Is it better to let DS (5) go to every party he is invited to, or just the ones who are people he likes/plays with?

[TheSweetLittleBunny]

There is a party he has been invited to, but although he likes the girls, he doesn't play with them, they are classmates rather than playmates.

For those of you who have done this before, were you selective in accepting invitations, or did you just go to everything, assuming the dates/times were OK? Or were you guided by what your DC's wanted to do?

i asked dd if she wanted to go ro not, she didnt want to go to them all

the parents of the party girl/boy dont really care either way

let him go. If it is a whole class party they will talk about it and his playmates may go

what does he say when you ask him? are his friends going?

In reception I pretty much accept every invite as it's a good opportunity to get to know other parents and see who my DC actually play with.

I'm kind of in both camps. He wants to go to the party just because it's a party. But (see my other thread) it's a late party and having dangled a trip to the Space Centre on that day - he quickly opted for that instead, so it can't mean that much to him.

I don't know if all the class has been invited I would assume so, but I do know that not all the children can go.

We've always done house parties, and kept the invites to close people who he plays with at (then nursery) or has had playdates with. Usually up to 10 children.

I went to a party he had been invited to at nursery once at a soft play place and when I asked the mum if this was X's party (there were quite a few parties going on at the same time) she just looked at me blankly and said "Oh X just reeled of a list of names and I just invited people" - No "thanks for coming", no "thanks for the present" - nothing - and we've never hand any interactions with them since. So what's the point in going to parties of people you will never see again?

AND buying presents for said children?

DD accepts any party invitation that she wants, if we are free on said day. DD is in a small class so they all know each other pretty well, so she goes to all where possibel.

I tend to let mine go if we're free, but they had 3 in one weekend recently, 2 on the same day but am/pm so I let them choose which one of those 2 to go to

well i think it is a good way to make new friends - what if the child inviting wants to make new friends and the family is making an effort? if they are in the same class you are prob going to see them for the next seven years so it would be polite and friendly to go

i was amazed at one party my dd went to - she was chatting to a wide variety of kids - not just the 4-5 she plays with regulalry - it was lovely to watch them all interacting and dancing together - i wouldnt pigeon hole them too early - their friends may change over the years too

You are right. But don't you think it's different for girls though - they seem to form groups a lot earlier than the boys.