DD's 10th b'day party. Advice needed please.

[OrmIrian]

She wants a sleepover. We are giving over the front room for the night. Fill it with sleeping bags and let her play Wii, watch DVDs, play music etc. Her room is too small. 3 guests all 9 or 10.

I have also told her that she can take her friends to Prezzo for dinner. I was thinking of about 4.30pm. WOuld it be OK for me to leave them there to eat alone. They are sensible girls and DD wouldn't take any crap about behaviour (beleive me she's v v strict! ). I would go and do some shopping or even grab a coffee somewhere. WOuld that be OK do you think?

Sounds like a lot of fun! I used to love sleepover parties... Your DD sounds very sensible, but would the other parents mind them eating alone?

I would leave them as long as the restaurant has your mobile number and you don't go very far. My 11 year old would love this and I know I could trust her and her friends to behave well.
Sounds like a great plan.

Yes I intended to leave them my mobile number.

Should I ring the restaurant in advance and explain do you think?

I don't think the other parents would mind. I will check first.

Thanks

I would check with the restaurant first. My DD has just turned 9 and I don't think I'd be comfortable with leaving her alone in a restaurant. Not really sure why though. I do suspect that her friends' parents wouldn't allow it either.

Lovely idea for a party but as a mum of a nine almost ten year old DD, I would not want her left unsupervised in a restaurant. I would not imagine the restaurant would be too keen either! Can you reserve a table for you in a different part of the restaurant?

Do not think any of my friends would be happy for their Dds to be alone in a restaurant at this age either.

We did this for dd's 11th. No problem - didn't even tell the restaurant. Why would they need to know?

TBH I'm not too sure that a restaurant would be too happy about a table of unattended "children" (which they are still, in the eyes of the law).

I mean, who is ultimately responsible should anything happen -I'm not saying something will happen or scaremongering but just trying to look at it from a legal responsibility POV. Is it the individual memebrs of staff, the restaurant, you (even if absent)?

I would see myself as ultimately responsible norbert. And i'd be a few doors away (Costa Coffee probably) at the end of a mobile phone. But I agree there is some small risk,

I was just wondering out loud really about it being not so much what might happen but whether the restaurant would run a mile at the thought of the legal implications!

If they say no and you have to stay just ask if you can have a seat in a dark corner and a glass of wine

Yeah, dark corner and dark glasses with my collar turned up!