Ideas needed for polite wording of invitations!

[messylittlemonkey]

Hi

DD1 will be 5 soon and is having a party. We've hired a room and plan to have approx 20 children.

Now, what we don't want is lots of parents hanging around so I would like to make this clear on the invitation, but don't want to sound mean at the same time.

DD1 went to a party last year where the mum wrote a note on the invitations saying 'if you're happy leaving your child, then please do, as DD wants her party to be children only" or words to that effect. I'd like to use something like that but would be interested to hear how other have delat with this.

You can say 'it's a drop and go party' . You could add 'unless your child won't stay without you'. I personally would just put 'drop and go' and wait for anyone to ask if they want/need to stay.

Generally most parents will dump and run for a 5 year olds party unless they are overly clingy (the mum,that is) or determined to make you childs party their own social occasion

On the time bit, write

Drop off 4.30
Pick up 6.00

or whatever times you're having; gets the point across without making an issue of it.

Print in bright bold letters "No Parents Allowed..Kids only!" Straight to the point but unlikely to cause offence. My dd2 had a party at 6 and we put "Cool Kids only!" but you'd either love that or hate it!

I'd be a bit if my DS (4.5) got an invite which said I wasn't allowed to stay. As it happens I do usually drop him off but I know quite a few children of his age are still not comfortable on their own especially if they don't know the parents of birthday child very well.

That said, I think using the 'Drop off XX time & Pick Up XX time' is a good compromise as it lets parents know it OK to leave if they/their LOs want.

I agree with 'Drop off xxxx/Pick up xxx' - but have to say DS (5) gets really upset at the thought of being left at a party, unless he knows the party child's parents really well(ie if they're family friends or whatever). And its not me being a clingy mum, I would dearly LOVE to peel him off

We usually include a phrase that says, "invite is for invited child only, we do not have room for parents or siblings - sorry!". One of DD's friends always wants her mum to stay but she's someone I'm always happy to have around (and is an Early Years worker so good with small children!) so I ask in advance if she'd mind staying to help out.

we added an "emergency contact" on the rsvp, everyone filled it in. then i stood at the door with my list of numbers and welcomed the child in. if anyone asks I did the "we've got plenty of helpers, go and have a break, will call if there's a problem" speil.