Dropping kids at birthday parties

[BCDisneyFanatic]

On another thread, a mom stated that she thought it was rude that 90% of parents dropped their kids off at her child's party (at Chuck E. Cheese), leaving her and one other adult to supervise 20 kids.

To be perfectly honest, I HATE those places, and would never consider sticking around, unless I was good friends with the parents of the birthday child! At my own kids' parties, I've always assumed that it was MY responsibility to make sure I had adequate supervision (and have asked other adult friends to help supervise if I was concerned that I couldn't handle it).

But...maybe this is a regional thing? In your neck of the woods, are parents expected to stick around and help supervise their kids at birthday parties, or is it more the norm to 'drop and run'?

 

[Disneyland1084]

On another thread, a mom stated that she thought it was rude that 90% of parents dropped their kids off at her child's party (at Chuck E. Cheese), leaving her and one other adult to supervise 20 kids.

To be perfectly honest, I HATE those places, and would never consider sticking around, unless I was good friends with the parents of the birthday child! At my own kids' parties, I've always assumed that it was MY responsibility to make sure I had adequate supervision (and have asked other adult friends to help supervise if I was concerned that I couldn't handle it).

But...maybe this is a regional thing? In your neck of the woods, are parents expected to stick around and help supervise their kids at birthday parties, or is it more the norm to 'drop and run'?

I think it really depends on how well you know the kid(s) and parent(s). If I didn't know the parents well, I may stick around for a while. But if a parent planning a party wishes for the parents to stick around, she needs to TELL them!! The ones that left were probably thinking it would be rude to stay. It costs more money to feed them too.

 

[daughtersrus]

On another thread, a mom stated that she thought it was rude that 90% of parents dropped their kids off at her child's party (at Chuck E. Cheese), leaving her and one other adult to supervise 20 kids.

To be perfectly honest, I HATE those places, and would never consider sticking around, unless I was good friends with the parents of the birthday child! At my own kids' parties, I've always assumed that it was MY responsibility to make sure I had adequate supervision (and have asked other adult friends to help supervise if I was concerned that I couldn't handle it).

But...maybe this is a regional thing? In your neck of the woods, are parents expected to stick around and help supervise their kids at birthday parties, or is it more the norm to 'drop and run'?

I think that this is one of the no win situations. You will have parents complain that they want the adults to stay and then other parents that will complain that they have to pay extra for the parents to stay.

 

[mom2boys77]

The parents sticking around happens around here too and honestly I can't stand it. When my son had his party at Chuck E Cheese this year, I fully expected to take care of the kids until the party was over. But it seems every party my kids have gone to, the parents just hang around. I mean if I didn't trust the parents, my child wouldn't be going to the party anyway. Just strange to me.

 

[JVL1018]

5,6 years old I always stayed unless it was at someone's house(I don't think that ever happened). Now they are 9 and 11 and I drop and run and have for a few years now. I think the last Chuck E Cheese party was when my son was 7 and I hung around with a bunch of other parents I'm friendly with.
If I'm good friends with the mom of the birthday child, I'll stick around and help.
No matter how old the kids are, for my kids parties I plan accordingly and have enough chaperones on my own without expecting the parents to stay. If they want to that's fine, but I don't count on it or expect it. I prefer that they go, to be honest, I feel like i have to entertain the parents if they stay. LOL

 

[LiberalPrincess]

My daughter had her first boy/girl birthday party this year which we had set up like a 50s sock hop with a soda fountain and milkshakes. There were a few parents that came to drop off their kids, and never seemed to want to leave. It was a bit uncomfortable as I really didn't plan on entertaining them, and since the kids didn't want the parents mingling with them, I hosted them in our kitchen, which just made things a bit crazy. I understand it with younger kids, but after a certain point it just is strange.

 

[MommyJack]

At the parties I've been too, as well as the one's I've hosted most parents stay. My kids usually want me to stay, so I stay for them. But on the times when I couldn't or didn't want to, I would ask the host if they wanted me to stay or not. I don't remember anyone ever saying they expected me to stay.

Also, I think you can usually tell by the kind of party what's expected. IMHO a party at a public place I stay for. I don't consider myself overprotective, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving them somewhere public at their ages. My parties are during the summer and we always do a cookout with kid activities. I tell people to bring the whole family, but staying to watch your kid is not expected.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

When my kids were younger, I would always ask the mom if she preferred that parents drop the kids or stay and help out. The answers varied, but I always did whatever the mom wanted. When the kids were around 4 - 6, most parents around here include parents in their plans (pizza order, etc.) assuming most parents wouldn't want to leave their kids. Now that they're older, I just assume it's a drop and run situation. We always leave our cell phone number with the parents go off and do our own thing.

