Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Mumsnet classics

Relive the funniest, most unforgettable threads. For a daily dose of Mumsnet’s best bits, sign up for Mumsnet's daily newsletter.

Super soaker etiquette at parties

407 replies

tigermoth · 17/07/2008 19:22

Does this sound ok to you?

My ds2 age 8 has been invited to a classmate's party tomorrow (after school ends, last day of term).

The party will take place outdoors in a small park next to the school. (Host and helpers will take the whole class to the park after school ends in the afternoon - hurrah!)

I saw the host's mother yesterday to confirm arrangements. Ds1 begged to bring his large super soaker water pistol with him - and a spare one to give to someone else.

Host's mother and I had a quick talk and agreed it was ok as long as it was warm weather. But I am not sure if host's mother was agreeing under duress IYSWIM. Ds2 was being very insistent and I wonder if the mother was just being polite through gritted teeth?

I told ds2 in front of host's mum that she had my absolute permission to veto any super soaker activity on the day.

ds2 has come home from school today obsessed with super soaker plans. He has apparently got his teacher's permission to bring in bottles of water and store them, along with his two super soakers, in school for use at the party (as there is no water supply at the park). I keep reminding him that if it is cool or if children get upset, the water fight is off, but he seems to have his mind set on this.

I cannot contact host's mother - can't get her phone number and I am unlikely to see her tomorrow morning as she does not do the school drop off. So as it stands,
ds2 will arrive at school tomorrow complete with super soakers.

I plan to write a letter to host's mother re-iterating that she has my utter permission to ban super soakers and ds2 knows this. I will give this letter to ds2 to give to her at the beginning of the party. Ds2 knows I will check that he has given her the letter when I collect him.

It's the end of term, the party is outdoors, I don't want to put the dampers on ds2's plans but hmmm.... what would you think if you were the host's mother? Would you be ok with this?

PS Bit of extra background - some of the parents of ds2's classmates see him as a bit of a livewire, so from what I can gather, he tends not to get too many play date or party invites. This is the first class party he has been invited to for ages and I have told ds2 it's really important that he does what he is told by the host mother so the other parents will see he takes notice. At school, ds2 is reasonably well behaved - I never have to see his teachers about his behaviour, and as a rule he plays well in a group, but I know he will be running around in a frenzy of super soaker, end of term excitement.....

OP posts:
S1ur · 18/07/2008 19:20

Ah the ornamental use of the soaker, gotcha

pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:40

I haven't the energy to read through this whole thread but it is an uncanny coincidence if tigermoth genuinely started this thread when this one was started at almost exactly the same time.

TheFallenMadonna · 18/07/2008 19:41

That one was an hour later pointydog.

maidamess · 18/07/2008 19:42

pointy, this is the original thread.

Blu · 18/07/2008 19:42

Ahem, Pointy - that thread was started an hour after this one and is clearly a norty thread!

pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:43

ahhhhh!

ok.

Of course do not let ds take a feckin super soaker to a party where no one else will have one. What's wrong with you

ProfessorGrammaticus · 18/07/2008 19:50

I'm sorry if I was a bit terse. I wouldn't have said that to you in that way in RL and maybe that's a good guide as to what to type on MN. I take the comments on board and I'm sorry if I upset you tigermoth. I do stand by the substance of my post, though.

ThatBigGermanPrison · 18/07/2008 19:58

No no no.

If a child even dribbled water at me at a party, then unless it was a water fighting party, the super soaker would be snatched off with a trill of "I don't think that's a very good idea, let's give it to Mummy at home time, shall we?"

pointydog · 18/07/2008 19:59

what did yousay, prof, and when?

tigermoth · 18/07/2008 20:18

Back from the party, not a bit wet. No super soaker action at all - too cool and overcast.

When I arrived, I made a point of asking host parent if she had organised any games for the children as I could hear wild shouts from the nearby woods. No sign of ds2. Another group of children were kicking a ball around on the grass. The other parents were drinking pimms and looking unconcerned. Host parent said absolutely no organised games, just children running off end of term energy.

Ds2 emerged from the trees with a large stick gun and a collection of outdoor plastic toys tucked into his trousers. He had organised an army game (no surprises there then) to do with military demolition. He was using the toys to construct explosives to attatch to enemy buildings so they could be blown up. Don't know where the toys came from - I think it was one of the birthday girl's presents; lots of the other children were playing with these toys.

