Would you expect a meal at a 3pm pool party? OK, UPDATE :-)

[golfgal]

Without an end time that implies that people can stay however long, however long may be until 10:00PM...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This could be one of those regional things, cause around here for the most part, parties have food. Once in a while I've seen "cake and ice cream" on an invitation, but it's usually because serving food would be impractical as a pp mentioned. I knew just one person who did it that way purposefully - 3pm party, off site, cake and ice cream only, end of story.

Or it could be like it is for us - part of our heritage and family traditions. When we have people over, we serve food, time of day being rather irrelevant except for maybe what we serve. Heck, even if it isn't technically a party but we have people over, we always put something out. But we do enjoy doing it.

The way I've always thought of birthday parties is that if people are going out of their way to pick out, buy and wrap a gift for my child, and take the time out of their busy weekends to come here to celebrate with us, I'm definitely going to show them my appreciation with some sort of meal; it's the least I can do. That meal doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate - as others have said, grilling and paper plates with drinks and some simple dishes would be perfectly fine. I'm with your husband on this one, too.

BTW you will have very few there right at 3pm. Most will come in after 3, so the party won't really get started till later.

 

[michellev]

I would expect a meal. Have your husband grill some burgers and hot dogs.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Have the invitations been sent out? Just indicate on the invites what will be served, and then you won't have anyone expecting more than that.

I always put on my invites "Pizza and cake will be served" or if I wasn't planning on feeding anyone, I would put "cake and ice cream will be served"

 

[Kellydelly]

I would serve a simple dinner after the kids have swam for a couple hrs. If you didn't want to serve food I would have made the party from 1:30-4:30 so you were definately between most people's meal times.

 

[bgirldeb]

Kids get really hungry when swimming, more than 'cake and ice cream' hungry, and they usually want to swim more than a couple of hours. It's up to you as to whether you want to grill out or not, but I would make sure to communicate the time and that 'cake and ice cream will be served' ahead of time so as to avoid any confusion for your guests.

 

[DisneyOHFan]

3 until when???

If the party goes past 5:00, yes, I would expect a meal.

I agree. I would think the end time would imply a meal.

 

[tlbwriter]

Normally I would not expect anything other than snacks and cake at a 3 pm party. But the fact that your party is open-ended means people may stay into meal time, so I'd plan a meal. Also, I'm confused by those of you who would expect a meal. What would it be? Lunch? Dinner? What meal do you normally eat at 3 pm?

 

[Minnesota!]

I have never been to a party no matter what time of day that did not serve a meal there and just had out snacks and cake- that would be a hugh faux pas around here. Doesn't matter what time the party is- 1pm, 7pm--they all come with some kind of meal even if you are just grilling burgers and dogs and a couple sides!

I think the 3pm time frame is tricky anymore because most parties last at least 2 hours.

I also think that anymore having a pool party also implies some kind of grill out. Unfournately I believe that also having any kind of birthday party implies that a meal will be served even if it's just somethins small like hot dogs and chips.


I can say all this as I have had to host several kinds of parties in the last 4 months and it didn't matter the time of the day people were expecting something to nibble on even when the party was labeled an ice cream party.

I think something MORE than cake is always expected. When you say snacks - do you mean just like chex mix and cheese and crackers? I would do more. Veggie or fruit tray, some chips and dip, pickle roll ups. But honestly, I would grill. Do up a bunch of burgers and hot dogs, then just have fruit, chips, a pasta salad, and cake.

No matter what time the party is around here....a full meal is always served/expected.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Around here a kids' party from 3-5 would not include dinner. Dinner is not until 6 or 7 so I would just serve cake around 4.

The one that always gets me is the 1-3. We often eat lunch around 1 so I never know if I should feed the kids or not before they go to the party. On my invitations I always write "lunch served."

I am going to add that if a party includes families, there is always a meal served. However, most birthday parties are just for kids once the kids are school aged. Of course, then they get to sleep over age and those parties do serve dinner and breakfast.

 

[Bungle]

I would not expect a meal during that time, but since there is swimming involved I would probably put out some chips and just grill some hotdogs. For some reason swimming makes me insanely hungry.

 

[kinntj]

I would serve real food at a pool party for that time slot. A pool party is normally 3 hours around here. The last hour or less is spent eating food, cake, and opening presents.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

In reference to "kids party":

Do people generally leave 4 yr old children at pool parties without staying themselves? I would not have. No way, no how. (Not after doing CPR on a drowned three year old myself, in case you want to flame me.)

I also wouldn't have 4 yr olds in a pool where I didn't expect adults/parents to stay, either.

 

[rodeo65]

In reference to "kids party":

Do people generally leave 4 yr old children at pool parties without staying themselves? I would not have. No way, no how. (Not after doing CPR on a drowned three year old myself, in case you want to flame me.)

I also wouldn't have 4 yr olds in a pool where I didn't expect adults/parents to stay, either.

Not at our house. We have a pool and our rule is no parents, no swimming. But, I think most people are thinking in terms of a party for a child as being a "kids party" whether or not the parents are there, you plan food or not based on the intended guests. Parents are a byproduct to me in that case.

At age 4, pool party or not, all parents stayed. By six some left, and now at 8 & 10 only parents I am actually also friends with stay. Except, of course in the event of a sleepover - then it's drop and run screaming with delight at the prospect of a WHOLE NIGHT FREE.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Because you did not put an end time on the invitation, I think your guests might be expecting dinner around 5pm. If I am inviting just kids I always put an end time. If family is coming we always serve food.

 

[Wishing on a star]

If anyone might possibly be there till close to 5:00... You need to serve food.

 

[phorsenuf]

I'm Italian so there is always food.

But I would agree that grilling up some dogs would probably be a good idea.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I like the idea of grilling hot dogs and putting out some chips with maybe a veggie tray. Since the party time sounds like it could roll into dinner time for some families, having food will be good.

 

[Tinkermommy]

I agree with the majority here and I would serve food. If you want to make it easy have pizza delivered around 4:30.

I would also require one parent to stay and I would hire a neighborhood teen (someone on the swim team) to be the "life guard."

I can't tell you how many times I have heard of kids drowning at parties while the adults are chatting.

I am extra cautious about pools. And, I would never leave my 4 year old at a pool party. I or my husband would stay and watch so plan on feeding parents as well.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have never been to a party no matter what time of day that did not serve a meal there and just had out snacks and cake- that would be a hugh faux pas around here. Doesn't matter what time the party is- 1pm, 7pm--they all come with some kind of meal even if you are just grilling burgers and dogs and a couple sides!

I am guessing that, due to the ages of the kids, and the fact that swimming is involved, you expect parents to stay. Adding the fact that there is no end time, yes, I would assume a meal would be served (meals are always served here, regardless of the time, but in your situation, regardless of the region, I'd assume a meal would be served).

Now, "maybe" if you had an end time of 4:30, you "might" get away with no meal, but it seems like you are forcing at least a parent to stay (due to the circumstances of the party). You owe them at least pizza.