expect helicopter parents to pay for themselves, because its unnecessary for them to stick around. If you can't leave them, then it's unreasonable.

How much do you have to pay? If it was under a tenner and we were free anyway, I'd make the effort so DC and the birthday girl/boy doesn't have no guests at their party.

Why do you need to stay. Presume it's soft play or similar?

I wish everyone did this

Have the parents paid for the DC attending?

If it’s a quid or 2 I’d suck it up.

If it’s full price entry I’d think it’s quite cheeky.

If you don’t want to pay say no.
If you have another child who would enjoy the attraction eg soft play then I would pay for myself and the sibling.

All the kids invited to the birthday party are 5-6 years old so parents will be expected to stay.

Why?

That's a perfectly normal age to drop and run (having left your phone number), especially when the event is staffed.

As a PP said, if any parents decide they want to stay with their child then of course they should pay to do so.

I've taken my 7 year old to umpteen softplay and trampoline parties over the last 3 years and have never had to pay to supervise.

I think the venue is being cheeky.

All the adults spend money in the cafe/bar anyway.

So you'd let a younger uninvited sibling gate crash? You're the reason party kids parents have asked parents to pay for themselves!

That doesn't make sense. What kind of party is it? Parents of invitees are usually able to attend as well. It would be either the 5-6 year olds can be left or if parents need to be there then they should be let in.

If the venue doesn't allow that then the parents of the child who is having the party should be paying.

No one really drops and leaves at our school.

They're in year two now!

@titchy not gate crashing if it's a public venue is it

At that age you leave the children - like you do at school every day.

Why on earth would parents stay??

Many parents stay for the social.

That's not the point of the thread anyway

It’s soft play but it’s a very large venue with very limited staff so I don’t think the parent would feel comfortable leaving their child.

You're supposed to drop and go. They're fine.

How much? Probably to put people off staying.

I wouldn't leave my 7 year old, definitely not.

Soft play parties that I've been to have a party list. You show up, 'here for such and such party', 'great go through'

That's it. No payment.

That’s their choice then. I’d have left mine. Or I’d have paid. 🤷🏼‍♀️ how much are we talking? more than a fiver? Spend less on the gift.

At the parties at my kids school no one drops the kids and leaves you would look weird if you did that.

Presumably you can drop and go. If you want to stay, you pay. That’s fine to me.

DC’s friend had a trampoline party the other week. They had plenty of family to supervise, but if you wanted to come in to the trampolines to supervise your own child, you had to pay.

Same