First birthday party tonight, invited the whole family, it's at a house, want to make friends

[Anonymous]

There will be very few Dads there. I’d probably keep sibling and Dad home unless you know your youngest have friends his age also going.

[Anonymous]

Bring whomever you’d like. Be confident and helpful and you’ll be fine. The host probably won’t have a lot of time for chit chat so don’t seem needy on that front.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you know if there will be other little kids there? Are you going with a spouse who is less invested and can watch the 2yo while you mingle?

I feel like minding a toddler at a party is a surefire way to not have decent adult conversation with new people.

Bringing a toddler to an elementary school party is not the way to make adult friends.

I have a 6yo daughter and I am very friendly with several moms I met in kindergarten. It is usually my daughter and another mom and her daughter hanging out. Siblings stay home with dad.

This is true. I missed out on a lot of the moms getting to know each other at kindergarten parties with my oldest because I was chasing a toddler and holding a baby. The rest of the parents were sitting and chatting and making plans to meet up later, so I missed out. I started leaving the other kids home soon after realizing I was missing out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't bring anything other than the gift. Get your 2 yr old out of there at 6:30 or earlier so she doesn't melt down at someone else's house.

Just make boring chit-chat. Which kid is yours? Mine is the one in the green sweater. What are you doing for the holidays? Oh, happy hanukah! That sounds awesome - I've never been there but have heard excellent things. Are you seeing the Wonka movie? I want to go see it.

Stuff like that.

I respectfully disagree. She is welcoming your entire family for dinner. The right thing to do is to bring the bday present and a small thank-you-hostess gift. Especially if you want to make a good impression.

Skip the gift, that's weird. It's a child's birthday party, not a housewarming party.

Agree. No hostess gift for a birthday party.

[Anonymous]

Hi op, this sounds really sweet and the hosts invite is really nice. Im someone who might do this and it sounds like they really mean it. If you’re both there one of you can follow the toddler while the other socializes.

I feel like I’ve made a lot of friends in our neighborhood and my number one advice and way to do it is to ask for phone numbers (if you don’t have them from a class list). If you are hitting it off and having a good conversation, you have to feel it out and have it happen at the right moment - but at the end I will say hey do you want to exchange numbers and we can get the kids together? Or something like that. People always seem so happy I asked.

I don’t usually do this on the first meeting but I did once with a mom at a playground who I just felt like we clicked and had a same age kids, she is now one of my closest friends in the neighborhood. If I hadn’t just went for it, we would have parted ways and might have been a long time before we crossed paths again. Ive found most people are like you, wanting to make friends and are thrilled when someone else is trying to connect too.

I would just go and have fun at the party. Afterwards if there are a couple people you clicked with, reach out (if class list available) and invite them over. Also you have the contact info for the host so at a minimum you can invite them over! The friends we’ve got closest with reciprocate. The give and take communicates hey I like you too and allows the relationship to grow.

[Anonymous]

I will add I agree that this isn’t typical of kindergarten parties so I wouldn’t bring toddler in the future, but I think for this one it sounds right - this family wants to host a big shindig

[Anonymous]

Oh and no gift other than a birthday present! Not sure why anyone said that. If you want, kids like to make cards for each other and that can personalize it more but otherwise nothing else

[Anonymous]

Go all together, be cheerful and low-key helpful, leave before you look up and realize the house is largely empty. Find the host, hostess, and birthday child and say your thanks/happy birthdays before you go.

The next day, text the mom to say thanks again for including everyone and that you hope Larla enjoyed her party. Mention that you’re planning to take your kids to the park in the afternoon and you’d love for them to join you if they’re free and have the energy. Or extend the same park meetup suggestion to any other class parents you meet.

[Anonymous]

I’m on team hostess gift. I can’t imagine showing up to a party empty handed. If it was kids, then obviously just the birthday present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m on team hostess gift. I can’t imagine showing up to a party empty handed. If it was kids, then obviously just the birthday present.

Are you confused as to what type of party this is?

[Anonymous]

Assign your husband to your younger child so you can spend your time talking/making friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't bring anything other than the gift. Get your 2 yr old out of there at 6:30 or earlier so she doesn't melt down at someone else's house.

Just make boring chit-chat. Which kid is yours? Mine is the one in the green sweater. What are you doing for the holidays? Oh, happy hanukah! That sounds awesome - I've never been there but have heard excellent things. Are you seeing the Wonka movie? I want to go see it.

Stuff like that.

I respectfully disagree. She is welcoming your entire family for dinner. The right thing to do is to bring the bday present and a small thank-you-hostess gift. Especially if you want to make a good impression.

NP. No one wants to deal with a hostess gift (or several) while dealing with entire families at a birthday party. Bring a nice gift. Be a good guest. Send a text after the party thanking her inviting your family and let her know you had a great time. If some of the food was particularly good, say so. That sort of thing.

When I've hosted whole family parties, some people bring a bottle of wine or six pack of beer and others don't. It's really personal preference.

As someone who wouldn’t serve alcohol at my Kindergartener’s birthday, I would be really uncomfortable if someone showed up with beer. If it’s someone you know and you know they plan for there to be alcohol that’s different.