4 yr old Party Ettiquette?

[Flamesparrow]

DD has got her first party invitation from preschool (ie not a friend that she has through my friends).

At 4yrs old is it a stay for the party situation, or dump n run?

Still in preschool I'd stay, personally.

Depends. Do you know the family?
Is at their home or in a public place eg softplay?
How confident is your DD?

Yes - I think stay, too.

It depends on the child and party I think.
At my ds 4th party this month, most of my friends stayed as they are my friends as well as ds's IYKWIM but the nursery mums mostly left and came back. They are my friends too and I wouldn't have minded if they stayed though.
Also it was in a hall so loads of room. If it was in my house then It may be a diff story.

I would stay.

Mine wouldn't have wanted me to go, so I would have had to stay (I think they were 5 or 6 before they were comfortable with it, but mine were quite anxious in these situations)

here is the Caerleon etiquette (roughly translates as Yummy Muumy rules, excepting me of course LOL!)

Pre-school / Reception stay

year one- ask the parent leading the party- don't assume no if its a venue, some venues stipulate; often house aprties the parents are desperate for yout o go though!

year two- as a rule, your child will be mortified if you stay however, this si OK as partied tend to shrink from all the class compulsory ones to friendship only groupings.

Its in a community centre, I sort of know the parents from a hiya in the playground, but I do know "the family" from insider info (my mum works in the school, so tends to know a bit about most families with older siblings ).

DD's very very changeable - there is no way of knowing how she will react until the day.

I'll go with the method of leaving DS home, and plan to stay, and if it turns out I should be leaving, then I can, but I don't have DS if I am staying iyswim.

I like the yummy mummy rules!

Good plan.

I've been on the receiving end of a couple of dump and runs recently that were a real pain and stopped me looking after the party properly and paying any attention to my own kids, the birthday girl. Both pains were aged 4, in reception.

I have no relations to lend a hand and would have appreciated a bit more help, handing out drinks, mopping the odd spill or providing a bit of chat to the shyer ones.

So I'd say, ask but expect to stay at 4, by 5 you are probably ok to dump but it would be nice to offer to stay and help, and it's kind of fun sometimes too! You won't be welcome at all soon.

Oh I'm not against staying and helping MS - It was more a case of not wanting to be the crazy woman that doesn't know she should be going home!

My ds is 5 and I have only just started to leave him if that is what the party giver wants (I always ask) He was always the over-excietd child at a party I felt it was only fair to stay and rein him in! As he is also nut allergic-parents often don't want the responsibility of him. Great party guest my ds!!!

I was sooo pleased when I saw that the invite was from a child who is similar in energu levels to DD Was terrified it would be a timid child and DD would be blacklisted forever

Stay

It is only since DD started school that we have left her by herself at parties. Prior to that all the parents stayed. Even now, reception age, it still avries - some parents stay, some go, some parties epect you to stay or invite you to stay, some want you to go.

DD's 5th party is in March and we will invite parents to stay if they want and we will be providing grown up refreshments too.