Another early birthday party question: Would you REALLY regret?

[hardysmom]

If you didn't like the time or would you just groan, but go?

I was a little shocked by the number of people who said they would send a regret to a child's birthday party at 9:45 am if they lived 30 minutes away.

I am assuming the birthday-kid is in DCs class, but not our super-best friend d'jour. I might groan if the time was inconvenient for us, but unless we had a prior committment, we would go.

No judgement intended, I was just taken back. I thought there might be some groans from those lucky families with kids who sllep past 7.

I guess I am of the school that birthday parties are sacred. Maybe I am silly.

Stephanie

[hobokenmom]

Truthfully, I think it just depends on a lot of factors.

First off, with my first child (and probably my second child) we went to every single birthday party if we were in town (and not away for the weekend or something).

However, at a point, I changed my attitude a bit. If it were the type of party where the whole class was invited AND it wasn't really a child that we knew very well (or liked), I'll admit that we've opted not to go. I know the parent is probably trying to be nice by inviting the whole class, but they'd probably welcome one less kid.

Now that my kids are getting to the age where the whole class is NOT invited, they generally attend all parties because I stress to them that they should be honored that they were included on the guest list. There have been times where my kids groan because they were invited to so-and-so's party and they say they don't like so-and-so, and I make them go because they were included on the guest list and I want so-and-so to have a fun party.

I believe wholeheartedly in the drop-off birthday party once they hit 5 or 6 because I think manners and birthday party etiquette are so important, and kids need to learn to be at parties by themselves.

[lizajane]

i LOVE a birthday party. i LOVE cake. and i have two active boys. so i am thrilled to go to a party and will make a real effort to go to one. so i am with you. sacred. love it. i am skipping my DH's upcoming triathlon to take my kids to a party- will be a lot easier and will be more fun for them. DH is going with friends anyway, so it won't hurt his feelings.

[lilycat88]

Probably, yes, we wouldn't go. Lot of factors go into that though. If it was one of DDs 1-2 *best* friends where we're close friends with the mom and dad as well, we'd probably bite the bullet and go. If DD had a rough week without much nappage and I knew she was tired, there is no way I would want to drag her out of bed any earlier than she wanted to get up. She is up at 6:15 during the week and no later than 7:30 on Sunday. Even more importantly, though, we view Saturday morning as our family time. Really, it might be the longest amount of time all week where we're all together and just hanging out in our jammies having fun. Come Saturday afternoon, we're ready to do other stuff as well.

DD is only 3 and we might chance our practice as she gets older but at this point, it would take a *very* special friend's birthday to drag us out that early for a birthday party.

[HannaAddict]

I said I would send regrets and depending on a variety of factors, I probably would at this stage. My son is almost 3.5 years and too little to be dropped off. I also have a ten month old. It isn't that my kiddos sleep late, it is that they get up at the crack of dawn and 9:45 is when baby girl is crashing and needs a morning nap. And it is the one day of the week when we can have somewhat mellow morning and my husband is generally in town and not racing to the office (where he is as I type this). So, Saturday morning is a time for down time and just not having to rush around and get out the door. I think once my kids are older then b-days will be more "sacred" but when they are invite the whole class (very nice gesture to be polite), it isn't as "sacred," if that makes sense.

If it was a very good friend, we would bite the bullet and go. We did that for a breakfast b-day party shortly after my daughter was born. And we recently drove 40 minutes in driving rain (no fault of the b-day girl) to a suburban party place for a 10:30 am party. It still took basically the whole day since the kids were exhausted, but they had fun. If it was not a good friend, we would probably not have gone because of the drive out to the 'burbs. Or my husband would have taken my son by himself. All that being said, my son does love birthday parties and I really appreciate how much time, effort and money it takes to host and I do appreciate being invited, so we go to almost all of them and give very nice presents. :) But morning parties when kids are too little to be dropped would not be my first choice.

Kimberly

[hardysmom]

gotcha'... when my twins were still having morning naps and DS had an invitation to something, I remember it being a huge ordeal, usually ending with DH staying home while I took my son.

How soon we forget...

Around here, we're still not dropping off at 5.5... Last year, a few moms dropped their kids off at a pottery painting party place and it CAUGHT ON FIRE during the party. The firetruck was a huge hit, but the kids w/o parents were pretty freaked out.



stephanie

[JustMe]

Dd is an early bird (and therefore so am I), so we would not be detered by the time. However, we definitely do not go to every school birthday. Of course, we make sure to go to dd's favorite friends, etc, but with me being single and working full time (and with neither of us being in a place where we feel comfortable with the "drop off" thing), we just cannot go to every birthday party as we have other things to do, fun things included.

Robyn

[JustMe]

delete

[Melanie]

Not for a 9:45 (or even 9) am party, but I have on several occasions when they were at naptime (1 or 2 pm) or evening.

ETA: With Ds' 6th birthday this year it had not even occured to me that some parents would think it okay to Drop-off! That would have *me* as the hostess rather freaked out! I always address the invites to So&So & Parents (or & Family if they have other siblings) so hopefully that gets the point across.

[sadie427]

Sorry to shock anyone, but birthday parties are definitely not sacred to us. We don't have a lot of family time. DS is always happy to go, and we'll make a point of it for a close friend, but otherwise only if it's convenient. Wouldn't go to one that required me to set an alarm on a weekend unless again it was a close friend.

[Jen841]

We would go to the party of course! We joke that we are the if you invite us we will come people, near or far (that's why there are airplanes, right?) Every once in a while you need to sacrifice a nap etc, but a special event for a little one it is worth it.

IMO,Jen

[bubbaray]

ITA.


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[jadamom]

We always go unless we're out-of-town or sick. The kids always have a great time, and I like to go, too.

[fauve01]

***Sorry to shock anyone, but birthday parties are definitely not sacred to us. We don't have a lot of family time. DS is always happy to go, and we'll make a point of it for a close friend, but otherwise only if it's convenient. Wouldn't go to one that required me to set an alarm on a weekend unless again it was a close friend.***

absolutely totally agree. we go when it works for us--which is MOST of the time.

anne

[Kungjo]

***Sorry to shock anyone, but birthday parties are definitely not sacred to us. We don't have a lot of family time. DS is always happy to go, and we'll make a point of it for a close friend, but otherwise only if it's convenient. Wouldn't go to one that required me to set an alarm on a weekend unless again it was a close friend.***


Totally agree with this as well. Family time is so much more important. We try to make it to most, but when the whole class gets invited and my DDs are not close to the B-Day child, we don't always go.