"Sorry, no siblings please."

[Anonymous]

I'm having a party for my 8yo son. Plan to invite 10 boys. We are having a gem mining party with stations. Everyone on our guest list has siblings. Several have attended our parties in the past and I have been lax with siblings. Some of the kids have 3 siblings. I want to be clear no siblings are welcome and parents are welcome to drop off. Party will be at our house but I don't want complete chaos with the activity. I don't really mind if parents bring siblings at pick up and siblings have cake and food. I don't want to write that anywhere though.

Does this sound ok?

Sorry, no siblings please. Parents are welcome to drop off.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Yep!

[Anonymous]

At 8 there shouldn't be any parents milling around.
Maybe your mom to help or one close parent friend.

Just write. Drop off at 10am, pick up at 2pm.
Lunch and cake.

No siblings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At 8 there shouldn't be any parents milling around.
Maybe your mom to help or one close parent friend.

Just write. Drop off at 10am, pick up at 2pm.
Lunch and cake.

No siblings.

OP here. We are friendly with several of the families. Half are classmates. Half are people we hang out as families and/or do play dates regularly including our other children. I just don't want the siblings around for the activity. I don't mind if they come at 5 to hang out and eat. I don't want to make the invitation too confusing though.

Party time will be 2:30-4:30 or 3-5. I was leaning towards 3-5 and serving food at 4:30.

[Anonymous]

Say no siblings on invite and drop off and pick up. When they come to drop off you can tell them in person that they can bring Susie back for cake if they want (assuming that is what you want). Otherwise, just have them pick up at pick up time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Say no siblings on invite and drop off and pick up. When they come to drop off you can tell them in person that they can bring Susie back for cake if they want (assuming that is what you want). Otherwise, just have them pick up at pick up time.

It is really only one family that I want to stay. I am friends with mom. I will just tell her to join us for dinner. Other parents can just pick up their kids. I do play dates with them but we are not necessarily friends ourselves.

[Anonymous]

If you just write "sorry no siblings" it sounds rude and exclusionary.

If you word it slightly more gently, like "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities"

Or, "We normally love it when siblings attend, but this year its not possible, sorry!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you just write "sorry no siblings" it sounds rude and exclusionary.

If you word it slightly more gently, like "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities"

Or, "We normally love it when siblings attend, but this year its not possible, sorry!"

This is ridiculous.

"No siblings, please" is fine.

Don't say "sorry." Makes you look like a doormat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you just write "sorry no siblings" it sounds rude and exclusionary.

If you word it slightly more gently, like "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities"

Or, "We normally love it when siblings attend, but this year its not possible, sorry!"

Well, you are excluding the siblings but it's not rude to do so.

Op, your original wording is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you just write "sorry no siblings" it sounds rude and exclusionary.

If you word it slightly more gently, like "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities"

Or, "We normally love it when siblings attend, but this year its not possible, sorry!"

This is ridiculous.

"No siblings, please" is fine.

Don't say "sorry." Makes you look like a doormat.

I don't agree that any of these makes the OP look like a doormat... a doormat? From a party invitation?? Uh, I think that's a bit much.

I personally think it makes her seem considerate & kind (especially if in years past the siblings have ALWAYS been invited!).
This explains that it's nothing personal & it's not THEIR particular sibling that you don't want there (because I imagine most of the parents will wonder if it's THEIR kid that caused you to write no siblings... parents are neurotic ).

Honestly, I'd go with the "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities".

That gets the point across without any of the worry that you'll cause hurt feelings or start drama that wasn't there to begin with.

[Anonymous]

I found out that people assume this without any comment
anyway, mostly, when a lot of people couldn't attend my daughter's party due to sibling issues. The next year put it in expressly and had much better turn out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you just write "sorry no siblings" it sounds rude and exclusionary.

If you word it slightly more gently, like "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities"

Or, "We normally love it when siblings attend, but this year its not possible, sorry!"

This is ridiculous.

"No siblings, please" is fine.

Don't say "sorry." Makes you look like a doormat.

I don't agree that any of these makes the OP look like a doormat... a doormat? From a party invitation?? Uh, I think that's a bit much.

I personally think it makes her seem considerate & kind (especially if in years past the siblings have ALWAYS been invited!).
This explains that it's nothing personal & it's not THEIR particular sibling that you don't want there (because I imagine most of the parents will wonder if it's THEIR kid that caused you to write no siblings... parents are neurotic ).

Honestly, I'd go with the "I'm sorry we're unable to accommodate siblings this year due to a maximum head-count on activities".

That gets the point across without any of the worry that you'll cause hurt feelings or start drama that wasn't there to begin with.

I completely agree with you PP, the other poster is reading way too much into it.
If you think that people are going to think that she's a door mat just for being polite and considerate, then you're not the kind of person I'd ever want to be friends with.

[Anonymous]

Ha! I suggested the polite versions. I am glad to see more people found this acceptable than not. Honestly, i think if you are wanting to define a doormat, it would be someone who says nothing and has their party ruined by the presence of too many siblings!

[Anonymous]

Your original is fine.