to ask parents to go into the pool with their kids at DS's swimming party.

[notsosuremummy]

DS is going to be 5 and started school in January. For the last 6 months, all he's wanted for his Birthday is a swimming party so we've booked out a pool and a room for a set fee. We went to a 3rd Birthday party in the same pool last year and all enjoyed going in the water.

When we got the confirmation, the rules stated that one adult is required for every 2 children over 8. We want to make the most of having the pool and invite 30 kids, half of those being his new friends from school but there's no way we can do that unless at least some of the parents go in the water with their kids.

I'm just about to write the invitations and it's only just occurred to me that I would be very happy to go in the water at a swimming party but others may not.

Is it rude to ask them? How would I phrase it?

nobody has mentioned the other cringe inducing aspect of the whole thing... it's not just the being looked at... it's the having to see other parents in their swimming gear... not sure what's worse tbh!!

I don't see it as any different from taking your DC to the pool, it means that there are less people and a nicer session. Do people not actually take their DC because they don't want to go in themselves? If so it seems a shame for the DC.

When I take my DC to the pool I take all of them. At a 'normal' party I can drop and run if I don't have someone to look after the other dcs who aren't invited. If I had to stay at a party and couldn't bring my uninvited children then that would be a problem. I also don't take them swimming if I have my AF which sounds very teenagerish of me and obviously parties won't be organised around my cycle. Also my boobs leak atm when I get into water . Not rude to ask though.

Don't invite 'twenty odd' out of a class of 30....'tis the golden rule of party size IMO: ten or fewer, or the whole class.

I would word the invite as such:

"DS has his heart set on a pool party, but he is not a strong swimmer yet. So, we have decided to have the pool party, but we need a parent/guardian/swimming dog to accompany each child.

I know it's not ideal, but we would love it if you could come ."