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My kids are 5 and 8 and have been to too many parties to count. When your kid is in daycare, everyone must receive an invitation if they want any invitations put out. It's a rule. It's also a rule in elementary school where we are, so if a kid has a party, everyone gets invited, unless they do same sex only parties and then the invites have to be delivered outside of school.
We go to too many parties to spend the $20 many people have posted. Most gifts are under $10, and that's about what we receive as well. Very rarely are the gifts $15. I try to give about what my kids receive.
I do not agree that an 8 year old should have a Monster High doll. Not appropriate.
$20-$25 usually here. We let them go as early as 4-5 and parties are actually starting to die down at 8. They are also becoming more repetitive (even in a populated area), so we decline a lot too. Mostly it's through the class. They are crazy expensive to host too. Makes very little sense to do it every year but people still have been.
$20-$25 usually here. We let them go as early as 4-5 and parties are actually starting to die down at 8. They are also becoming more repetitive (even in a populated area), so we decline a lot too. Mostly it's through the class. They are crazy expensive to host too. Makes very little sense to do it every year but people still have been.
I also noticed parities starting dying off when the kids turned 8. When I was a kid, that didn't happen until 11 or 12, and then we started doing sleep overs a lot more. But I guess we never had to invite the whole class back then (I prefer the invite the whole class method, though). And most parties were at the kid's house. They were always drop off, even when I was 3 or 4.
Add another to the pile - my kids have been going to birthday parties since they were babies/toddlers. At 7 and 4, most parents still stay for all of the birthday parties we have gone to. A few parents leave at my 7 year olds parties, but they usually tell one of the other parents first and make sure they have each others phone numbers. We try to make it to most of them that we are invited to, it's a great way to get to know other parents.
I haven't let them go before b/c, #1 when I go places with my kids they seem to cling to me or I was afraid they would be jealous when other kid opened their presents an through a fit(especially my son.) Also I am nervous to leave my kids places the way it is these days. My son sometimes gets too shy and will cling to me instead of having fun. Now my daughter is more mature an well behaved and I plan on allowing her to do more things like this. I had never gotten to go to friends birthday parties as a kid. My mom never took me an we were too poor to buy gifts for other people. So I haven't had experience with this. But I could see how happy my little girl was. She was also very happy that she got to pick out her friends gift. All she was worried about is if the girl already had that specific doll. Those dolls are not sexualized. (They are supposed to be like regular girls/monster that are very fashionable. They are like a barbie with a animal mix. lol Anyway I am still worried about my son b/c I could see him crying or something at a party when the kid opens their gift. But maybe not. I will try it with him next invite. As far as my kids go their bdays are both in summer july19 an august 1. When school is already out. I wouldn't know how to get a hold of their friends to invite them. So we have family parties, but I would love to be able to have their friends come.
I also noticed parities starting dying off when the kids turned 8. When I was a kid, that didn't happen until 11 or 12, and then we started doing sleep overs a lot more. But I guess we never had to invite the whole class back then (I prefer the invite the whole class method, though). And most parties were at the kid's house. They were always drop off, even when I was 3 or 4.
Boy parties have changed!
When my now 8 year old was in Kindergarten, she went to a friend's birthday that was held at the girl's house where they dressed up and watched the movie Frozen and the Mom served them pizza from Papa Murphy's. It was a drop off party, and it allowed my husband and I to take our toddler out to dinner alone without her sister (something that almost never happens in the evening). It was so simple and fun and everyone involved had a great time. It's still my barometer of a great birthday party
I haven't let them go before b/c, #1 when I go places with my kids they seem to cling to me or I was afraid they would be jealous when other kid opened their presents an through a fit(especially my son.) Also I am nervous to leave my kids places the way it is these days. My son sometimes gets too shy and will cling to me instead of having fun. Now my daughter is more mature an well behaved and I plan on allowing her to do more things like this. I had never gotten to go to friends birthday parties as a kid. My mom never took me an we were too poor to buy gifts for other people. So I haven't had experience with this. But I could see how happy my little girl was. She was also very happy that she got to pick out her friends gift. All she was worried about is if the girl already had that specific doll. Those dolls are not sexualized. (They are supposed to be like regular girls/monster that are very fashionable. They are like a barbie with a animal mix. lol Anyway I am still worried about my son b/c I could see him crying or something at a party when the kid opens their gift. But maybe not. I will try it with him next invite. As far as my kids go their bdays are both in summer july19 an august 1. When school is already out. I wouldn't know how to get a hold of their friends to invite them. So we have family parties, but I would love to be able to have their friends come.
How will you ever know how your son will react if you don't let him go? Think of it this way, if he did throw a fit early on he could be over it by now as the more b-days the more practice. If you had let them attend birthday parties before this you would have no problem inviting their friends for their summer b-days.
They don't play with baby dolls at 8. These are like a type of barbie. There's nothing provocative or sexual about them. So I don't see the problem. The girls collect them, an watch the monster high cartoon.It's like a cartoon where they are in school and basically it talks about things like popularity, fashion, etc. So my daughter knew she would like it. This party was drop off. If a parent wanted to stay they could but didn't have to.
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