WWYD - DD7's birthday party idea/plan

[bas71873]

If your DD (kids ages 6 & 7) were invited to an "all day" sorta bday party that was going to kinda go like this, would you allow your child to attend? I'm kinda thinking something along these lines for DD's 7th birthday.....

1. It would be a weekday party, in the summer.

2. Inviting 5 other girls (so 6 total including bday girl) - because I can fit 6 kids and 1 other adult in my Expedition, safely w/boosters if some still need them.

3. The invitation will state that, knowing some parents work, I am OK with kids being dropped off early in the mornings before work and picked up after work and telling them that the birthday plan for the day is like this:

a. Departing our house at 10:30 AM heading to our local Build a Bear (about 20 minutes away) for a bday party

b. Then, depending on the weather, taking the kids to McD's to eat lunch & play on the playground (we have a nice McD's w/a huge indoor play area) or coming back to my house, ordering pizza and letting the kids jump on the trampoline, play Wii, Karoke, whatever.

c. Have cake & ice cream at some point

d. Kids go home in the evening?



These 5 other kids, girls, I know and know the parents?

Am I crazy or might this work?

 

[java]

It's your party do what you want.

My concerns would be
1. all the kids should be in boosters in NJ it's the law until 8 years old at least. So can you fit them all with boosters?

2. No trampolines rule in our family unless I am there. I am not over the top protective but I would like to check it out first. You would be amazed at the kind of trampolines I have seen- one had a huge hole in it. Kids were still jumping on it and yes someone fell through the hole and broke their arm.
So I would be concerned with trampoline.

It sounds like a LOOOONG day with 6 7 year old girls.

 

[monkeybug]

I don't see any problems with that! If I knew the parents, I would totally let my daughter go. No different than all day playdate really.
(I wouldn't want my daughter on the trampoline if I wasn't there, but that's because I'm my own brand of crazy paranoid when it comes to those things! I'm guessing most sane parents wouldn't have a problem with it)
I'd make sure you have a BIG bottle of wine for after that last kid gets picked up! A whole day with that many girls? You might need it!!!

 

[monkeybug]

It's your party do what you want.

My concerns would be
1. all the kids should be in boosters in NJ it's the law until 8 years old at least. So can you fit them all with boosters?

2. No trampolines rule in our family unless I am there. I am not over the top protective but I would like to check it out first. You would be amazed at the kind of trampolines I have seen- one had a huge hole in it. Kids were still jumping on it and yes someone fell through the hole and broke their arm.
So I would be concerned with trampoline.

It sounds like a LOOOONG day with 6 7 year old girls.

Ha ha!! I'm so glad I'm not the only mean mom who won't let my kid on a trampoline! And we totally posted at the same time too! Awesome.

 

[java]

(I wouldn't want my daughter on the trampoline if I wasn't there, but that's because I'm my own brand of crazy paranoid when it comes to those things! I'm guessing most sane parents wouldn't have a problem with it)

I'm right there with you on the crazy.

 

[monkeybug]

I'm right there with you on the crazy.

Well they say great minds think alike, apparently crazy ones do too!

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I think that after that many hours together, the girls will be fighting.
I would not feel comfortable having someone watching my daughter all day and driving her around I less I knew that person well.
We had a trampline once, and although it was fun, there were too many injuries and we don't have it anymore.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Your nuts! If I were you I would do a big party with all her freinds for an hour on the weekend, and let her pick TWO best freinds to go to BAB with and have over all day. To me three kids would seem more managable

 

[Mrs.Toad]

My dd would love to attend a party like that, and I would definitely let her. I know all my dd's friend's parents well enough to know that boosters would be used and that their trampolines have no holes, safety nets and rules for safe jumping, and I assume since you said you know these parents, that they know you well enough, too.

Have fun! If I were you, I might take them to McDonald's anyway, even if the weather is great, just to break up the day more. They'll still have time to play at your house, and an hour of running around the play place will wear them out a bit and they may be slightly less crazy when they are at your house.

 

[mamamary]

I'd allow it too. As long as there would def. be another adult around to help.

 

[hegsag]

I have a 7 year old dd that would love to attend As long as I knew the parent well enough then I would be comfortable as long as there was another adult to look out for the girls while away from home. Is the trampoline enclosed with a net? Not a terrible concern but thought it may make people feel better... Also, I like that you will have an even number of girls (someone mentioned 3 & 3 girls usually means someone is left out). I say go for it!!!!

