Laser tag party says no siblings. Can I just pay for my other child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS got invited to a laser tag party and really wants to go. Invitation clearly says no siblings. I have plans so DH will have the kids. Since it is a public venue, would it be ok for DH to hang out with younger sibling in the arcade area while older DS plays laser tag? Younger DS is probably too young to play laser tag anyways.

Ugh. Why? Why can't DH occupy the other kid(s) anywhere else in the entire vast DC area that day? Why does he have to occupy them at the same venue as the party when the host has clearly requested no siblings? I do not understand.

+1

Yes, some parents are just clueless assholes who can't follow the ONE simple rule on the invitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in this situation but the party guest was my younger DS and my older DS was a tagalong. DH had plans and I don't feel comfortable leaving a 6 y/o alone in a big public place like that. It was at a trampoline place, so after I checked YDS into the party, I paid separately for ODS to jump. The venue was open to the public and he was not leeching on to the birthday party. When it came time for the pizza and cake, ODS and I sat on the sidelines while the younger kids gathered at the table and did the party thing. The mom was very nice and offered my ODS a slice of pizza and cake, but I did not expect it. The kid had an older sibling and I think she was glad to have a kid there to talk to him. I had told her at the beginning that I was going to pay for him to jump on his own and made it clear that I did not expect him to be a part of the party. She was just a nice person.

She was just acting like a nice person while mumbling under her breath, why can't these leechy moms just go somewhere else for the duration of the party. If your 6yr old can't get off your teat for 1.5 to 2hrs than just don't let him go to the party. Make it his decision. You are now labeled "that mom."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in this situation but the party guest was my younger DS and my older DS was a tagalong. DH had plans and I don't feel comfortable leaving a 6 y/o alone in a big public place like that. It was at a trampoline place, so after I checked YDS into the party, I paid separately for ODS to jump. The venue was open to the public and he was not leeching on to the birthday party. When it came time for the pizza and cake, ODS and I sat on the sidelines while the younger kids gathered at the table and did the party thing. The mom was very nice and offered my ODS a slice of pizza and cake, but I did not expect it. The kid had an older sibling and I think she was glad to have a kid there to talk to him. I had told her at the beginning that I was going to pay for him to jump on his own and made it clear that I did not expect him to be a part of the party. She was just a nice person.

I think an older sibling is different because they won't want/need to be part of the party. But I still wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is bizarre! It's a public space! Of course your Dh can stay there with the younger child. The no siblings applies to the party. It's not a restraining order!

Don't even mention it to the host. That could look like fishing for an invite.

+1. I can't believe people expect families to drive around for two hours with a sibling so that their child can go to a child's birthday party. If you live in McLean and the party is in Sterling, what else is there to do in Sterling? The venue is a public place. The host should rent out the entire facility is she doesn't want members of the public there during her party.

If you can't figure out how to manage your other kid, then decline the invitation. Not complicated at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Dont expect cake." Seriously? Are there really parents who wouldn't offer a sibling cake? I don't bring siblings to parties but they are often with me when I come pick up and the birthday parent always offers them a piece of cake. I offer cake to the people who work there. You have to be pretty petty to not offer cake to a little kid.

Ok so then you've now beluga your sibling to the party and made rhe party host feed him even though she explicitly said not to. And here's why following that request matters; let's say everyone else dutifully left sibs at home. Well now here's you and yours, tagging along, playing, eating cake, essentially party guests and they're all wondering why they bothered making arrangements for their kids if the host was fine allowing siblings. You put your host in an uncomfortable position of looking like some people were allowed to bring siblings and some weren't.

And maybe there's cake pops. Only enough for each guest. Or whatever. The point is if they say no siblings it's unbelievably rude to bring a sibling anyway and then be like "well he can just play and what kind of person wouldn't give a kid some birthday cake?"

[Anonymous]

Oh god. Fuck iPhones. Decipher as best you can, I'm pretty sure beluga was supposed to be brought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh god. Fuck iPhones. Decipher as best you can, I'm pretty sure beluga was supposed to be brought.

It's not the iPhone. It's fat fingers or misspellings abc iPhone just tries to make the best of what you've typed. Don't blame the iPhone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The party thrower will feel obligated to include DH and sibling, especially if it is one of those places where the kids congregate in the party room in between each game and eat and drink in between the games. We get that it would be so much easier to have your other child join in, for your dH to not have to find another location to entertain the other child and for your DH to not have to deal with the shining from the other child that he wants to stay...but he needs to either drop the I ted kid off, or better term arrange a carpool and try to have your DH do pick up after the party.

