Lunch and Movie Theater for Daughter's 8th Birthday- Invite Help!!!

[Anonymous]

Daughter's birthday is around the corner and she has decided that she wants lunch with friends and to see Beauty and the Beast. This seems fine with me and my husband and we agree that she is only to invite her closest friends that she actually plays with at school and also socially with the families as well. 18 kids it is.

Here is my concern:

How do you word the invite to let people know to drop off their kids and not have them also stay with siblings? The lunch is at a restaurant that is near the theater and the movie tickets are IMAX that I need to purchase in advance because they are assigned. The restaurant can only accommodate the kids plus 6 adults. I will be there with my husband, niece and a few cousins to supervise.

I know its a popular movie and many parents and siblings want to see it too. We have a few parents that ALWAYS linger with many extra kids and even extra relatives (Nana) have come in tow before. Huge problem when there is just enough gift bags and cupcakes and six extras show up!

Help! Not trying to come across as being cheap or rude but we don't want this gargantuan event with people we didn't invite. This also cause problems for me when other people bring their kids and then my family sees pictures online and their smaller kids weren't invited.

Party planning is stressful!

[Anonymous]

Movie invites we received often had instructions like "Please plan to drop off and pick up at the front of the theater. We will be there to meet you and take your child into the theater"

[Anonymous]

Simply give the time as "Drop off at noon and pick up at 4". People should get the hint. I have 3 kids ranging from 9-14 and we have never had parents bring siblings. Parties are always drop-off and so I assume the same when my kids receive invites.

[Anonymous]

In addition to the language above about drop off and pick up, explicitly say "sorry, due to space and budget constraints we can't accommodate siblings!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Simply give the time as "Drop off at noon and pick up at 4". People should get the hint. I have 3 kids ranging from 9-14 and we have never had parents bring siblings. Parties are always drop-off and so I assume the same when my kids receive invites.

NP. Well, PP, you have good social skills and can pick up on cues. Some people are just clueless.

OP, we have parents like that in my kid's class. Show up with a spouse and 2-3 uninvited siblings to EVERY party. If the space truly cannot accommodate extras (or they don't want to) other parents have started being really explicit on the invites. "Please drop off your 2nd grader at 2; pick up is at 4. We are so sorry that we cannot accommodate siblings and other family members! We hope that your 2nd grader will be able to attend." All the other parents know it is on there because of the families who show up with everyone.

I didn't put that info on my child's latest invitation because I thought "who wants to hang out at a crappy bowling alley?" My mistake. Mom RSVP's for the whole family, 1 invited kid, 2 parents, and 3 siblings. I guess I will just get them their own lane? So weird.

[Anonymous]

OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

Seriously? Wow.

[Anonymous]

What 8yr old has 18 close friends. Please OP. Get real

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

She has 6 adults attending. Whatever gives you the idea that she's sending these kids to the bathroom alone??

OP, if people regret, they regret. We've done movie theater birthday parties before (on a smaller scale) and didn't have trouble with siblings or other extras. I stationed DH and DS outside the theater so people could literally drop off and not have to park, then they sent the kids inside to me. We walked to food afterward and then met parents in front of the theater again for pickup.

Are you doing an evite or other electronic invitation? Can't you restrict those to just "children" rsvps? If you put something explicit on there, just keep it to space "Due to space constraints at the restaurant, we're sorry that we can't accommodate siblings this year."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

You don't let your 8 year old go in the bathroom alone? What if you have a kid of the opposite gender? I have a boy and he's very big for his age (7). It would be wildly inappropriate to go to the men's room with him or bring him to the women's room. He's been going in the bathroom alone since he was probably 5. I can't even remember honestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

Seriously? Wow.

For real. It's called the 8yos go to the bathroom alone or in small groups. No biggie.

[Anonymous]

Your first mistake is the number of girls. Family friends? No. Just invite a handful of her closest friends and take them for tea and lunch too. So much more fun than 18 kids and 6 adults watching a movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your first mistake is the number of girls. Family friends? No. Just invite a handful of her closest friends and take them for tea and lunch too. So much more fun than 18 kids and 6 adults watching a movie.

This was my thought too. 18 kids?! Try maybe 6-8 kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daughter's birthday is around the corner and she has decided that she wants lunch with friends and to see Beauty and the Beast. This seems fine with me and my husband and we agree that she is only to invite her closest friends that she actually plays with at school and also socially with the families as well. 18 kids it is.

Here is my concern:

How do you word the invite to let people know to drop off their kids and not have them also stay with siblings? The lunch is at a restaurant that is near the theater and the movie tickets are IMAX that I need to purchase in advance because they are assigned. The restaurant can only accommodate the kids plus 6 adults. I will be there with my husband, niece and a few cousins to supervise.

I know its a popular movie and many parents and siblings want to see it too. We have a few parents that ALWAYS linger with many extra kids and even extra relatives (Nana) have come in tow before. Huge problem when there is just enough gift bags and cupcakes and six extras show up!

Help! Not trying to come across as being cheap or rude but we don't want this gargantuan event with people we didn't invite. This also cause problems for me when other people bring their kids and then my family sees pictures online and their smaller kids weren't invited.

Party planning is stressful!

I'm reading along thinking we're going to get to the party where there are 5 kids invited. 18 kids!! She has 18 kids who are her closest friend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be prepared that some parents are not going to be comfortable with a drop off at a movie theatre with that many kids and few adults. Who would take the kids to the bathroom? I would not want my child to go knowing you'd probably send them in the bathroom alone. I'd have no problem paying for myself (no siblings so its a non-issue) but not a chance I'd send my 8 year old alone.

I continually get surprised at the level of hovering other parents do. I also have an 8 year old daughter and she rides public transportation alone.