Canvassing Opinions: if your child is invited to a friend's birthday party at a time that conflicts with one of their team sporting events....

[Earlybird]

......which would you choose to attend, and why?

Asking because I am amazed at how many parents decline invitations to parties because their child has a cricket match/football match/insert random sporting event here.

There are quite a few games in a season, and usually more than enough players to field a team. Why wouldn't you choose to miss out a game when it is a special occasion such as a friend's party? Especially when the children in question are 8-9-10-11 years old.

One of my friends (with a sporty child who participates on several teams) gave me an incredulous look when I suggested this recently.

I think when you commit to being on a team you have to honour that comittment and not just sack it off when something better ie a party comes along. Basically! Sorry that sounds a bit blunt but that's the long and the short of it for me!

I think it depends how close you are to the friend. If it were a sports practice that would be different but a match needs more commitment. It could be said that the person with a birthday would have other people there as well?

What would you see as an all right thing to miss a party for?

Does have to be said that neither of my DC take part in any sports matches so I don't know what I would do in that case. They do tend to go to almost all parties they are invited to - maybe they don't do enough "other" things

I think a team activity takes priority unless it was an absolute best friend.