Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Hmmm..Would you attend a childrens party and....

133 replies

StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:23

leave your child there, not knowing the host and say youll be back when its finished??

im having party tomorrow, am also working (childminder), one mum whom i do know to talk too said she wouldnt be able to stay(ffs! yeah i could do with two free hours to xmas shop too, but im putting a fecking party on for your children!)is that okay?..so i said look, ill be up to my eyes in it as well as the fact im working, so if you cant stay, youll need to speak to someone else who can look after your dd for you...fine, she was ok...now last pasrty we went to a little boy and his dad turned up, this dad knew no one as never takes son to school..asked host what time it finished, then said right ill be back then..his ds then proceeded to scream when anyone popped a ballon and fell over a million times njuring himself.........same boy and same dad are coming to ours tomorrow!!!.hmmmmm

OP posts:
gigglinggoblin · 15/12/2006 19:25

unless you have specified that you expect parents to stay i would expect many of them to leave. sorry, but that seems to be the norm

serenitynightholynight · 15/12/2006 19:26

Depends on the age really. I wouldn't stay at a party with the DSs (8 and 6) but I would with DD (3)

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:27

really???no ones ever done that to any of our before, why on earth would parents do that?..a room full of 30 mad kids running around banging and clattering eachother on boucy castle and parent just go's ???..i think its really cheeky!

OP posts:
Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:28

so would you just go? or would you ask the host first or just expect you could go?

OP posts:
gigglinggoblin · 15/12/2006 19:28

yep, really. possibly cos staying means sitting in a room with 30 mad kids bouncing around!

fiiiivemadmarchhaaaares · 15/12/2006 19:30

Not at party age yet but the ones I have helped friends with it just seem that its the norm to go unless specifically asked to stay for a reason

7swansaswimmingup · 15/12/2006 19:30

how old are the kids strawberry, i found when ds was younger that we didnt leave drop/leave at parties till the kids were about 5/6 then it depended how clingy they were and if the party organiser was offering wine

gigglinggoblin · 15/12/2006 19:31

i tend to stay, but then home is pretty much just as hectic as the party! i always leave a number if i go but most of the parents who have left kids at my parties havent even done that without being asked. i think most people expect to leave

fiiiivemadmarchhaaaares · 15/12/2006 19:31

and there have been times when friends have wished them to go and they have stayed

happybiggirl · 15/12/2006 19:31

Message withdrawn

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:31

well am shocked!(not judging you personally BTW), just think its odd that after organising the party, the hosts are expected to then look after everyones kids while sorting out the food, cake, presents etc.
Do you let the host know? or ask if its ok?

OP posts:
LucyJones · 15/12/2006 19:32

How old???????

7swansaswimmingup · 15/12/2006 19:32

how old are they though?

serenitynightholynight · 15/12/2006 19:33

If it was DSs? Wouldn't even think about it, I'd just go - rarely go in the house tbh. Whenever I've done parties in the past I make sure I have arranged enough adult helpers of my own, rather than rely on other parents, although some of those helpers are the parents (would have already asked them to help)

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:33

i have already been asked by another mum "do the paretns have to stay"?..i think the sheer look of shock on my face when i said er YES surprised her thats why i ask.
the children are all 3,4 and 5 years

OP posts:
SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve · 15/12/2006 19:34

The last party I took ds1 (to) everybody went and left the children. I asked the mother of the birthday boy whether she had enough people helping and would she like me to stay, and she looked at me as though I was mad and said "no, no need, come back for him at 4.30". It's definitely the norm around here.

He's just 4 btw.

Jimjams2 · 15/12/2006 19:35

I wouldn't expect to stay for 4 and 5 year olds - I've always dropped ds2 and left- if I had to stay he couldn't go. 3? depends on the child. I left ds2 at 3 (a few weeks short of 4), because otherwise he couldn't have gone. Left my mobile number and checked with the host first. IME most people leave 4 and 5 year olds.

SpicymulledSheraz · 15/12/2006 19:35

Ileave DS1 who is 6 and very well behaved. Stay with DS2 who is 3. If you've got 30 kids in a room where are 30 grown uos supposed to go. I presonally find kids parteis extrememly dul and escape at the earliest oportunity, but i will just put up with it when it is my own!

LucyJones · 15/12/2006 19:35

Oh dear, I'm assuming this is the first party you've hosted?!!
You definitely need to provide enough adults yourself and expect people to just leave. Maybe think twice before hosting

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:35

i wouldnt dream of expecting a host to have to have organised 'babysitters' for my child and other children as well as the whole party thing..fair enough if they have a friend and thier kids going, ask them if they cant stay themselves.

OP posts:
Twiglett · 15/12/2006 19:35

parents stop staying about the age that children go to school .. so once they're 4 or 5 I would expect a parent NOT to stay unless asked specifically too

7swansaswimmingup · 15/12/2006 19:35

well at that age i would expect them to stay! i wouldnt want to leave my under 5 alone with loadsa kids running around incase of accidents, youve only got one pair of eyes.

def to young to be left alone, but it seems a lot of parents do use parties as free babysitting

MerryChristmasPANDAGHappyNewYe · 15/12/2006 19:35

I left mine from 3 upwards, if I knew the parents and that was ok. I prefer it if the majority of parents leave, I always have 2 or 3 friends organised to stay and do specific jobs, but find generally kids behave better without the parents around, and do not want to be worrying about feeding/entertaining parents on top of the children. DD is nearly 5 and DS 7, and I would always expect to leave them, but would usually offer to stay if help was needed. I always leave a pad of paper out asking for a contact number.

LucyJones · 15/12/2006 19:36

Also if you expect all the adults to stay you have to provide tea etc for them imo, and then you've got younger/older siblings to think about. Poor you, hope oit goes okay

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 15/12/2006 19:37

ive hosted 3 of my dd's birthday parties prior to this christmas parties and like i say, no one has ever dropped off and left?

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread