"No siblings this time sadly"... on a kids party invite is that ever ok!?

[Magicshroom]

Is this ever ok NOT to invite siblings to kids party??

I think not ok!!!?

Cos the siblings will miss out on goody bags but more importantly the parents get free babysitters and entertainment too of course!

Every time there is a party it is 100% fine not to invite siblings. There are NO situations ever when it isn't ok.

So cheeky to rock up to a party with siblings. Of course that message is fine.

I think it's absolutely fine not to invite siblings. I think it's cheeky of parents to expect this really.

I'm shocked that there are enough CFs in the world to mean that someone would have to state explicitly 'no siblings'. Who would bring a sibling?

I mean if you had a party for 20 kids in a year. If they all brought a sibling you have doubled the space you need, the food you need, the adult supervision you need - and most importantly the costs.

You don't get work invitations saying 'sorry no spouses' because normal people assume only the named person is invited.

@UsernamePain

I’ve just held a party for my 5 year old at a £15 per head venue. Invited clearly said name of child that was invited. 5 siblings joined the party on the day with no warning, and the parents were surprised that I had to say to them that they would need to pay for them. I didn’t have enough to pay another £75 for children my daughter didn’t know to attend the party. It was a very awkward 2 hours. Then I had to explain they’re weren’t enough party bags either!

I feel very naive that I am shocked that not one BUT FIVE people did this. Five!! What has happened to manners and basical social understandings?

It's ALWAYS OK not to invite siblings to a kid's party. Why would you? The party is for the birthday child and their friends, not for the friends' siblings.

I know several mums who bring siblings to parties uninvited and unexpected while also restricting more than 1 adult from their children’s parties. One mum brought 4 children with her and I didn’t have enough food

i never heard of inviting siblings to children's parties before coming on MN. Exceptions were, sometimes, neighbours or siblings who were also friendly with the birthday child but it wasn't the usual thing amongst school friends. I wouldn't have put 'sadly' on the invitation but it wouldn't have been necessary to stipulate 'no siblings' anyway.

🤣 of course it's OK!

The invite is to the child who is the friend. Not the whole brood. I cringe inside out when parents turn up with swathes of children so as "not to leave them out". It's either a CF chancer for free childcare, or a mamma that's got shares in cotton wool 😅 Every. Single. Time.

This.

I don't live in the UK and nobody here would dream of bringing siblings along unless specifically invited.

And all the parties my DCs ever attended were drop and run affairs from about age 4 too.

This ^

Absolutely fine.

The only time I've ever taken both of my DC to a school friends party was when they were both specifically included on the invite (birthday child lived on our street so my older son knew him too).

Otherwise it would never cross my mind to take them both and I think anyone that does is really cheeky.

Yes, absolutely.

We never take our DD (3) to our DS (6)’s parties. His name is on the invite. Either myself or my DH takes our son and the other does something fun with our DD. Or our Mum would have her. Other parents also team up, so 1 might drive their child and a friend to the party.

When 1 of us is on our own, we have always checked in advance if she could come, and paid for her soft play entrance and refreshments. If not OK, we would request dropping out DS off or ask another parent to take him.

People have lost sight massively of the fact that it is the child who’s birthday it is who should be choosing the guest list (usually friends from their class). Not all activities are appropriate for children who are younger/older either.

Surely any reasonable person can see that if 10 invited children each brought potentially 3-4 siblings then this would massively alter the dynamics and hugely increase the cost for the host?

The only exception I would make is for a breastfeeding baby/genuine childcare emergency on the day.

I'm amazed anyone has assumed they can bring other children to a party that one of their children was invited to.

My DCs are adults now, but I can't recall a single occasion when a sibling turned up at one of their parties.

I think it's insane to invite siblings unless they too are the birthday child's friends.
So many use a party as an excuse to dump all their kids for a couple of hours.
Your party, your rules. Kids have to learn socialising doesn't mean they are included in everything.

Of course it's ok 😂

I was primary school age in the mid 70s, went to plenty of birthday parties and siblings were NEVER invited! Occasionally you'd get the sibling of the birthday boy/girl being there. It would have been considered extremely rude to be invited and then rock up with your siblings. Just wasn't done.

Of course its OK.

Of course it is! They pay for the children they’ve invited they’re not your childcare! Absolute bare-faced cheek!

Edit: Apologies, just read updates and also realised this is an old thread. That’ll teach me. 😁

This has to be a wind-up.

It’s okay; and I wish people wouldn’t bring siblings along. Last time I threw a party for DS his classmate had 4 siblings and their mother left! I now put that only the invited children is permitted due to space etc.

Oh dear, old thread!

The assumption should always be that siblings are not invited unless the host puts 'siblings welcome' on the invite.

It's unfortunate that people are so entitled and lacking common sense that they would rock up to a child's birthday party with siblings when only one child had been invited, and now the hosts feel they have to state the obvious on the invitation cards going forward that the invite is only for the named child and not the rest of their family.

Yes ! One of my dds party's was at a softplay we invited 7. Minimum was 10 so bearing in mind there was loads extra there, ended up being 16 children there including teens who wanted the catered for party food.

Inviting siblings, unless they too are friends of the birthday child, is unnecessary.