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

[need2cruise]

Ok, I'll be the oddball. I would rather go to a party that served just ice cream and cake--limit of 2 hours. I am so tired of b/day parties being an all day event, by the time you do games, cake/ice cream, present opening, then a meal......whew, that is around 4 hours out of my weekend time! Usually I don't mind, it's a chance for the kids to have fun and me to visit, however, there are times we are busy yet feel obligated to go since it's family or a close friend.

I prefer just keeping it short enough to not have to sit through a meal. 2 hours is plenty of time for kids to play and adults to visit and then be on their way!

Edit to add:
I don't eat hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken salad, etc. So when meals are served, I am often stuck longer at a party and nothing really substantial to eat. Then by the time we get out-it is either so close to the next meal that we won't even snack because it's near meal time or its after a normal meal time and we are eating late!

 

[aprilgail2]

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."

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Wow-dinner isn't until 6or 7? My daughter would be chewing her own arm off by then LOL---they serve lunch in school at 1030 so by 4ish I try to have dinner ready-if we have ater school things then she gets a few snacks to hold her over until we can get dinner but to eat everyday a 6 or 7 would not work. After getting into that schedule at school even at home lunch is before 11am.

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.

I've left my daughter off at that age at a pool party or 2-especially if I know the parents and trust them. My daughter had a "summer blast" party when she was in kindergarten (her birthday is in Nov so she doesn't get to have summer birthday parties) and I hired a lifeguard to keep an eye on the kids in the pool, a few parents stayed but most just dropped off.

Really? Weekend bbq's usually have the main meal served between 3 - 5, and lots of people here have a big Sunday dinner at that time. My kids would never expect dinner after that. If they were hungry at 7, they could have a piece of fruit.

We eat dinner on Sundays between 2-3...always have since I was little. You get a snack in the evenings, usually in the summer we will go out and get ice cream or something Sunday evenings.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Wow-dinner isn't until 6or 7? My daughter would be chewing her own arm off by then LOL---they serve lunch in school at 1030 so by 4ish I try to have dinner ready-if we have ater school things then she gets a few snacks to hold her over until we can get dinner but to eat everyday a 6 or 7 would not work. After getting into that schedule at school even at home lunch is before 11am.



We eat dinner on Sundays between 2-3...always have since I was little. You get a snack in the evenings, usually in the summer we will go out and get ice cream or something Sunday evenings.

I am finding this thread so interesting in regards to when people eat. My DH doesn't get home from work until 5:45 ish so we've always done 6ish. This year my middle schooler doesn't get done with tennis practice until 5:45 so it is working perfectly for my DH to get him on the way home from work. I try to have dinner around 6 because the middle schooler is hungry! My youngest also goes to bed around 8:00 on school nights. On the weekend however, we are more 6:30 - 7:00.

My kids do have an after school snack.

I think we are pretty normal for where we live (Indy), and it is the same schedule I grew up with - small town Indiana. My dad got home at 6:00 and supper was on the table within 5 minutes. I'm not quite that good. I'm usually making my DH help me finish! I have a couple of friends with husbands who work different hours. I'll have to ask when they eat.

 

[cornflake]

Ditto on the when people eat thing - 5pm? Really? I don't think I've ever had, served or been served dinner before 7pm in my life. Like 7-9, in between there, is what I consider dinner time, on the earlier side of the window if there are little kids involved, later side if there aren't, usually in the middle in general, like 7:30-8:30.

Five?! I'd be baffled.

Agree you should just put it on the invites if you haven't sent them out - 'snacks, ice cream and cake' or whatever.

 

[Disney Doll]

Chips, veggie platter, burgers, dogs, green salad, drinks should do it.

Covers your vegetarians, those who like snacking, those who want something more substantial.

 

[Hellothemouse]

Ditto on the when people eat thing - 5pm? Really? I don't think I've ever had, served or been served dinner before 7pm in my life. Like 7-9, in between there, is what I consider dinner time, on the earlier side of the window if there are little kids involved, later side if there aren't, usually in the middle in general, like 7:30-8:30.

Five?! I'd be baffled.

Agree you should just put it on the invites if you haven't sent them out - 'snacks, ice cream and cake' or whatever.

5 pm is early to you? Wow. If you don't eat until 7-9 what time do you go to bed? I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat so many hrs before you go to sleep. Yes we eat at 5 here. We have to eat early in order to get everyones homework done, music practice, cheerleading and gymnastics done.

 

[cornflake]

5 pm is early to you? Wow. If you don't eat until 7-9 what time do you go to bed? I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat so many hrs before you go to sleep. Yes we eat at 5 here. We have to eat early in order to get everyones homework done, music practice, cheerleading and gymnastics done.

Those types of things happen *before* dinner, heh. Bed? I dunno, 1?

 

[Cooky]

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[Hellothemouse]

Those types of things happen *before* dinner, heh. Bed? I dunno, 1?

