ds has been invited to a birthday party

[prettycandles]

for the first time. It's a girl from his nursery so it's probably her fourth birthday. What's the protocol for presents? How much do people spend, and on what sort of things? Should he be dressed smart, or ordinary? Should I volunteer to do anything (I don't know the girl or her family)?

I'm excited and nervous for him .

I normally spend between £8 and £10. I send him in smart clothes but not ones I'll worry about getting trashed. I assume you'll be staying with your ds at the party. If that's the case you can just dive in and tidy up. I always appreciate that. Or organise the children when they're doing games. It's a battle.

If you're leaving your pre-school ds at the party then you'll be one of those parents I talk about! Just kidding!

I usually spend about 5 pound and dress them in smartish but not posh clothes (cant do posh anyway) Hoe lovely for him

i'm with flip, but only spend a fiver. ELC seem wise to this and do lots of stuff for £5

The invite has had 'drop-off' added next to the start time of the party, so I assumed that parents weren't expected to stick around, but that also seems a bit odd. I shall have to phone and ask.

Some people do find it easier without all the parents there. I know my ds1 acts up if I'm there so I always abandon him now and shove a scrap of paper with my phone number on into one of the parents hands. Just in case ds1 kills someone.

£5 or more if I like the kid (I am terrible - any yucky horrid kids get bottom of budget - nice polite clean kids get more if I like them!!) stick around if you feel that DS will want you there but DD hates me being there and gives me evils across the room or says 'Mummy, you can go now I am FINE!!!!'

Always dress DD in something pretty but nothing I care that much about - especially if they are in a hall - hall floors are soooo dirty!!

I aim to spend about a fiver and always buy from somewhere like ELC so it's easy for them to swap if duplicate. That said TK Maxx are excellent for girly presents at cheap prices (e.g. hard back Felicity Wishes books 4.99 instead of 11.99).

TBH clothes depend on where party is, if at someone's house then something tidy and ironed (cotton shirts and shorts seem to be popular up here at the moment) but juice/ice-cream proof seems best.

I've noticed that the people brave enough to do a party at home always seem to have an army of rellies on hand so although offers to help are polite they are never taken up. DH said I stank like a brewery after last week's party! The grandad kept topping up the glasses!

If the part is at a play centre then make sure it's long pants and long sleeves. Burns off the slides hurt like hell. Also make sure you leave a contact number because I've known a child with a displaced fracture have to wait an hour and half for his mum to pick him up at the end of the party before he could go to the hospital.

DD (2yo) went to her first party in her own right - girl from nursery who I don't know) - this weekend. It was at their house int he garden.

I bought the little girl a soft hippo from Bear Factory - they are half prce at the moment and cost about £6.50 I think. I normally would spend between £5 and £10 for a nursery friend.

DD wore a lovely little trouser/cropped top suit from Monsoon. I knew their was a bouncy castle so it was most practicial. Same as when we go to soft play parties - something practical but a bit more special than every day wear.

a fiver

I'm in exactly the same position prettycandles. My ds came home from nursery last week with a party invite to a little girls party. Don't know the girl, never seen the child (she's not theer when I drop off or pick up) in fact ds has never mentioned her name. What do you buy them???

under 4 I lalwys get a book

Codswallop, good thinking bat woman. I was having a total block. TBH I'd gone into a total blind panic and the party isn't even till the end of July. Organised parents or what???

book people online ( ks's employers) have really cjeap kids stuff

woodpops - that was exactly same position we were in last weeknd. I ha dno idea who the girl was and the first time I heard her mentioned was when the nursery nurse gave me an invite for the party from her parents. When I asked Dd about her she just said "x is my friend". She and her parents did turn out to be lovely though

I can't belive I never even thought about getting something from bookpeople. I use them all the time. I blame the heat for my lack of brain power this week. Either that or I gave birth to my brain at the same time as having dd!!!!!!

Hulababy, I expect this is probably going to be the 1st invite of many. I suppose I should get a birthday box and stock it up so I don't find myself in this position again. It's not easy buying a prezzie for someone you don't know. Do you happen to know how long the sale is on at Bear Factory? Sorry for the silly question!

We've got a prezzies box on top of the bookcase (ie in theory no infant knows it's there or can get at it!), but I'd rather go with ds to buy a present as I've a horror of him telling the birthday girl or her mother 'Mummy found it at home'!

ELC here we come...

Hula - you are fibbing again I know FOR A FACT that your DD went to a party in May......and she stood next to Brewster Bear.......

FWIW I usually spend around a fiver, with more for friends' children. I usually let DS or DD choose the gift for the birthday child and have to say that they are usually pretty accurate as to what they would like - they spend the time with them at nursery/school after all and see what they play with. As a top tip Tesco do packs of 'age' cards at 6 for about £1.20 (DS has been going to lots of 5 year old parties recently so I got a pack of 5 y.o. cards) which works out very economical!!!

I have found that people who gave DS prezzies for 2/3/4 birthday only spent £2-£3 on average. Maybe that's just our cheapskate friends, though . Anything Barbie should suit a 4yo girl.

LOL WM!!! I know that one, but I know YOU!!! And DD had a great time and wanted to keep hugging Brwester Bear lots. Be nice to me or I'll post that picture of you with Brewster Bear

I actually meant the first time she'd gone to a party and it wasn't someone I knew first - i.e. school/nursery friend. Oh, you know what I mean - grrr!!!

woodpops - ithey say it all depends on how sales go, what ever that means. So I guess in some places it'll be on longer than others. Ours was still on at the start of the week.