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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

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Original poster

best time for a birthday party from other parents pov?

16 replies

jinglinggoblin · 29/12/2005 20:17

evening after school or weekends?

if weekends is morning or afternoon better?

and would you travel to get to a party? have choice of brewsters which is a couple of miles from school (tho along nice road), soft play area where i have to cater (dont want to) about half that distance or mcdonalds in town centre (yes i have seen other thread that is what inspired this one. im not keen but i think most parents at school would like mcdonalds). would you accept lift from parent of birthday child? should i put it on invite?

had disatrous party last year where only 5 out of 20-odd kids turned up. dont want to repeat it!

OP posts:

WigWamBam · 29/12/2005 20:21

Weekend afternoons best for me - would probably not take dd to a party after school (miserable old Mummy). Apart from any other consideration (like getting dd to bed on time and up for school the next morning) I don't drive so may struggle to get to a party after school. I have to say that even if it was local, I wouldn't touch a McDonalds party with a ten foot barge pole (double miserable old Mummy).

tillykins · 29/12/2005 20:22

weekend afternoon sounds fab

I would travel, but not very far and only accept a lift if the car seat was appropriate, knew parent well etc

tamum · 29/12/2005 20:23

Another vote for weekend afternoons

Original poster

jinglinggoblin · 29/12/2005 20:25

thanks for responses so far, very helpful. would like more please but take away has just arrived so will check back later. thank you!

OP posts:

Hulababy · 29/12/2005 20:25

Weekends are generally best for us too. Pretty much anytime as we try and work round them when planning our other ativities/visits.

And plenty of notice beforehand - keep getting about a week or two's notice only, which for us is a nightmare as we are often away. More notice means we can plan for it.

We always have to travel by car to get the the venues and it doesn't bother me at all.

Venues don't bother me. I am happy for my daughter to go to her friend's parties wherever they are. Party food once in a while is perfectly fine for me

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 29/12/2005 20:27

Personally I like parties where you pick your child up fed, tired and it's time for bed when you get home.

hativity · 29/12/2005 20:30

the main thing for me is to make it around a meal time - don't mind them stuffing themselves with party food but if they do it at 11 or 3 I find it pretty annoying, so i like 12-2 or 4-6, possibly the latter - like someone else says, pick them up tired and at the end of the day

Hulababy · 29/12/2005 20:32

Just another thought - if a distance to travel, make sure the venue has somewhere for parents to go and sit, maybe have a drink and a chat, as often they won't have enough time to justify driving home and back.

MARINAtivityPlay · 29/12/2005 20:36

Weekend afternoons are usually best. After-school is going to be very problematic for parents who WOTH and I always hate these gigs.
Don't be afraid to travel to the right venue though. The best parties ds has been to in the past year from parent POV seem to have been one at a very civilised pottery cafe in East Dulwich (ie, really not local to any of us), where the catering for parents led to a convivial alt-party in the next room...and ds' own last summer - we chose a venue near London Bridge, easily accessible by local rail, and parents either stayed at our alt-party, or could go off and enjoy Borough Market sans kids for two hours. Or did both, and a lot of mums have since said they had such a good time there.
For us the worst sort of parties are out of town but with nothing to do for the parents and just too far to make it worthwhile going back home for 45 mins.
I am sure anyone will appreciate your offer of lifts though, jinglingoblin, that's very considerate of you

MARINAtivityPlay · 29/12/2005 20:37

snap hula...

TreeFuses · 29/12/2005 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

jinglinggoblin · 29/12/2005 20:46

ok, is def going to be a weekend then, thanks everyone. i have always had them on weeknights before cos i thought people would prefer that, oops! he wants brewsters so i will go along with that even tho its a bit of a trek. im not being considerate by offering lifts at all btw, i just dont want another disaster and i know some parents dont have cars

OP posts:

ladymuck · 29/12/2005 20:48

Weekend covering teatime is ideal.

Janh · 29/12/2005 20:54

I always liked weekend lunchtimes because it meant they ate the lot and I had the afternoon to recover

GoodKingWestCountryLass · 30/12/2005 21:12

I would take my kids to a party whatever time of the day/week it was (obviously not in school hours).

My DS had his party on his birthday after school and everyone invited came

gigglinggoblin · 30/12/2005 22:07

have booked for 12 oclock saturday, thank you all. i have been informed there is a height restriction of 4'9" (about 145cm) so am now panicing about that instead. being a mum is fab isnt it?

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