You pick your kids up from a drop-off party ON TIME

[Anonymous]

You’re doing them a favor by giving them a few free hours of babysitting. The list they can do is be on time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Team OP. Everyone knows how these places work. You have to clear out when your slot is over. It’s not difficult to be on time. You just have to care enough about it to make it happen.

+100!

I can tell who the freeloaders and moochers are by thinking it’s not a big deal to pick up 20 minutes late from a drop off party at an event venue. Seriously.

+1 - we have certainly spotlighted the selfish ones. Probably got a nail appt in and breezed through starbucks... plenty of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My answer depends in part on how far the party venue was from where everyone lives. Some of these party venues are almost an hour from where the kids live. And you don’t want people to stay. So they need to go home or run other errands. All of which means they may hit traffic and be late picking up. They should have texted you though once they knew they would be late.

This is incorrect, at least for this particular OP.

Anonymous wrote:WTH? My son’s birthday party (late elementary kids) was on Saturday, a drop-off party at a trampoline place (of course parents were welcome to stay). Invitation very clearly stated jump time 2-3, pizza and cake 3-4, party concludes at 4. It was that spelled out.

Welp, three out of eight kids were still there 15-20 minutes after 4. So instead of being able to simply pack up and leave, we had to monitor three additional kids with essentially nothing to do, as they couldn’t go back out to the trampoline park (you only get an hour of jump time) and we had to clear out of the party/food room, as of course the staff needed to clean and set up for the next party.

RUDE. Get your kids. Five minutes late is one thing. TWENTY minutes late? What the hell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I picked up an hour late once. I was taking mass transit, the bus didn't go particularly close to the house where the party was, it was pitch black (winter) and I was completely lost. I was running up hills to find street signs to orient myself and trying to figure out on the map where to go. Couldn't get a cab to come into the hills. I was practically near tears from the stress by the time I got there and felt absolutely awful. Had the hardest time getting home too - we found a corner store on the way down the hills and I asked about the bus stop and didn't understand the directions.

Normally I'm super punctual. Occasionally, sh*t happens.

That sounds awful, pp.

However, this was three families. Watching one kid in a home isn’t nearly disruptive. The host could have pulled out toys or turned on the TV. Done. OP had to monitor her kids + three while hanging out in a mall parking lot. That’s an entirely different experience. I’d have been livid, but polite in person. Team OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Late parents were rude. If the venue isn’t near home, run errands close by or go for a nice long walk with a podcast or something. This isn’t hard.

But it’s not something to spend a lot of energy on. It happens and you assume the risk when you host a party.

It’s life.

+1

Yes people should be on time.

But also things happen. People are juggling multiple kids and activities and often the venues are not close by or convenient. I appreciate that they made the effort to come celebrate with my kid - that's the most important thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Late parents were rude. If the venue isn’t near home, run errands close by or go for a nice long walk with a podcast or something. This isn’t hard.

But it’s not something to spend a lot of energy on. It happens and you assume the risk when you host a party.

It’s life.

+1

Yes people should be on time.

But also things happen. People are juggling multiple kids and activities and often the venues are not close by or convenient. I appreciate that they made the effort to come celebrate with my kid - that's the most important thing.

I am SO TIRED of the “juggling multiple kids” bs. You don’t have to say yes to everything. If you have so many kids that you don’t have enough people to cart them around so they get to every single party/sport/activity you’re doing something wrong. It’s not on the party host to help with that. Figure it out without inconveniencing anyone else, or simply say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I picked up an hour late once. I was taking mass transit, the bus didn't go particularly close to the house where the party was, it was pitch black (winter) and I was completely lost. I was running up hills to find street signs to orient myself and trying to figure out on the map where to go. Couldn't get a cab to come into the hills. I was practically near tears from the stress by the time I got there and felt absolutely awful. Had the hardest time getting home too - we found a corner store on the way down the hills and I asked about the bus stop and didn't understand the directions.

Normally I'm super punctual. Occasionally, sh*t happens.

This is why people have cars!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I picked up an hour late once. I was taking mass transit, the bus didn't go particularly close to the house where the party was, it was pitch black (winter) and I was completely lost. I was running up hills to find street signs to orient myself and trying to figure out on the map where to go. Couldn't get a cab to come into the hills. I was practically near tears from the stress by the time I got there and felt absolutely awful. Had the hardest time getting home too - we found a corner store on the way down the hills and I asked about the bus stop and didn't understand the directions.

Normally I'm super punctual. Occasionally, sh*t happens.

This is why people have cars!

Lol peak out of touch DCUM response!

[Anonymous]

I would have been on Team OP if she had had to clean the party room. That can be stressful especially if there is a time limit. But just having to hang out for 20 minutes with 3 kids does not merit this level of anger. You hosted a party, be grateful people attended.

In my culture having end times for parties is weird. Of course I understand why they have them. But as a host you need to be a little gracious. People took time out of their weekends to celebrate your child. Seething over mildly late pickups is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

This should. Be the least of your worries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You shouldn’t have parties like this if you’re going to be so stringent.

This

[Anonymous]

I never want to move back to DC, seems so uptight

[Anonymous]

Yes OP, they are rude. Were they at least apologetic at their late pickup?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Usually that's when it's one parent dropping off and the other picking up.

I wouldn't mind at all, OP. Everyone is late once in their lives.

YOU will be late one day too.

really? why do you think this is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re doing them a favor by giving them a few free hours of babysitting. The list they can do is be on time.

except half the time, there's nothing that can be done in that weird amount of time and you are stuck floating yourself and/or other kids waiting until the part yis done, or making awkward convo with other parents. basically these far away parties can often have 1 parent at least semi-hostage kiling time