What age

[MaxwellCat]

What age was your child when you started leaving them at parties? My daughter has a party coming up it’s 3 hours long I asked what the etiquette is regarding staying as I don’t know the other parents as don’t do school run but 3 hours is a very long party and would struggle to get childcare for my other children so asked how I would know if a party was drop. But was “mum shamed” on a facebook group for asking about dropping and going with people telling me they didn’t leave their child till secondary school age!?

Depends on whether in a public place or not.
I leave my 5year old, yr 1 child at parties in houses- but recently had a bowling party and I did give the mother who left her child a double take. Probably about 8 I imagine.

I was recently at a 7th birthday party where no parents stayed.

It really depends on the party, how well you know parents and how many kids they know there etc. I’ve had parents leave kids at a 4yr old
party and I’m happy as I know kids, but other parties where parents want to leave kids I hardly know, who have food allergies - asked them to stay. I think there’s no hard and fast rule, just ask the parent and your child what is ok
for them.

House parties - year 2 (but she was in R and y1 for covid, so may have been sooner if she was used to parties). Public - I assess the venue and sometimes.leave and sometimes stay. I stayed recently at a paintball.party

My kids were happy to be left in year 1. Secondary school age is nuts.

Around here kids are left from age 6 ish.

Thanks all my child is year 1 age 6 so I’m glad some have said that age these were the type of comments I received

My dc was in reception when I took them to a party at the local sports club. The parents just said to pick up at x o'clock and I was more than happy to leave. Children's parties are just migraines in human form.

Honestly they’ve made out like I’m a bad mum I was simply asking what the etiquette was!

I think it differs area to area. It's also changed over time, people are more cautious now. I would say it's definitely fine by yr1 (obviously dependent on the child).

Ds goes to a very small school with about a dozen on his class

. Dps usually stay and catch up /coffee during parties!
Older dc previously just dropped and ran!

I would say it would be the age they don’t need constant supervision and care , e.g obviously a 3 year old has a fair chance of just wondering off, help going to the toilet etc, they need to be constantly accounted for. However 7 year olds need an adult present but if with friends and in a safe secure place then not necessarily constant visual on them etc so yes I wouldn’t mind taking responsibility for a 7 year old but definitely not under the age of 5-6. DCs 6th party all the parents stayed but had a few just drop offs at 7th party

Here people started leaving kids at 5 but it was a mix, by 6 it was consistent that parents would drop and run.