Covid safety on party invitation?

[ThePartyArtist]

Planning a birthday party for my primary school aged son - the first proper party we've done.
Is it overkill to include info on the invitation re: Covid safety, e.g. to reassure people it's a small gathering, mainly outdoors, separate lunchboxes etc? I'm not sure if this is too much info or helpful for parents.

I think that would be helpful and reassuring. Also, asking for negative LFTs would also be entirely reasonable.

I don't think asking for negative LFT's is reasonable assuming these children all go to school together 5 days a week! What's different to the party at the weekend to the socialising and contact they have in school.

Yes overkill, if parents are worried they will make contact themselves and query it. I think your maki by yourself appear overly anxious about it which May put parents off.

Overkill.... Massively so!

Too much to put on invite, parents will hopefully ask. You could give a heads up it’s outdoors given the time of year as you’ll want them to dress for it!

If all at school together I wouldn’t ask for LFTs, but I think a short description of the activities and food plan can be useful for all sorts of reasons, including Covid.

I’m afraid I would eye roll if I got that. But I suppose no harm and some people might feel happier for it.

I think it's overkill as well, but as some have said they'd find it reassuring could you attach a separate note to the invite with all the covid related information? It'd mean the invite wasn't full of text and if you headline it people can read it if they want

I think its fine to say we will be having a small outdoor party with an [ ] theme for dc birthday, if it rains we will [ ]. I normally send invites by WhatsApp so this kind of thing is easy to include and I find it helpful to know broadly what is included in a party as a parent.

I would appreciate that. Went to a party recently and i really wish i hadn't as everyone was packed inside, no adults apart from me and one other were wearing masks, lots of additional family members with no children, and the windows all closed. It's put me off going to another to be honest... although DD loved it!
I had decided to go based on the argument that they all mix at nursery anyway, but had not expected extra family to be added.

No don't do it. Anyone who needs to know will ask. Most won't care and will think you're a bit odd.

I wouldn’t now, but did in 2020 summer when it was still only 6 mixing and outdoor only.

We had a garden party for 4 kids so slightly over if you include me, DS and DP.. they just played on the Xbox under the gazebo with a maccies!

I'd think it was ott.

And I would definitely decline of I was asked to do a LF first (I know OP didn't suggest this).

Definitely overkill!! Presumably the invite list is his class at school, and they all sit in a classroom together all day, eat lunch together etc. If I got an invite going on about separate lunchboxes I’d think you were a loon (sorry!).

@HandWash

I'd think it was ott.

And I would definitely decline of I was asked to do a LF first (I know OP didn't suggest this).

I'd also decline if it meant doing a LFT on a young child

Overkill. They're in class all day 5 days a week snotting all over each other.

Overkill.

We've just sent invites for my son's birthday party (5th birthday) all we've said is that due to covid we're braving the cold and having the party in the park.

I'd be more concerned about other siblings crashing the party, who would be outside of their school bubble. If you're doing individual meal boxes, I'd be stressing that siblings are not able to attend, for this reason.

Hi, thanks for the feedback (some more kindly worded than others). For info, not all the children invited are from the same school. And guests include 4 family members who are not there with kids.

I'm coming at it from the perspective of having additional health issues which make big parties or indoor gatherings quite risky / worrying.

@ThePartyArtist

Hi, thanks for the feedback (some more kindly worded than others). For info, not all the children invited are from the same school. And guests include 4 family members who are not there with kids.

I'm coming at it from the perspective of having additional health issues which make big parties or indoor gatherings quite risky / worrying.

Do you need to have a party then? It's ok to not do one if you don't want one

Overkill. At this stage I'm over it.

Just seen your update though. You sound worried/ anxious about it so I just wouldn't do it. Parties are meant to be fun!

Also just for info, we've recently received a party invitation asking people to LFT and send 1 adult per child. So i thought it was quite normal these days.

Do people really bring siblings if they're not expressly invited?!

My kids have both had parties during the pandemic snd both been to dozens.

None had Covid measures on the invites.

If parents are worried they will ask about it. None did for my kids parties.

I think it's overkill.

OTT

The few birthday gatherings we have attended have all included the Covid safety information in the party invite. I would consider it a requirement at this point and quite worrisome if it wasn’t included.