We had my son's 8th b-day party at a pizza parlor and we reserved a private room. I told the parents we would have plenty of pizza if they wanted to stay. Some stayed and ate with their kids. Others ordered their own food in the main restaurant and watched football. It worked out nicely for everyone.

 

[smb6]

I think it's all about the age. 3rd grade and up is almost always dropped off. Kindergarten and under is virtually never dropped off. First and second grade seem to be on shaky ground and vary. I personally prefer parents to drop off for the older kids- if it is at a "place" I don't want to pay for more than the guest and even if it is at home or a place that would not cost extra, I don't care to entertain the adults. I have three older kids that I always drop off. I have a four year old that I would never ever drop off, his party was at a park last year and the parents all stayed (of course)- I can't imagine trying not to loose a bunch of four year olds, but it was taxing to entertain all the adults and I'll be glad when he is old enough for drop offs. My 2nd grader has yet to be dropped off, but it is something I'll consider in the near future. At this point if he were invited to a party at someones house where I knew the parents, I think I may drop him off; but if it is at a place or with complete strangers- I'll stick around.

 

[mjkacmom]

It depends. Parents start dropping off at home parties around kindergarten. They tend to stay at public venues for a few year longer (CEC, bowling, and especially skating parties). However, parents will drop off at certain parties out, provided they're private (dance studio), or tame (ceramics, jewelry making). I've also dropped my kids off at parties, and asked a friend, who was staying, to be my child's go-to grownup.

 

[Hannathy]

I have always just dropped and ran. I think to stay is very rude, my child was invited I wasn't!!!!

I have been doing this for 15 or so years and never did anything different nor did any of the other parents. Never had any stay and never saw any stay.

 

[AustinTink]

Around here parents stayed at the parties until the kids were 9 or 10.

 

[Christine]

Up through Kindergarten most of the parents stayed at a place like Chuck E. Cheese. I stayed too, but all of us parents seemed to know each other so it was kind of a social thing. When I had my son's party at Chuck E. Cheese he was about 4 years old as were the kids and I figured all the parents would stay (but it was okay with me if they didn't I just wanted them to tell me). I bought a few large pizzas for the parents.

When my son turned 8 or 9, we had a party at a Laser Tag place. I think one parent stayed and the rest left and I was happy with that. There wasn't really any room for a bunch of parents to hang out.

 

[pooh4evr]

It depends- I have done both- if we have multiple things going on drop off, but usually I will stay at a CEC place and let my other kids play , but we sit away from the party-- alot of times (I speak as a former manager of a CEC) the parents to not reserve room for all the parents of the party guests to stay so if Johnny has 5 friends and they call show up with parents and sometimes sibs in tow it can cause a space issue-- just a little FYI-- so if you do plan on staying with your kids, let the party parents know.

 

[Nancy]

I have always just dropped and ran. I think to stay is very rude, my child was invited I wasn't!!!!

I have been doing this for 15 or so years and never did anything different nor did any of the other parents. Never had any stay and never saw any stay.

Same with us, I always dropped off and when I had parties I never had parents stay.

 

[tvguy]

I got caught off guard a couple of times when parents STAYED at my kids birthday parties, even the ones at our house. I was prepared to watch, feed, entertain 8 kids.....but I wasn't prepared to watch, feed and entertain 4 parents too.

 

[aprilgail2]

Around here parents stayed at the parties until the kids were 9 or 10.

wow- never would I stay at a party with my daughter at 10 years old...she is 10 years old now and in 6th grade and I think that is WAY to old to be staying at a party she was invited to- in fact I think that if I stayed at parties with her at that age she wouldn't go LOL.
In kindergarten everyone stayed--in first grade it was hit or miss- if it wasa closed venue place they dropped and left...if it was skating or Upchuck Cheese they sometimes would stay. I hated when the parents stayed because the party host is then forced to order food for the parents too which way increased the cost of the party.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I was a drop-n-run parent. I would never think about sticking around at a birthday party.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

It depends on how big the party is. If I had 20+ kids coming to a public place there is NO WAY I could keep an eye on everybody. (DS is almost 15, so we are well past this point. I am just thinking back.) Even with DH and a few other adults there to help, I wouldn't have been able to watch 20 kids.

When DS was little and he was invited to a party in a public place where there were going to be a TON of guests, I stayed. I stayed over to the side and paid for my own refreshments, but I wouldn't have just dropped him off to fend for himself.

 

[MushyMushy]

I would rather gouge my eye out with a Q-tip than stay at Chuck E. Cheese.

Around here, you usually have about half the parents who would stay to socialize with one another and the other half drop off. It's usually not assumed that parents will be fed. When my kids were young, parties were either at the local bowling alley, skating rink or Pizza Hut. That was all we had for parties.