Drop off birthday party, but don't know the parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just decline the invitation. My daughter's 5th party was drop off - no parents stayed or asked to.

Why did you have to make it drop off? Why couldn't parents stay if they wanted? My dd has food allergies, and I prefer to stay unless you would say that you are able to administer her epipen if needed.

Because hosting a party for adults and kids is very different from just hosting a party for kids. My daughter had a small party with 7 friends so we don't need a lot of helping adult hands and I actually prefer when the kids can just play and do the activities without parental attention - it changes the flow of the party. I also like to get involved in the party activities and having fun with my daughter and not have to be entertaining adults, feeding adults, worrying about the adults being comfortable or having a group of adults follow me around watching what I'm doing. I also have no problem with parents declining the invitation if they only want to attend if it is a party for adults and kids. In the case of food allergies, hopefully you would have told me before hand so I could plan accordingly and I would be fine with you leaving me the epipen in case of emergency.

I think I would decline the invitation then because you seem rather rude. Why not get to know the parents of your daughter's friends? You seem very inhospitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I don't know the parents then this is a great opportunity to get to know them. Depending on the location and time of the party I have seen parents that stay, even if its a drop off party at age 8. For playdates and parties if I don't know the parent, I arrive, drop off kid talk with the parents, help with the party set up and decide at that point if I will stay or go. Sometimes there is a nice social gathering for parents going on and I enjoy gettting to know everyone. Sometimes I'm one of the few that is staying. For us I'd rather use it as a way to meet other kids and parents.

Oh, God. I hate you. There is always one at every one of my kid's parties. They're 8. Or even 9. I don't have time for you, I'm busy. I don't want to entertain you. None of the other parents are staying, it's obvious. It's not a social gathering for other parents or I would have written that on the invitation. There is nothing to help with, you're just in the way and you are clearly just interfering with your helicoptering. By the way, your kid is embarrassedby it.

Just don't accept the invitation if you can't leave him alone for 3 hours on a Saturday afernoon.

So if the party is in some far off location where there no place to go get a coffee, the weather is bad so you can't go for a walk and it will take just as long to drive home and back again you'd still be angry for parents staying? I see most parents that stay at these things don't expect to be feed and certainly aren't helicopter parenting. They'd rather not be there but also don't have another place to go. Typically they hang out together, help if they can, stay out of the way they just don't feel like driving around all afternoon. CHILL!

[Anonymous]

Bring a book PP, drive down the road, park, and read; please just don't stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just decline the invitation. My daughter's 5th party was drop off - no parents stayed or asked to.

Why did you have to make it drop off? Why couldn't parents stay if they wanted? My dd has food allergies, and I prefer to stay unless you would say that you are able to administer her epipen if needed.

Because hosting a party for adults and kids is very different from just hosting a party for kids. My daughter had a small party with 7 friends so we don't need a lot of helping adult hands and I actually prefer when the kids can just play and do the activities without parental attention - it changes the flow of the party. I also like to get involved in the party activities and having fun with my daughter and not have to be entertaining adults, feeding adults, worrying about the adults being comfortable or having a group of adults follow me around watching what I'm doing. I also have no problem with parents declining the invitation if they only want to attend if it is a party for adults and kids. In the case of food allergies, hopefully you would have told me before hand so I could plan accordingly and I would be fine with you leaving me the epipen in case of emergency.

I think I would decline the invitation then because you seem rather rude. Why not get to know the parents of your daughter's friends? You seem very inhospitable.

because during my child's party i want to focus on the party and not on getting to know a group of adults. I don't have party planners or hired staff that plan and run my parties so it is me getting the food together and running the activities and keeping the party going - not really ideal for getting to know adults. I would rather get together in a different way if it is about getting to know people.

And for the PP - there are few places where there isn't a coffee shop or stores within a short distance.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, someone I know is a weird uncle who spent 10 years in prison. I’ve also known of two others who were acquaintances.
Now that I have kids, i’m super careful because I believe it is an epidemic.

[Anonymous]

No drop off at 4.

[Anonymous]

I didn't do drop off until 8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just decline the invitation. My daughter's 5th party was drop off - no parents stayed or asked to.

Why did you have to make it drop off? Why couldn't parents stay if they wanted? My dd has food allergies, and I prefer to stay unless you would say that you are able to administer her epipen if needed.

Because hosting a party for adults and kids is very different from just hosting a party for kids. My daughter had a small party with 7 friends so we don't need a lot of helping adult hands and I actually prefer when the kids can just play and do the activities without parental attention - it changes the flow of the party. I also like to get involved in the party activities and having fun with my daughter and not have to be entertaining adults, feeding adults, worrying about the adults being comfortable or having a group of adults follow me around watching what I'm doing. I also have no problem with parents declining the invitation if they only want to attend if it is a party for adults and kids. In the case of food allergies, hopefully you would have told me before hand so I could plan accordingly and I would be fine with you leaving me the epipen in case of emergency.

I think I would decline the invitation then because you seem rather rude. Why not get to know the parents of your daughter's friends? You seem very inhospitable.

because during my child's party i want to focus on the party and not on getting to know a group of adults. I don't have party planners or hired staff that plan and run my parties so it is me getting the food together and running the activities and keeping the party going - not really ideal for getting to know adults. I would rather get together in a different way if it is about getting to know people.

And for the PP - there are few places where there isn't a coffee shop or stores within a short distance.

You sound like a lot. You don't have to "get to know a group of adults." If there are a couple of adults, they will talk to each other - that socializing is nice too. They are not expecting to be fed and entertained.

[Anonymous]

I
Are these kids in preschool? Dropoffs were very unusual for us until ES. Except very small parties where we knew the parents.

[Anonymous]

Just say no if you are uncomfortable. But don’t stay. That is just annoying.

[Anonymous]

I have an almost 5 year old and I would never do a drop off. Both for the concerns raised above and because he is not mature enough. I’d decline. FWIW i don’t see the big deal about missing one bday party anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"What could possibly happen ?" - don't be naive - all it takes is one weird uncle to lure a child away from the group and molest them. My 4yo dd doesn't even give me an accurate description of what she does at preschool - I would not leave her with strangers or even acquaintances at this age.

+1. Molestation, drowning (do they have a pool?), running off with her vest friend (my DD did this at school), injuries like a kitchen burn, bullying by the other kids, parents forget to supervise kids because the partyis too large, and so on. I wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask yourself honestly (no snark here), what do you think could POSSIBLY happen to your child if you leave her at the home of a classmate with a gaggle of other kids?

I have no dog in this fight, as I always offer the option of sticking around or dropping off, but yes, I think you're being overprotective. Especially if your daughter isn't clingy or nervous.

Are you being serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What could possibly happen ?" - don't be naive - all it takes is one weird uncle to lure a child away from the group and molest them. My 4yo dd doesn't even give me an accurate description of what she does at preschool - I would not leave her with strangers or even acquaintances at this age.

+1. Molestation, drowning (do they have a pool?), running off with her vest friend (my DD did this at school), injuries like a kitchen burn, bullying by the other kids, parents forget to supervise kids because the partyis too large, and so on. I wouldn't do it.

Find prescription drugs, find a gun, older brother molests them, climb a bookcase when no one is looking and it falls on them.

[Anonymous]

4 is quite young to drop off. I’d just show up and stay and I don’t even see why that’s a big deal.

To me, at that age, it doesn’t matter if you know the parents or not. It’s more about all the ways a 4 yo can be unsafe in a typical home.