how to meet the other nursery parents

[flippyzippy]

Hello! Wasn't sure where to post but hopefully this is okay!

My DD will be two in August and I wanted to have a little party for her. She has been going to nursery for a year now. However, I find it rather annoying that I do not know the parents of any of the kids that she is with all day four days a week.

I figured, a good way to actually meet them would be to have a little party for her and her nursery friends (may 8 or 9 of them) in the hope of getting to meet the parents.

Now my problem is that I do not want to spend a lot of money. I would like the party focused on the kids only but obviously would like the parents to come along for a coffee/drink and some cake.

Having it at home would not be ideal, for several reasons. I was thinking of having it at a play centre and order some food for the kids ONLY... and if the parents are hungry they could order their own. Now, I am not too sure how that would be percieved? its just if I order food and pay for the parents... especially in this financial climate... my bank would not be so pleased... and moreover ir is a kids party not A party .. if you know what i mean.

Now, going back to the start, the reason I am doing this is simply to meet the parents of the other kids. Especially since none of my friends have kids... I feel bad sometimes that I know no one with kids for her to play with. Anyhow... my DH as always... seems to think party is party so started naming all these people that he wants to invite. Offcourse I say well, I/we couldnt afford that and as its only to meet the parents and its a KIDS party. I'd rather not have too many other people there so that we could spend the 2 hours (2pm - 4pm)actually trying to get to know the other parents.

Really confused. What does everyone else think? And do you have any other ideas for a party that is cheAp? If I did put invites in the other kids bags.. do you think they would come or am I just wasting my time?

reconsider having it at home and only invite a select few - how many can you really talk to in an hour and a half? Coul dyou have it in the garden? Ask if parents can stay for a chat and provide coffee and tea and cakes and let the kids play with toys for a while then have snacks and cake!

Tell the parents you have been looking forward to meeting them - I bet they will be glad of the opportunity to meet others and chat.

I would love if someone did this for me! And a home environment is more relaxed and provides more opportunities to chat!

That's a good idea so long as you have the party at a time of day when the parents would not normally be eating anyway, say a teatime party, just don't slap the parent's hands away from the crisps!

I think others would come, but might not RSVP if other threads I've seen on here are anything to go by. I think RSVP with a mobile no. is a good way to go.

If the play centre is priced by child the problem chasing RSVPs might put you off, a church / community hall affair might be better as then you and DH can invite more people and you know there will definitely be a party even if not all the nursery people show up.

Where we are, hiring local leisure centre hall with soft play bits and/or bouncy castle, and bringing our own buffet seems to be relatively cheap and allows you to invite plenty of kids. Send out invites with RSVP to your mobile - most parents will text to say whether they can come or not.
At 2 yo, it is usual for parents to stay so you should have some time to chat. You can also text to thank for presents after the party, and follow up with low key invitations to play dates for any kids your dd particularly seemed to play with and/or parents you particularly liked the look of!

reason for not having it at home:

1. town house - stairs = yikes!
2. garden - bricked = yikes!
3. garden has a big step that even my DD keep forgetting about and sometime falls over.

Do not want any casualties

I suppose in a soft play area toddler parents are at ease.. hmm ... or at least I am

For my two boys (2 & 3) I had "softplay" parties at local leisure centres, I am sure a leisure centre near you should do something similar ? They cost about £40 for an hour for up to about 20 children. You can also opt to have a seperate room afterwards to have a bit of a buffet if you choose. I have been to plenty of kids parties like this and the food is just for the kids, not the adults. I don't think adults expect food or drink, I certainly didn't.

I think this sounds like a good way of getting to know the other parents.

My boys also attend a nursery and I ask the nursery staff for a list of their "friends" and then I write out invites and either hand them back to the staff to hand out to the parents or put them into the children's post pockets.

I never expect food or drink at a childrens party like that - sounds like a good idea

We did soft play centre for DS's 4th birthday last year. They played 10-11.30 then had lunch. We did have a tab behind the coffee bar for the parents so they could have a drink - but it was only 13 or so kids, so not wildly expensive. This year DS is at school so expecting close to 30 kids. No tab this year. TBH I would always be happy to buy my own drinks at something like that. A treat to have quite drink while DS plays, We only did the tab because had been to a party the day before and they did one and as some of the same kids were going we would have felt like cheapskates not to do the same.

Oops = should say "quiet" drink.

We had a soft play party for my sons 2nd bday, and just did food for the kids, we've been to other parties at soft play centres and they have all been the same. It also means if the kids are occupied, and have a party organiser, the parents will have more chance to chat. If it was at home, or you were doing food, you'll be rushing round like mad and wont have chance to socialise with other mums/dads anyway

I know you are taking a chance with the weather, but how about a picnic at a playground if you are trying to keep the cost down? I have got to know nursery parents much better since they all started having parties, they are really quite sociable. Invitations in bags are the way forward and RSVP with a mobile number seems to work best (people feel reasonably comfortable texting someone they don't know).

Could you get the nursery to organise something? My DSs' nursery organise coffee mornings, soft play dates, parties, sponsored walks etc. to encourage parents to come along and get to know each other. Their latest wheeze is a zumba class one evening a week. That way it's free for you, or at least cheap.

Have party at home, stairs and bricked yard are fine at 2, get out your DD's toys for the other little ones to play with and cater for parents (just some nibbles and soft drinks) and kids - will go down a storm. And will be a hell of a lot cheaper for you.