Is 8- 9:30pm too late for a party for 8 year olds???

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I was thinking of hiring our local ice skating rink for our daughters birthday party. It's only available for private hire at this time, unless we pay an extra £200! I wanted it to be private hire, so that we can have the "Frozen" sound track playing and have balloons around etc.

It's really not going to be worth it though if the parents think it's too late and no one ends up coming. My daughter is always in bed by 7:30pm, but if she has a little nap she can stay up much later.
I thought as they would've already eaten, we could just have a birthday cake and flasks of hot choc.
What do you think? If it was you're child, would you let them go? Parents are invited too by the way.

Wish, I don't think it's a question of being miserable - OP is about to spend a fair bit on this party so if lots of people don't come it will be expensive and sad for her DD.

It is miserable to say, it would mess up my Saturday night and worrying about eating cake and being late to bed for one night ffs. These kids are 8 not 18 months, I take it they never go to weddings where they might be out late eating cake........

I think the divided opinions here are an indication of what you'll get in rl. Better to rethink the plans than two thirds of the children don't come...

My 10yo struggles to stay awake past 9pm, except in summer, when he can't sleep if it's at all light.

Mine went to a party for a friend which was a meal out in a fun restaurant...they got back at 10.30 pm! I was as the meal began at 7.30! I think the one you're thinking of is for older DC to be honest. More like 11 year olds.

What's wrong with a hired minibus?

Well, you might think it's miserable but OP was worried it wouldn't be worth it if no one ended up coming - and the thread shows that quite a few parents would have reservations.

I still think it's worth checking with the parents of DD's closest friends directly though as who knows if they'll be the "miserable" sorts or the "party on" sorts!

I'd wait until they are older. Its a brilliant party idea though!

another for the no camp. we can keep the boy up beyond 9pm once in a while. But its only going to be mid school hols with nothing planned for a day either side. He will take a nap but the fall out next day is messy.

What's wrong with a hired minibus? Who's going to drive it? I wouldn't fancy entrusting my DC (or myself, come to that) to some random person who thinks that being able to drive a car qualifies them to drive a minibus safely.

I'd still be perfectly happy with late party, though.

Ok fair enough. I guess it would be different for us as dh has had training to drive the school minibus where he teaches.

Ah, yes - that would be a different matter!

It is late but I'd still accept the invitation.