They happen before dinner umm ok. Goodness do you have children?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

5 pm is early to you? Wow. If you don't eat until 7-9 what time do you go to bed? I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat so many hrs before you go to sleep. Yes we eat at 5 here. We have to eat early in order to get everyones homework done, music practice, cheerleading and gymnastics done.

LOL, I used to feed my kids at 4pm when they were in elementary school.

DH was always traveling and they would get home from school STARVING, so hell, I just feed them dinner. Then we would do the activity shuffle, baths, snack, and bed.

Don't knock it.

 

[Hellothemouse]

LOL, I used to feed my kids at 4pm when they were in elementary school.

DH was always traveling and they would get home from school STARVING, so hell, I just feed them dinner. Then we would do the activity shuffle, baths, snack, and bed.

Don't knock it.

Nope, I am not..

 

[Minnesota!]

I don't usually eat at home between 3 - 5. Maybe a little snack, which would be the cake. We don't eat dinner until 6-ish, so I wouldn't expect your party to include a meal.

If my family ate hot dogs or burgers at your place between 3-5, the kids would still be hungry around 7 and expect dinner. It's very frustrating to have my children eat two dinners in one day.

Frustrating?? Really?

WE went to a birthday party this past Sunday (for my niece). 2pm start time.

We had brats and dogs, a few salads, cheese/meat/crackers, chips/dip, veggies, chicken wings, and then ice cream cake. After we ate, we did presents, water balloons, sprinkler, and the kids played.

My kids were a little hungry later...8ish or so. So they got string cheese and a piece of deli meat. Maybe some crackers too, I forget. But it's NOT a big deal...and nothing to be frustrated about.

 

[cornflake]

They happen before dinner umm ok. Goodness do you have children?

None that are involved in cheerleading, heh.

Around here it's usually music lessons, or chess or language or such or sports teams which are usually after school or before or on weekends.

This is not just me and my family, it's how I grew up, how my friends grew up, how people I know now are, etc. As I said in another thread, that's dinner hour at restaurants, like 7:30-8:30, etc.

 

[Disneylver]

It depends on what you want to do. I don't think you have to but I would have some grilling items on hand in case.

 

[mjkacmom]

5 pm is early to you? Wow. If you don't eat until 7-9 what time do you go to bed? I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat so many hrs before you go to sleep. Yes we eat at 5 here. We have to eat early in order to get everyones homework done, music practice, cheerleading and gymnastics done.

Up until 2nd grade or so, my kids went to bed at 8! School hasn't even started yet, and tonight we have dance at 5:30, soccer at 5:45, voice at 6, and psat tutoring at 7:15. And this is a slow night! My goal is to get the most people fed at the same time, before the running around starts.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

No--you would be fine. If you are concerned just indicate Pool Party with cake and snacks on the invite.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Around here kids' activities start right after school - no time to go home first. So kids get a teatime snack right before their activity (around 3 or 3.30) and then dinner happens when everyone is home, usually anytime between 6 and 7.30. I try to feed mine between 6.30 and 7 so they can go to bed just after 8.

Around here birthday parties usually last 4 hours, and therefore always have some heavy finger food like pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches etc.c - it doesn't matter what time of day the party is, many kids will get hungry after 4 hours!

 

[scrapquitler]

5 pm is early to you? Wow. If you don't eat until 7-9 what time do you go to bed? I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat so many hrs before you go to sleep. Yes we eat at 5 here. We have to eat early in order to get everyones homework done, music practice, cheerleading and gymnastics done.

You're husband is at home to eat dinner at 5? My husband works a normal office job. On the days when he is in the office, he can't leave the office until 6 because that's when it closes. By the time he drives home, its at least 6:45.

My MIL is always telling me that 'dinner is SUPPOSED to be on the table at 5'. I tell her it would be very unappetizing if it were, because nobody would be home to eat it if I put it on the table at 5. She can't get over the fact that not everyone works a factory job and gets out at 3:30 like her father and her husband.

 

[need2cruise]

Yea, no dinner at 5 for us either! Me and hubby both work full time, I get home at 5pm or later depending on what sport a child is in. Dinner is usually on around 6-630. I don't think that is horrible considering work hours, kids activities that occur right after school, etc. Homework is usually being done at the kitchen table while I am cooking so that I can stop and help as needed. Anything not done by the time dinner is ready is put aside till after dinner. Then we all pitch in, clean up, take a walk, finish any homework and baths and relax--bed time is 830 for my youngest and my oldest (13) is in bed by 10, most often 9 since she is wore out after practice.

4pm dinner......couldn't do that at all!!!

 

[tlbwriter]

You're husband is at home to eat dinner at 5? My husband works a normal office job. On the days when he is in the office, he can't leave the office until 6 because that's when it closes. By the time he drives home, its at least 6:45.

That's what I was wondering... how are you all eating at 5:00? What are your work schedules? Around here, activities/practice tend to be right after school. The only exception for us is Girl Scouts, which meets at 6:00, which I find extremely inconvenient - it means dinner for DD before DH gets home, or dinner for DD at 8:30 or so, when she has a 9:00 bedtime.