 

[monorailsilver]

My dd went to 2 parties similar to that.

One was last May so the girl turned 8 & my dd turned 8 just prior to her. The girl lives right by us so we walked over after baseball at about noon. Then they went to the movies & for pizza (or the other way around).

They were going to go about 30 min away for ice cream when I mentioned to the mom about Cold Stone right by us plus we have an ice cream shoppe in our town (not a Friendly's or a chain either).

Then they went back to their house & opened gifts (there were only 5 girls) & played outside.

The other one she went to was this past December. She got dropped off at 9am & we picked her up at about 5:30pm. They went to CoCo Key for the day. That place is about an hour from us.

 

[StitchFanZ]

I would have a few good movies on hand. At that age, some of them might need some simple downtime at the end of the day. Vegging out in front of a movie would give them and you a break.

 

[stsomewhere]

Your nuts! If I were you I would do a big party with all her freinds for an hour on the weekend, and let her pick TWO best freinds to go to BAB with and have over all day. To me three kids would seem more managable

I would make sure there are an even number of girls. Otherwise there will be fighting and someone left out.

 

[justhat]

I would let my 6yo go and she'd have fun I am sure. I would be leery of the trampoline, but like the others, that might just be me, your friends may not have any issue with it. I don't have trampoline issues in general, and if it were a playdate with just your kid I would be fine with it, but with 6 girls and 1 (or maybe 2?) adults, it would be past my comfort level. My daughter uses trampolines at gymnastics and while supervised by her teacher, she fell and scraped up her arm, brush burn kinda thing, but it was big and nasty looking. So that's where my fear comes in, but again, that might not apply to your friends.

 

[bas71873]

THANKS U GUYS. Given me lots to think about and consider. We actually don't even have the trampoline yet (will be her bday gift although she may get it very soon and obviously early). It will have a safety net and I won't let more than 2 or 3 on it at a time and will be outside watching them. Oh, and yes, I can get 2 boosters in my car. I've done it before. I was sweating when I finally got them all in, but I managed

But, maybe I should consider just 3 girls instead of 5. Perhaps I can manage 4 a little easier. Need to do some more thinking on this!

 

[brockash]

my dd would love to attend a party like that, and i would definitely let her. I know all my dd's friend's parents well enough to know that boosters would be used and that their trampolines have no holes, safety nets and rules for safe jumping, and i assume since you said you know these parents, that they know you well enough, too.

Have fun! If i were you, i might take them to mcdonald's anyway, even if the weather is great, just to break up the day more. They'll still have time to play at your house, and an hour of running around the play place will wear them out a bit and they may be slightly less crazy when they are at your house.

ita!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

As a working parent, my child is in camp throughout the summer, and I would have mixed feelings about pulling them out of something that I spend all year saving for, and that they really love. Having said that, you know the situation with the individual parents.

I think trampolines are great. I also think the only safe number on a trampoline is one. More than one and one child goes down, the trampoline is extended at it's lowest point, and if another child hits at that point they're hitting a rock hard surface. Having said that, I'd let my kid go, but if it were my house no way we'd have more than 1 on at a time.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I would let my 6yo go and she'd have fun I am sure. I would be leery of the trampoline, but like the others, that might just be me, your friends may not have any issue with it. I don't have trampoline issues in general, and if it were a playdate with just your kid I would be fine with it, but with 6 girls and 1 (or maybe 2?) adults, it would be past my comfort level. My daughter uses trampolines at gymnastics and while supervised by her teacher, she fell and scraped up her arm, brush burn kinda thing, but it was big and nasty looking. So that's where my fear comes in, but again, that might not apply to your friends.

Those were pretty much my exact thoughts. I DO have issues with trampolines in general, but I et past them when one of my kids visits a friend and it is a well maintained tramp and JUST the two kids using it one at a time. Even 2 or 3 at a time (as OP posted later) would bother me. Other than that I would have been okay with the plans. That said, at 7 my DS would have loved the idea but my DD would have wanted nothing to do with such a long party day. So, you also have to consider if all of the girls are up to a long day with relativly little structure.

On the trampoline (and please know i am not judging you for wanting one--I think it would be fun to have one that I knew was kept safe and used properly because it would be mine) have you checked with your home owner's insurance. Many policies will not cover a property which has a trampoline on it. I would hate for anyone to find that out the hard way.

 

[PaulaSue]

Sounds nice but for the trampoline part. My kids are not allowed on. I know too many kids with broken bones from it. Not a party favor I want my kids to get.