to think that 4 hours is too long for a 6 year old's birthday party?

[flibertygibet]

DS is invited to a birthday party tomorrow. Party is 4 hours long. Have told a white lie that we have to leave early (I regret the lie btw..never good to lie, I know.). My friend is upset with me because we will miss the cake. Party is a long way away so one hour in car to get there, one hour to get back - basically my entire Sunday gone. DS is not one to mind missing the cake. He won't know any children there either. I just do not want to spend the whole friggin' day at a birthday party!

Ridiculous.
2 hours max. although I know someone who does 90 min jobs which is even better.

4 Hours! More fool her I say...Unless it's an adults boozing socialising and kids playing kind of thing.

Far too long.

My 12 months old was 3 hours (in the end, it was meant to be 2 but no one left!) and it was great. However, I think at 12 months its more about the adults and a glass of wine.

I would imagine that a 6 year old could be quite hyperactive about 4 hours?

Much too long - I felt the two and a half hours we did for DS's 5th party could have been two hours tbh

Crikey! Dd2 went to a (albeit 5th) party today, for 2 hours. Twas grat and deffo long enough.

I take my hat off to anyone who can stick 4 hrs - 2 is about the most I can handle before going gagagagagagagagag.....
With the travelling, I think leaving early is entirely reasonable - you will already lose most of your Sunday.

but if you are driving an hour to get there and an hour to get home i think 4 hours would make it worth while!! I wouldn't spend 2 hours travelling for a 2 hour party
maybe you should stay at home?

Thank you! I was feeling like a bad friend. She has a way of making me feel trapped..hence the lie about having to leave early. We had a huge discussion about whether I should arrive late or leave early. She's very precious about what her dd will think about us missing the cake but personally, I don't think that kids really notice that much, especially when there are more than 10 other children there!

What party activities does she have planned that will fill 4 hours? Has she ever given a birthday party before?

Don't know if she's brave or foolish!

Always arrive late. People only notice the leaving early

If it's 4 hours entirely full of kids' games, entertainment, food and fun, I'd imagine that by the end of it most of them will be asleep, bickering with each other or crying for their mums, with quite possibly a few "accidents" and a bit of vomitting thrown in for good measure !

Most kids that age are whacked out after 2 hours.

no she throws really great parties actually..plenty of healthy food for adults and kids, crafts, games, more crafts..etc..I know I should make more of an effort, but I also know it is not ds's thing to stay that long.

Weeell, yes, but have to confess we used to do that. It nearly killed us, even though we were only just in our 30s. The parents must be mad saints.

4hrs!!!!
First kids party we ever did ( and we've done 12 now, do it all ourselves, no entertainers etc) was 2.5 hours and the last 15 mins was pretty hellish, we learned our lesson and now its 2 hrs - tis plenty