Leaving 5 year old

[Isthishowitis]

Would you leave your 5 year old at a small soft play birthday party with whole class, or would you stay?

I left mine he was happy

I wouldn't leave my 5 year old and generally it is not common place with parties where I am to leave a child. Parents supervise eating, going to the toilet etc.. Also if it was an open soft play with general public attending anything could happen.

Everyone stayed for 5 yo birthday parties in my experience (or nominated a mum friend to watch both children) - at that age they will still need a parent for bumps and scrapes or toilet trips.

Yes potentially but only if the party host had specified drop off, my child was ok with being left and I felt the environment was safe e.g. it’s a small private hire place not some warehouse with 100s of members of the public.

Are the kids reception age or Y1? I found drop offs became more of a thing in Y1 but my DC is summer born so was still 5 for most of them even though they were 6th birthday parties. In reception I think everyone stayed regardless.

I always stayed at parties at that age, except for a couple where the invite said that parents had to drop off due to lack of space. I liked watching my dc have fun and helping her with food, toilet etc, plus it was nice to socialise with other parents/observe the other kids and parents.

I would ask a particular parent (eg kids friends mum) to keep an eye on my child and if they agreed I would leave them. Party parent will be too busy with the party to help with snacks, wiping face etc etc

I usually stayed at that age but if it was tricky for me to stay then I'd check with the birthday parent. And it was similar for the parties we hosted at that kind of age - maybe 2 or 3 parents would ask if it was ok to drop and go, the rest would stay.

Not at an open soft play where parental supervision is required. Even if the party host wanted dozens of children to be responsible for.

Around here parents stick around through Y1. Once everyone’s hit six, no more big parties and much more drop-off because there’s a mass switch to just “activity with 1-2 friends”.

Someone tried to drop-and-run at a whole class soft play party I was hosting alone last week, I was amazed. (Mostly 5 year olds.) Sit and eat some crisps for two hours like the rest of us, pal, I’m not responsible for your kid.

We’re at the end of Year 1 and it’s still expected that parents will stay or that they will make arrangements (eg asking a parent who will stay to keep an eye on their child)

I would have if it was clearly a drop and leave party, but IME they never are at soft play parties at 5. We’ve been to dozens of them and they’ve never been drop and leave.

DD1’s 5th was drop and leave but that wasn’t soft play, it was a crafting party so a lot calmer.

When kids start school (age 5/P1) everyone drops and goes.