Preschool class or family friend party for a 3yo?

[Anonymous]

DD is turning 3 and I’m starting to think about her birthday. She is our third child and older siblings are in elementary. For her first and second birthdays, we had home parties with our friends and family. Most kids are older with a few kids her age. This year she started preschool 2x per week. She does not yet know everyone’s name and I don’t know any of the kids or parents. Preschool has a carpool lane so parents stay in the car at drop off and pick up.

Would you do another family friend party or do a toddler party at somewhere like Nook or My Gym and invite the whole class?

[Anonymous]

Whatever you want. If you want to meet the other parents, then do it. If you don't really care, then don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you want. If you want to meet the other parents, then do it. If you don't really care, then don't.

+1

[Anonymous]

Yep, same answer from me. DD turned 3 a couple weeks ago. We were friendly with 2 families, but ended up inviting the whole class (12 kids) and a few family friends. We had 11 kids at the party and DD had a great time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, same answer from me. DD turned 3 a couple weeks ago. We were friendly with 2 families, but ended up inviting the whole class (12 kids) and a few family friends. We had 11 kids at the party and DD had a great time.

Do most of the kids have big parents show up? I’m considering a 3 year party and starting to think about numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, same answer from me. DD turned 3 a couple weeks ago. We were friendly with 2 families, but ended up inviting the whole class (12 kids) and a few family friends. We had 11 kids at the party and DD had a great time.

Do most of the kids have big parents show up? I’m considering a 3 year party and starting to think about numbers.

Oh my goodness. I meant BOTH parents. Not big ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, same answer from me. DD turned 3 a couple weeks ago. We were friendly with 2 families, but ended up inviting the whole class (12 kids) and a few family friends. We had 11 kids at the party and DD had a great time.

Do most of the kids have big parents show up? I’m considering a 3 year party and starting to think about numbers.

Oh my goodness. I meant BOTH parents. Not big ones.

We invited the whole class, plus a handful of friends with similarly-aged children. For preschool friends, only one parent per child came.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you want. If you want to meet the other parents, then do it. If you don't really care, then don't.

I admit I’m not as vested in meeting other families in preschool. We made a lot of friends during my older kids’ preschool years. We stayed friends through kindergarten but then kind of lost touch. Only 2-3 kids ended up at the same elementary school and they weren’t the ones we were close with.

I personally became good friends with a mom of kid from preschool. Our kids aren’t close and they never were. We were pregnant together with our thirds and became better friends then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, same answer from me. DD turned 3 a couple weeks ago. We were friendly with 2 families, but ended up inviting the whole class (12 kids) and a few family friends. We had 11 kids at the party and DD had a great time.

Do most of the kids have big parents show up? I’m considering a 3 year party and starting to think about numbers.

Oh my goodness. I meant BOTH parents. Not big ones.

We invited the whole class, plus a handful of friends with similarly-aged children. For preschool friends, only one parent per child came.

I'm the PP you were asking. I'd say about 50/50.

[Anonymous]

With my first, we did preschool friends. With my second, family/family friends.

[Anonymous]

We start the "friends" parties at age 3, but we do simple ones at our house with just a few basic crafts and then cake and ice cream. Whole thing takes only 60-75 minutes.

We invite siblings, kids from preschool (5 days a week, so our kids know all the classmates), same-age kids of neighbors and family friends, plus little cousins.