At what stage to you drop kids at birthday parties rather than stay?

[bananarama22]

Following on from another thread about kids parties, at what age do you drop your child and leave, rather than stay?

Also at what stage does it move from the "whole class party" (if you choose to do that) to just inviting close friends?

Reason being my son turns six in September. All of the parties from school friends in reception have been whole class parties in a church hall with a bouncy castle for two hours. Parents have stayed, some party food, birthday cake, party bag, job done.

Never hosted a party before due to covid, and my son wants the same as his friends, so i've gone ahead and booked the hall & bouncy castle.

Just checking it's still the "done thing" in year 1?

That's what he's asked for so we're going with it, but just wondering will parents stay and kids still enjoy it ?

Drop and go from starting school in P1 (Scotland)

Whole class parties were mostly P1 and P2 and gone by P3

My dd is Year one. Most parents drop and go. Maybe about 10% stay. Still mainly whole class parties too.

My DD is yr 1. Most of the parties she's attended this yr have been less than 10 kids. Clip and climb / trampoline park / arts and crafts etc.
I've only been to a couple of all class parties tbh
For her 6th party I only invited 10 of her friends.

In my experience drop and go from year 1 but the odd child will have their parent stay.

Oh no! Even in Sept year 1?

I'm dreading hosting the party as I just stress about things like this, not least having to look after 20-30 kids !!!!

I ditched DS in Reception, but in retrospect nobody else did and I was clearly the CF mum (I was trying to not be the clingy mum ). Though he was totally fine and we only left him for an hour.

I would say 50/50 by year 1, everyone by year 2, in our school.

DD is year 1 currently and I've stayed at most parties and so have most other parents. Particularly at whole class hall type parties where you can't expect the parents to keep an eye on everyone!

You can't look after 20-30 kids. You need to arrange for other adults (aunties, grandparents etc) to assist you.

My kids are a bit older now, but it was year 2 (so 7th birthdays).

You need to rope in other adults to help you. It's ok to ask other parents if they are able to stay - but don't expect it.
I find parties very area specific in terms of expectations. Round here it was 50/50 for parents staying in Reception and only the very odd parent in year 1. Whereas my sister in law said no one started leaving their children at parties until year 3 where she was

End of y2 here and most parents still stay! Still whole class parties too but that’s because kids missed out due to Covid. Probably smaller parties going on too. I’m expecting there to be far fewer invitations in y3 but am grateful for the whole class parties he has experienced. Bouncy castle lovely for y1 in my experience.

In our year 1 class it seem that parents are requested to stay at whole class parties but not for small at home parties.

Yr 1 and honestly it's so much better just looking after the kids without feeling like you have to entertain the parents or look cool calm and collected in front of them.

The kids all entertain each other, you stand watch, make sure no one is terrorising the others and bustle about putting out food, filling juice cups and showing kids where the toilet is.

2 hrs passes quick and then you hand the kids over to parent and they leave.

I left DS at 5, birthday child turning 6. Think it was younger than average as he was one of the youngest in the class with children up to 16 months older so did things in line with his peers. His own birthdays were whole class at 5yo and 6yo, about 10 or 12 children at 8yo and 10yo.

Other parents stayed for DS's 5th (in a park) and 6th (disco with multiple parties where parents were requested to stay on premises by the venue).

My daughter is in Year 2, and it’s still usual for parents to stay at parties at soft play, church halls etc, but less so at a party at home. It does help with the supervision to have a few parents around.

I think it’s been delayed by Covid, as there was over a year without ‘proper’ birthday parties, so the kids aren’t used to being left. I expect next year will be more drop & go.

At age 4/5 where Iive.

It really depends. DC1 I stayed until mid Y1 (they were more than happy to be left). DC2 I was still staying at some in Y2 as they preferred me to stay. DC3, I didn't really ever stay unless it was a good friend, they were happy to be left and knew most of the families and I had the older two who were too young to be left alone at home (at the time DH worked a lot of weekends).

Round here, year 1 almost all whole class parties and the vast majority of parents stay. Dropping off becomes the norm in year 2 (though sometimes parents stay depending on the activity, where it is and whether the parents fancy a chat) and more activity type parties (which does include village hall type parties, but maybe with a science theme or similar)

Just make it clear on the invite if you want them to stay if you are worried you haven't got enough help. These sort of parties are great but hard. You need lots of activities or games as Cant all be on bouncy castle at once. Need an adult watching that, one watching the door one serving good one on games as a minimum
And for your own sanity clearly state 2 hours only on invite

Thanks for replies, there seems to be a mixture on balance - i'm wondering does 2 years of covid play a role too, in that the current crop of parents of year 1 kids may not have been to many parties so may be more likely to stay (if it's their first child).

I will have a couple other adults there, but was thinking they could help with food and tidying up, rather than supervising the children ?

I'm really hoping it's okay- as I said I get social anxiety/stressed about these type of things so will only be doing a whole class party the once and just want my son to enjoy it

We have never dropped and left and our oldest is a teen now (there hasnt really been 'party' invites since last year of primary school as aparently 'parties' are uncool now lol) I would trust my DS not to do something wrong (like the time we he was 7 and took our eyes of him for a minute and he tried to help himself to the birthday cake).

That said for parties we have hosted parents have dropped and left mostly from around age 9/10 (although one parent did from age 4).

I think it comes down to kids personality too 1 other parent never dropped and left too as his kid was friendly but a massive handful of loud bouncy energy.

We did whole class parties from age 4/5 until age 12 (so all of primary school age).

In year one my oldest had a disco in the hall next to the school and about 21 out of 30 attended (a few did the carnal sin and brought siblings too) but most years only 8-12 kids have attended from a whole class invite.