This. Find something else to do- showing up with sibling is rude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh god. Fuck iPhones. Decipher as best you can, I'm pretty sure beluga was supposed to be brought.

It's not the iPhone. It's fat fingers or misspellings abc iPhone just tries to make the best of what you've typed. Don't blame the iPhone

It's because of my iPhone that I said fetus instead of feed us . I'm super glad I'm not the only one with this issue!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh god. Fuck iPhones. Decipher as best you can, I'm pretty sure beluga was supposed to be brought.

It's not the iPhone. It's fat fingers or misspellings abc iPhone just tries to make the best of what you've typed. Don't blame the iPhone

Oh how witty, disagreeing with someone so you accuse them of being fat! You're the one trying to scam free cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is bizarre! It's a public space! Of course your Dh can stay there with the younger child. The no siblings applies to the party. It's not a restraining order!

Don't even mention it to the host. That could look like fishing for an invite.

+1000

I mean, the place sells food so DH and younger DS can buy their own food. And if it was my party, there'd be plenty of cake and pizza and if I saw you guys hanging out I'd totally offer you some because I'm like that.

IMHO, you grumpy hosts really should just not have parties.

[Anonymous]

What part of "no siblings" do you not understand, OP? Seems clear as day to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Dont expect cake." Seriously? Are there really parents who wouldn't offer a sibling cake? I don't bring siblings to parties but they are often with me when I come pick up and the birthday parent always offers them a piece of cake. I offer cake to the people who work there. You have to be pretty petty to not offer cake to a little kid.

Ok so then you've now beluga your sibling to the party and made rhe party host feed him even though she explicitly said not to. And here's why following that request matters; let's say everyone else dutifully left sibs at home. Well now here's you and yours, tagging along, playing, eating cake, essentially party guests and they're all wondering why they bothered making arrangements for their kids if the host was fine allowing siblings. You put your host in an uncomfortable position of looking like some people were allowed to bring siblings and some weren't.

And maybe there's cake pops. Only enough for each guest. Or whatever. The point is if they say no siblings it's unbelievably rude to bring a sibling anyway and then be like "well he can just play and what kind of person wouldn't give a kid some birthday cake?"

Wow there's a lot of assumptions going on in this. These are the facts:

1. It's a public venue, so DH and sib have a right to be there.
2. Host is under absolutely no obligation, or expectation to accommodate DH and sib. (Hell, the host doesn't even have to know!)

Everything else is your pessimistic assumption for which I am sorry for whatever experiences you've dealt with you lead you to be so negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's open to the public! Why would this be a problem? At the one in Gaithersburg, there are 3 huge parties, plus the public, playing all at once. How would 2 people among all the hordes in the room matter at all to the party thrower/birthday child?

Because little brother will keep running up to DS and friends and want to play, when it's time for cake and pizza little brother won't get why he isn't in there too, why he doesn't get a goody bag, etc. Birthday parties are for the kid whose friend invited them, they don't need to be hassled by a little sibling the whole time because dad can't go somewhere else for 2 hours. Plus. Party mom is not going to exclude the little brother because she will feel bad so he will end up worming his way in for pizza and cake anyway despite her explicitly saying no siblings.

+1 and I almost always accommodate siblings when I can, but when it doesn't look like you can this is going to cause unnecessary awkwardness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's open to the public! Why would this be a problem? At the one in Gaithersburg, there are 3 huge parties, plus the public, playing all at once. How would 2 people among all the hordes in the room matter at all to the party thrower/birthday child?

Because little brother will keep running up to DS and friends and want to play, when it's time for cake and pizza little brother won't get why he isn't in there too, why he doesn't get a goody bag, etc. Birthday parties are for the kid whose friend invited them, they don't need to be hassled by a little sibling the whole time because dad can't go somewhere else for 2 hours. Plus. Party mom is not going to exclude the little brother because she will feel bad so he will end up worming his way in for pizza and cake anyway despite her explicitly saying no siblings.

+1 and I almost always accommodate siblings when I can, but when it doesn't look like you can this is going to cause unnecessary awkwardness.

Exactly, I am never going to turn away a sibling (in fact I always bring 2 extra goody bags) but why put the host in that situation. I can't imagine the laser tag place is in the middle of nowhere with literally nothing else for a parent to do with another child.