Another birthday pet peeve!

[Anonymous]

I will never understand why people don’t realize how important timing is with young kids. If all it close to all of the kids have finished eating, then please serve the cake/cupcakes immediately after. Kids at a birthday party can not just sit around shoot the shit for 30min like adults. You have to keep things moving at kids birthday, or all chaos will break loose.

[Anonymous]

So your kid couldn't wait?

[Anonymous]

Why can't the kids get up and play when they are done eating, while waiting for the cupcakes? Isn't it a party?

[Anonymous]

I was just at a party today and there was food, then a free play time, then cake. It was fine.

[Anonymous]

No they couldn’t play. This was at a bowling party and the lanes were shut off. I have also been at gym parties where the same thing happened and the kids couldn’t go back in the gym. I’m not talking about my kid specially, but entire party starts to fall apart if kids are just left waiting for cake while the grown up talk and not given anything else to do.

[Anonymous]

Learn patience.

[Anonymous]

How old are the kids?

I am a teacher and have lunch duty every day. It lasts 30 minutes, with 5 minutes at the start and end for cleaning (handwashing or cleaning tables).

When I go to parties, I get a little "helpful/bossy" and offer to serve the cake or help with pacing. Last party I went to, I mentioned that the pick ups would start in 15 minutes and we had not sung yet.
It is a skill to get 20 kids in one place at one time. The hosts may have been more relaxed about that.

I find parties really stressful and prefer to host them in places where there is someone else to run it, which a HARD STOP at the 90 or 120 minute mark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand why people don’t realize how important timing is with young kids. If all it close to all of the kids have finished eating, then please serve the cake/cupcakes immediately after. Kids at a birthday party can not just sit around shoot the shit for 30min like adults. You have to keep things moving at kids birthday, or all chaos will break loose.

What happened, OP?

[Anonymous]

Have you considered that some kids take longer to eat? So yes the fastest kid was done eating at six minutes but another kid was still eating. As a host, it is rude to just bring out the cake, while you still have guests enjoying their meal (even if their meal is pizza). And there is no way a parent can get their kid to eat the meal once cake is out.

[Anonymous]

Is this at a home party?

We eat casually and have cake later. We have a playroom so kids play. Some kids don’t always make it back to sing. They eventually get cake if they want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered that some kids take longer to eat? So yes the fastest kid was done eating at six minutes but another kid was still eating. As a host, it is rude to just bring out the cake, while you still have guests enjoying their meal (even if their meal is pizza). And there is no way a parent can get their kid to eat the meal once cake is out.

Waiting until the last slowpoke is done picking at their slice of pizza is ridiculous. Once the majority are ready for cake, it needs to be cake time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are the kids?

I am a teacher and have lunch duty every day. It lasts 30 minutes, with 5 minutes at the start and end for cleaning (handwashing or cleaning tables).

When I go to parties, I get a little "helpful/bossy" and offer to serve the cake or help with pacing. Last party I went to, I mentioned that the pick ups would start in 15 minutes and we had not sung yet.
It is a skill to get 20 kids in one place at one time. The hosts may have been more relaxed about that.

I find parties really stressful and prefer to host them in places where there is someone else to run it, which a HARD STOP at the 90 or 120 minute mark.

I’m so glad I don’t know you.

[Anonymous]

Kids really should be taught patience and manners. We went a party last week where the food and cake were served first then the kids got to go play later tag. There was a little time between food and cake. I could tell my kid was getting antsy but I use it as an opportunity to teach good manners. A lot of adults are severely lacking manners and I wonder if it began when parents stopped teaching kids to be good guests and good hosts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are the kids?

I am a teacher and have lunch duty every day. It lasts 30 minutes, with 5 minutes at the start and end for cleaning (handwashing or cleaning tables).

When I go to parties, I get a little "helpful/bossy" and offer to serve the cake or help with pacing. Last party I went to, I mentioned that the pick ups would start in 15 minutes and we had not sung yet.
It is a skill to get 20 kids in one place at one time. The hosts may have been more relaxed about that.

I find parties really stressful and prefer to host them in places where there is someone else to run it, which a HARD STOP at the 90 or 120 minute mark.

I’m so glad I don’t know you.

I am glad I don't know you either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered that some kids take longer to eat? So yes the fastest kid was done eating at six minutes but another kid was still eating. As a host, it is rude to just bring out the cake, while you still have guests enjoying their meal (even if their meal is pizza). And there is no way a parent can get their kid to eat the meal once cake is out.

I'd think you were very strange if you held up the cake while my pokey eater was the only one still eating. At kids parties you just keep it moving.