WWYD (birthday party related)

[clj1410]

I have booked my DS birthday party at a local water park. The package comes with 10 kids tickets and 6 adult tickets. My husband and i will use 2 of the adult tickets, and then the 4 that are left i was going to give to the 4 adults that i know best. This will leave 4 adults that will need tickets, each ticket will be $11.95.

Now do i pay for the additional adults, bearing in mind the party is already going to cost me about $350, or do i make the suggestion that they could drop the child off or they could stay for $11.95?

What would you do?

 

[Perditamarie]

When the kids RSVP, find out if the kids will be dropped off or if a parent will be attending...and pay for that adults ticket. Your guests should not incur expense, even if the party costs $350+, and you will probably appreciate the extra supervision for those kids.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I would make sure that the invitation said " drop off time is ____." and " please pick up ____". When you talk to the parents in person I would just say the same. I would not mention anything about money. If the parents show up or mention that they will stay, I would not say anything. I, personally, would not make any mention of money to someone.....and if you're paying that kind of money for a party is an extra $12 really going to make a difference??

On the other hand, when my children are invited to a party I always offer to pay for anything that's not for the invited child. Recently, ds was invited to a party at a skate rink. He's only 7 and I wasn't comfortable just dropping him off. I paid for dd and myself to skate and the hosts offered dd some cake....I would not have expected them to include dd.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I think because of the danger of any water park party I would plan for 1 adult for each child. Most especially if it's for your 6 year old I'd think most parents would want to stay, at that age all of the kids might not be good swimmers.

 

[mjkacmom]

What child is this for? We just got back from a waterpark, and even though my 7 year olds went on the slides without me (and carried their own tubes), I would not feel comfortable have them there without me. I would allow dd8 (almost 9) there as long as I knew at least parent who was staying well. She and her gf were off on their own a lot this weekend at the waterpark. The rule was no one could ever be alone (and there were about 13 families there that knew each other, so lots of parents watching).

 

[clj1410]

The party is for my 6 year, who is turning 7. There would be two 9 years and the rest are 7 or close to turning 7.

 

[mjkacmom]

The party is for my 6 year, who is turning 7. There would be two 9 years and the rest are 7 or close to turning 7.

I would pay for the parents. There is no way a parent is going to drop off at this party (except if they have friends who agree to be responsible for their children), and it's really not right to make them pay for their children to attend the party. This is coming from a "free range" parent who dropped her dd7 off at a bowling party a few days ago (after learning my friend was staying, and would watch out for dd).

 

[java]

I took 7 10 year olds to a water park overnight with one other adult. BUT I knew they would all stay together.

A bunch of 6-9 year olds- not so much. I would want the adults to come along- and if I did I would pay for them.

You are assuming everyone can come at this point- maybe you'll have a couple cancelations. So you wouldn't be buying 4 tickets.

 

[descovy]

That is young, young, young to go to a waterpark with little supervision. My take, 10 kids and 6 adults (as comes in your party package) is an adequate adult/child ratio if those 6 adults are acting as "chaperones for the group" and not just as their own kids' mom or dad. For example, in charge of 2-3, staying with them, and the other kids see them as an authority figure.

I am a pretty chilaxed parent, certainly not a hover-over-afraid-of-everything... but I get how 7 year olds are. If my kid (a fair swimmer) has any chance of wandering off without an adult to some ride, I am not letting them go.

Maybe the waterparks I've been to, are just too big and too awesome? See, cuz a pool with a few slides, where parents can see from the patio, that would be okay. But a lazy river, acres of water parks, big high scary rides, big crowds, no way Jose!

 

[clj1410]

Six out the 12 kids belong to 4 of the parents. My question was not really should I allow them to drop them off, but more should I pay for the additional adults to stay.

 

[PA Princess]

I personally would pay for the parents. I also think many parents of kids this age would be leery to drop off at a water park party, so I would plan to pay for any who want to stay.

From our experience many kids this age do not swim well. I know I am often surprised (as in I just forget, because it is so different from us - a big swim family). My 3 oldest all have summer birthdays so we have had many pool parties over the years. Every party we have kids attend who do not swim at all.

 

[lillygator]

I don't think I would want my gets to incur an expense just to be at the party. If its only 12 pp I would kick in the extra money.

 

[Crystal0608]

I'd pay the $11.95 for one parent per child to stay if they wanted. My ds is 8 and I wouldn't drop him at a waterpark/pool party yet. I did have him an indoor pool party in Dec with 2 lifeguards and out of 27 kids, I had about 5 parents stay and I can't tell you what help 2 extra dads in the boys locker room was.

 

[descovy]

Yes, pay for a parent to stay...

 

[3boymthr]

FWIW - If you don't have to pay for parents who don't swim you may not have to pay extra. If my kids were invited to a party at a waterpark, I would stay to watch them, but I wouldn't swim as with more than one kid, I find it better to stay out of the water so I can keep track of them more easily.
Plus, I just don't feel comfortable having people I know only as acquaintances see me in my swimsuit.

 

[cats mom]

Six out the 10 kids belong to 3 of the parents. My question was not really should I allow them to drop them off, but more should I pay for the additional adults to stay.

You're probably going to get a lot of different opinions on this one. Good luck sorting it all out and deciding what to do. Trust your own instincts. You know everyone involved better than we do.

Personally, if my name is not on the invitation, I expect to pay for myself if I choose to stay at a party my child is invited to. Not all parents operate on that assumption though.

Some folks might decide to make it a family day. Hopefully they won't expect you to pay for both parents and assorted siblings too. Yikes!

I do think you're in an interesting position on this one just because the kids are a bit young for most parents to feel comfortable dropping off. Maybe make a note on the invitation that you will cover admission for the invited child/children and one adult if they would like to stay and suervise. Would that work?

Good Luck!

 

[Leajess99]

The party is for my 6 year, who is turning 7. There would be two 9 years and the rest are 7 or close to turning 7.

Honestly with not knowing the level or ability of the child to swim I would be ready to pay for the other adults that choose to stay. If the parent is not swimming do you still have to pay?? I would find out on this as some parents may just go to supoervise and not swim.

I would not drop off my newly turned 7 year old as a drowning can happen quickly and she is not a good swimmer. I would never be able to forgive myself if I left her and something happened.

 

[jessica52877]

I would pay for the adults. 1 adult per child though and I feel almost like you'll have to word it on the invite somehow. Otherwise I can see them bringing siblings and both parents.

I will say that I would be happy to pay my own way into a waterpark to watch DS (who is also 7) but if money were tight I would probably pass vs "paying" to go to a party.

I also think waterpark and think bigger (although not quite Blizzard Beach) and you could be talking about a much smaller waterpark. There is an indoor one around here (run by the county) and it is called a waterpark and the kids love it. I could see if that were where you were going where some would drop off their kids.

 

[horseshowmom]

Pay for the other adults.

 

[cvjw]

When my DS was about that age, I had him at the local waterpark and a stranger approached him and tried to get him to leave with him. I was no more than 15 feet away from him, but because he was behind a small waterfall, I had no clue that this all was happening. He of course was totally freaked out and ran right to me. We alerted security, but the guy was never found. Moral of the story, even if you are with your young child, there is no way to see everything that happens. More eyes are better than less with young children. I would certainly pay for the extra parents.