DS2 was in a happy group of approx half the guests (boys and girls) For some of the time, birthday girl was amongst them. She happened to be wearing a red bikini she had been given, so would have been very well dressed for any super soaker activity.

Ds2 did ask for the supersoakers at first but I just told him it was too cold and to go back and play his game without them.

While he ran in and out of the woods, I chatted to the other parents, loosely arranged a playdate and chilled out. No problem attitude from any parents, spoke for half an hour or more with host parent, had pimms, came home.

Had the day been blazing hot, I probably would have taken host parent to one side to say I had the supersoakers in the car boot, then up to her to say yes or no. As a lot of the children were already running around with toy stick guns or being chased, it would have been just another element to their playing.

Thanks to those who praised my tenacity (and the positive character references from those who have met me and ds2).

I did take some notice of this thread, you know, as originally I was going give ds2 the super soakers and a letter for the host mother about how it was up to her to permit their use or not. I still can't really see what was so outrageous about that, but I did adapt my plan, so that I kept the super soakers under lock and key in the boot of my car.

I have already had a small super soaker party here at home, and may try for a bigger one. As long as no water bombs aew involved - they make such a mess of the kitchen floor. If you find super soakers irritating I dread to think what you all feel about water bombs.

OP posts:
unfitmother · 18/07/2008 20:23

Glad to hear you all had a good time!
(fancy a Pimms now)

meglet · 18/07/2008 20:35

all's well that ends well .

I never want to hear the words super soaker again .

Heifer · 18/07/2008 20:37

Hallelujah. Common sense has prevailed.

As far as I am concerned, Super Soakers belong in your own garden only. Unless of course than an invite makes a particular reference to them..

I like to think of myself as a down with the kidz, happy go lucky kind of girl, but I would not be happy if some horrible snotty nosed child sprayed me with water at an event... I would get really really cross and tut out loud!

Marina · 18/07/2008 20:43

Well, I don't know how I missed this but am glad for you that all's well that ends dry tm - it would have been a brave bunch of kids opting in to supersoaking on this rather bracing day! (We did NOT spend the afternoon at Danson Pk water feature as intended, I believe the pipes froze )
Agree with some latter posters that the tone of some of the posts here is incredibly rude
I also know tm in RL and have spent many happy, relaxed and untraumatised hours in her company and that of her two fab dss.
I thought your remark about her ds2 being left out of parties because of her attitude was particularly mean-spirited sophable.

hunkermunker · 18/07/2008 20:51

TM, I think you have possibly missed the point of the thread's responses - I don't think anyone - or many people - actually object to super soakers (except Moo was it who saw a person half-blinded by one), so they wouldn't necessarily object to water bombs - it was the whole issue of "time and place" that was the crux or thrust of the whole shebang.

Glad it was good though and cheers [Pimms]

dinny · 18/07/2008 20:53

HM - missed you today

Blu · 18/07/2008 21:04

Ooh, I would happily send / invite DS to a specifically advertised 'water fight' party - the advantage of these things in gardens is that then you have a towel handy, and spare clothes if their enthusiasm outpaces their circulation, and hypothermia threatens.

Of course if my Pimms was contaminated with a slug of water from inside a festering supersoaker, well then I'd be proper peeved

Marina · 18/07/2008 21:05

I'd send dd, who took out two Yr 4 boys from the roof of the TP den earlier this summer Blu

Blu · 18/07/2008 21:07
Grin
pointydog · 18/07/2008 21:11

"Trouble is, there's NEVER any etiquette when it comes to water pistols. It's each man for himself, the largest gun wins and the fate of teh vanquished is ugly. The tears, teh injustice, the rage, the rat-atiled hair and the wringing clothes." I repseat.

How many water fights have you seen where only one or two kids have super soakers and the rest have nothing or small pistols?

I haven't seen one yet where everyone had fun. And lots have gone on around my way.

posieflump · 18/07/2008 21:19

aw, Tigermoth, sorry to see you had such a hard time on this thread
who would have thought supersoakers would conjure up such a debate!
glad you and ds had a nice time

everlong · 18/07/2008 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pointydog · 18/07/2008 21:54

haev you a lot of ecperience of water gun parties where only two people are armed, ever?

batters · 18/07/2008 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FluffyMummy123 · 18/07/2008 22:22

Message withdrawn