This is really weird. So you will be serving full on dinner/lunch, but not to everyone? I don't see how you think people will be fine showing up at 4pm, and see the whole table with proper sit down lunch and them coming after? Plus, why are you catering to your adult parents paranoia? Your kid is having a party and it is all about the parents? Are your parents those snowflake boomers people post about on dcum? Who cares what old geezer grandparents want. Have them come at the end. Geez.
I don't see a way around this without offending people.

Naw. We've rented a whole pool just for a few kids. More fun and less turn taking on the waterslide.

I would consider the bounce house a sunken cost and let the kids enjoy having it to themselves. A rare thing.

No, two hours and food.

Anonymous wrote:Are you going to do favors? That could kind of signal the end of the party.
Do u think you will have some families who won’t leave at the end time? I could see us having some stragglers who don’t leave if people are still there and kids are still bouncing (your kid and cousins).

Maybe? It really was like a “I’m renting a bounce house and want others to enjoy it” type thing. I could do cake at 3, and then dinner at 5 for family?

Are you going to do favors? That could kind of signal the end of the party.
Do u think you will have some families who won’t leave at the end time? I could see us having some stragglers who don’t leave if people are still there and kids are still bouncing (your kid and cousins).

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

We can’t do two separate parties because the cousins must come to the family party and the cousins will also love the bounce house.

I suppose I could do friends from 2-3, but then they’ll miss cake. Unless I do cake at 3, and then dinner at 5 for family. But isn’t that backwards?

No that’s fine.

OP here.

We can’t do two separate parties because the cousins must come to the family party and the cousins will also love the bounce house.

I suppose I could do friends from 2-3, but then they’ll miss cake. Unless I do cake at 3, and then dinner at 5 for family. But isn’t that backwards?

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t want to pay to feed everyone. I’m sorry, but I don’t. But I do want to share the bounce house and cake! But I don’t want the double platters of food, and before I know it it’s dinner and I’m feeding everyone.

Are you serving caviar and foie gras?

Have the school mates and cousins over in the afternoon. If you have a party at a mealtime it is rude to not serve a meal. So you have from 1 to 3. Your baby is sleep and can't use a bouncy house anyway. Have your family over after 5 for dinner

I would invite the kids and friends from 3:00-4:30 to bounce for an hour to a little more. Put out cake at 4:15 and have parent pick up at 4:30. Invite the family for 5:00 for dinner and you have a little time to clean up after the kids (your two older ones can go back out and bounce some more) and start to get the small intimate dinner ready for your family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t want to pay to feed everyone. I’m sorry, but I don’t. But I do want to share the bounce house and cake! But I don’t want the double platters of food, and before I know it it’s dinner and I’m feeding everyone.

I would do it at 2 then. Have family come at 12:30 for lunch.

I have another baby who naps.

Well, the baby won't use the bounce house anyway. Do not invite a bunch of preschoolers from 4-5 and only feed them cake and juice.

+1

It’s rude to not feed everyone. I would do two separate parties, probably just a grandparent dinner and a party for the rest, but it could work to have family either before or after if you really prefer that as long as you have food for all.

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t want to pay to feed everyone. I’m sorry, but I don’t. But I do want to share the bounce house and cake! But I don’t want the double platters of food, and before I know it it’s dinner and I’m feeding everyone.

You’ll rent a bounce house for a three-year-old but won’t feed a few additional families?

Anonymous wrote:Have a kid party that runs from 2:00 - 3:30 or 2:30 - 4:00 with cake. Family with cousins can come too, grandparents and other childless adults can arrive as they please. Serve dinner to family after the others leave.

The other way around would be awkward.

This is what you have to do. You can’t have a whole spread and only serve it to people who arrive on the early side.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t want to pay to feed everyone. I’m sorry, but I don’t. But I do want to share the bounce house and cake! But I don’t want the double platters of food, and before I know it it’s dinner and I’m feeding everyone.

I would do it at 2 then. Have family come at 12:30 for lunch.

I have another baby who naps.

Well, the baby won't use the bounce house anyway. Do not invite a bunch of preschoolers from 4-5 and only feed them cake and juice.

+1. 5pm is practically dinner time so you’ll need to feed the kids you invite.