noelle303 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 So, in another thread, some of you started sharing your experiences with birthday parties for kids. My daughter turns 8 in March. When she was a baby, I usually only planned smaller parties, but in the last few years, since she started preschool basically, we started having the bigger parties with school friends. So this year the theme is Harry Potter and I'm thinking of having it at our house. My daughter is very social and is friends with a lot of kids from her class. Due to the fact that she doesn't want to leave out the smaller number of kids that she's not particularly friendly, she actually wants to invite her whole class (the school encourages this too). Ok, I guess that's reasonable. However, she skipped a grade this year(she's in third grade, while she's supposed to be in second) so she still wants to invite friends from her former grade that she's still close to. Ok, I guess that's understandable too. Then she has to invite the girls from her ballet class. Ok, she's close to them too. Then, the kids from her piano classes, other friends, and now we're literally talking easily 50 kids. I have to decorate the whole house, plan entertainment, games, order all the food for the kids and other parents/adults who will attend - like 70 people in total. And then I catch myself thinking "I don't have time for this, maybe I'll just hire some to plan this whole thing", but then again - a party planner for an 8 year olds birthday? Is this whole thing getting out of hand? How big did you go for your kids birthdays and how did you plan and execute it all without going insane? Link to post Share on other sites
MetallicHue Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 70 seems a little big to me. Normally we just include classmates. But not everyone will come too. Still not everyone will show up. The largest party I’ve seen is 25 kids. But that’s just my personal experiences. I wouldn’t really want that many but that’s probably cause I’m antisocial and 2 kids keep me busy enough . 1 Link to post Share on other sites
preraph Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Look, nicely tell your lovely daughter she can invite a dozen of her best friends, period. Just tell her "That's not how it's done. That's a school assembly." 2 Link to post Share on other sites
GinON Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Yikes! Are you the parent or is the kid running the show? Also, consider a birthday party place or kids museum that does parties and let them do all the work. Themed parties? I can't fathom spending all the time and money on that.I say make it nice party for you as an adult as well. Are you not worried about building your kids expectations to be astronomical? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
anika99 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I say go ahead and invite her whole class. I get the reasoning for this and probably only about half will show up at most. As for her old class and her ballet class she should only invite the kids she is closest to, which should be no more than 5 or 6 kids tops. She doesnt have 50 best friends or even 50 close friends. A party with 50-70 people for a child of 8 is absurd. Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Lucky Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 now we're literally talking easily 50 kids. Up to you but you'd need a considerable amount of adult supervision for 50 kids, probably on a 1 to 7 or 8 ratio. Not sure I'd want to turn that force of nature loose on my home... Mr. Lucky Link to post Share on other sites
basil67 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I've never been an invite the whole class type of person. I always placed limits on numbers. Given that she's got a lot of friends, 20 kids should be workable. Link to post Share on other sites
Author noelle303 Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 Yikes! Are you the parent or is the kid running the show? Also, consider a birthday party place or kids museum that does parties and let them do all the work. Themed parties? I can't fathom spending all the time and money on that.I say make it nice party for you as an adult as well. Are you not worried about building your kids expectations to be astronomical? These are not her demands, I could easily tell her "no" and she'd be fine. This is just what she told me she'd like to do, given the fact that she's a kid and doesn't understand how much work a party like this is. I just don't know if I should tell her "no" or where to tell her to draw a line. Again, it's a nice sentiment that she doesn't want to leave anyone in her class out and the school really does encourage this. But if she really invites everyone from her class, she has to invite the kids from her former class and we've been to all of their birthday parties so I guess that would be rude not to do. Same with the girls from her ballet - she spends three times a week with them and they've all invited her to their birthday parties. Like, I swear, 8 years have bigger social lives than any adult I know. Up to you but you'd need a considerable amount of adult supervision for 50 kids, probably on a 1 to 7 or 8 ratio. Not sure I'd want to turn that force of nature loose on my home... Mr. Lucky There will be like 10-15 adults, so we should be fine. We did the museum place last year so I really don't want to repeat it. On one hand I feel like my home is the easiest, we have a big yard, plenty of space, and I'm familiar with the turf. There's also that thing I have in the back of my mind, next year we'll be in Switzerland and she won't get to celebrate with friends, so might be nice to go all out this year. Man, I hope she doesn't make any friends in Switzerland (joking...kind of) Link to post Share on other sites
TheRainbow Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 My oldest daughter birthday is in a few weeks, and she asked me tonight that she wants an abstract theme party. I asked her what that was. She said bright shapes and colours. I'm not even sure where to begin, with how chaotic my life is going. Link to post Share on other sites
Author noelle303 Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 My oldest daughter birthday is in a few weeks, and she asked me tonight that she wants an abstract theme party. I asked her what that was. She said bright shapes and colours. I'm not even sure where to begin, with how chaotic my life is going. Yeah, I'm not the most creative person in the world (or at all in fact), so no idea where to begin with a Harry Potter party either. I think hiring someone to do it might be inevitable. I just have zero time to plan even a smaller party, work's been crazy and with everyday activities, school, homework, extracurriculars, it's just chaotic. I'm officially THAT mom who has a party planner for her 8 year olds birthday. Link to post Share on other sites
todreaminblue Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 wow..big party....birthdays were for me.... family nights......mum would cook my fave dinner and my fave type of chocolate cake when i was a teen i would invite my best friend for a sleep over and we would have the same family party with my kids of which i had five kidlets.... same deal..sometimes their friends would stay...mostly just family....my granddaughter had the first birthday party with friends...and she had it at a park...my daughter decorated the park with balloons and played games......and the park play equipment was really good...they had a bbq lunch and i cooked some food as well at home...sounds like you need a really large area...i guess i sound like a real introverted humbug...that i haven't really given birthday parties to my kids....i always cooked them a beautiful meal whatever they really want or a special takeout and with cake.....a really special cake each year..... i think your party sounds...overwhelming with so many children.....but then again...i have never been involved in a party as big as what might be your party ...would there be some friends who could help or fam who could help you organize and maintain the party on the day....deb Link to post Share on other sites
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