Parents and Birthday Parties... WTF

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  • twogirlsmama
    twogirlsmama Posts: 45 Member
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    People are simply stupid! I am an overly protective mom of an 8 year old and a 2 year old. I don't leave my daughter at parties or school functions without my approval of the adult supervision. I actually had a mom not let her child be friends with my child since I wouldn't let her attend a sleepover. She found me on Facebook and sent me a message asking to have my daughter over and had no idea who the hell I was. And I'm the bad parent?
  • TheArmadillo
    TheArmadillo Posts: 299 Member
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    I could understand your problem if they were 3 but 9 seriously? :huh: Even the overprotective parents I know tend to drop and run by the time they're 7yo.
    I don't expect parents to stay as soon as they reach school age - that's standard where I am. Occasionally if its not at home and too far for it to be worth going home again someone will hang around. Mostly people drop and run and are grateful for the break :laugh:

    I know I'm in the UK but this seems to be taking overprotective parenting to the extreme.
  • mfittracker
    mfittracker Posts: 8
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    At my 6 year old's party at the pool, the only parents that stayed were the ones I specifically asked to stay to help. It has been that way for all the birthday parties. Granted, we all know each other pretty well, but unless your invitations asked the parents to stay, that is pretty expected that they won't.
  • lg3703
    lg3703 Posts: 190
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    Seriously... I time my 11 yr old when he goes in a public restroom! I don't trust anyone now a days with mt kids! I mean, don't these people watch the news? "Oops, it was my 7 year olds first time walking home alone ... I didn't think he could get chopped up!" You are NOT out of line at ALL.
  • sexyrosey
    sexyrosey Posts: 137
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    Hell no. I was shocked I have an 11 year old boy and would never just leave my kid with someone I don't know. :noway:

    at 11 I was catching the bus across the city by myself to go to football practice.
    Well good for you. Times are different and I will not be a parent crying on the news about how my kid was taken or killed. So absolutely call he a helicopter parent that is 100% fine with me.:explode:
  • skinnynerd
    skinnynerd Posts: 110
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    I never drop my child off. I always stay even if it feels awkard. Anybody get be a serial killer or a rapist. OMG! I agree with you, 100%!
  • kattbyrd67
    kattbyrd67 Posts: 39 Member
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    I don't leave my seven-year-old at parties alone, even when I know the parents. I figure the parents can always use an extra pair of eyes watching all the kids, and God forbid something happen to mine with me not there....
  • Stompp
    Stompp Posts: 216
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    I have several things to say on this...

    First, perhaps you need to make your invites more concise? My son's bday party was yesterday. It specifically said, "Parents and all siblings welcome. Please RSVP by x date with the total number attending. Please bring swimsuits for kids or adults that would like to swim as well as floaties or live jackets, towels, etc. Please keep an eye on your children while swimming! We will be eating blah blah blah and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided...." You get the point. I'm super specific (had to learn the hard way that I HAD to be super specific. They know who is welcome, and that they're responsible for their children. Although we have one person watching the kids at the beach at all times, it's not a drop and run.

    Second, I would personally never leave my kid with any guy I didn't know. I can't believe anyone would, but that's just me.

    Third, don't invite kid's whose parents you haven't met. I made that mistake once and never will again. *LOL* hehe :)

    It was for my daughter and her friends, I have no problem with who she invites, I just seriously had no idea that this is common practice (the manager of the place said it happens all the time).

    I was perhaps not specific enough with the invites, I made the (apparently bad) assumption that most parents would bring the kid and stay for the duration in some fashion. I even had a separate table for the parents to chill and have pizza and let the kids have their fun without us hovering badly. I did state that food and drinks would be provided for both children and parents, and that I need an RSVP by a certain date... just surprising in general.

    I'll know for next time I guess!
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
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    I wouldn't drop my kids off at some party with people I've never met. If anything, I'd introduce myself and thank them for having us and maybe move to a different table as to not be an inconvenience, all the while keeping an eye on my kids.
  • alord426
    alord426 Posts: 129 Member
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    This definitley scares me but now a days, parents are crazy (not all) but some are!! My son is two and I will never leave him alone with a parent I do not know especially at a busy place like chuck e cheese!!! Wow I would love to slap some sense into those people.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Hell no. I was shocked I have an 11 year old boy and would never just leave my kid with someone I don't know. :noway:

    at 11 I was catching the bus across the city by myself to go to football practice.

    Unfortunately... things aren't as they used to be:(( It's very sad. I grew up in a time where we were locked out of our house in the summer until my Mom came home for lunch and then home for the evening. We made our own fun and we were our own babysitters.

    You just can't do that kind of stuff anymore.

    Why not?

    The rate of kidnappings and other crap is down dramatically over the past 10-20 years. Check the stats out with your local police, most likely things are actually more safe now then ever.

    The media just posts more stuff about this, but it is actually happening less frequently. Check out the book "free range children" great read.
  • Stompp
    Stompp Posts: 216
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    At my 6 year old's party at the pool, the only parents that stayed were the ones I specifically asked to stay to help. It has been that way for all the birthday parties. Granted, we all know each other pretty well, but unless your invitations asked the parents to stay, that is pretty expected that they won't.

    If you know the parents, that's a totally different scenario, I'd never met the parents in my life, and they were just like "peace out"...
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    IMO I have better things to do than attend some kid's birthday party for a few hours especiially in a place like Chuck E Cheese and especially on a weekend.
    I think you should have made it clear that you expected parents to stay. Maybe for 2 years old but at 9 I would anticipate that I was not expected to stay.
  • madyncaden
    madyncaden Posts: 312 Member
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    I dont get it either! I am the total opposite and I am sure parents out there write these kinds of posts about me, but that I am psycho about leaving my kid and know what they are doing! I can not imagine leaving my kids places and with people I know nothing about. My kids are my life and my priority. Oh yeah and the RSVP thing drives me up the wall!! I can not stand it that people do not feel the need to let somone knoe if they are coming or not. UGH!
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    edit
  • corn63
    corn63 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Hell no. I was shocked I have an 11 year old boy and would never just leave my kid with someone I don't know. :noway:

    at 11 I was catching the bus across the city by myself to go to football practice.

    Unfortunately... things aren't as they used to be:(( It's very sad. I grew up in a time where we were locked out of our house in the summer until my Mom came home for lunch and then home for the evening. We made our own fun and we were our own babysitters.

    You just can't do that kind of stuff anymore.

    Why not?

    The rate of kidnappings and other crap is down dramatically over the past 10-20 years. Check the stats out with your local police, most likely things are actually more safe now then ever.

    The media just posts more stuff about this, but it is actually happening less frequently. Check out the book "free range children" great read.

    This is obviously a "fight" not to have. Have a fantastic day.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    You need to specify that the invitation is for the parent and child if the parent is expected to stay. Also, be prepared for people to decline if you expect the parent to stay and you are not inviting the entire family.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    edit for double post
  • jenniet04
    jenniet04 Posts: 1,054 Member
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    I have never been to a birthday party for kids where the parents actually attended. The party is for the kids, not the parents, and they know their kid is with other kids and being supervised, no need for them to be there at all.

    Way too many helicopter parents now a days.

    ^^^ this. Now if my child was 5, yea, I would probably hang around. I certainly would have introduced myself to you and told you that I didn't plan on hanging around and I would have let you know when I was there to pick up my child so that you would know he was leaving. But I totally agree - too many helicopter parents. My 9 yo rides all over our neighborhood with his friends, as long as I know where I can find him when I need him, that's all that matters.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,198 Member
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    I don’t leave my kids alone at Parent Purgatory (a.k.a. Chuck E. Cheese) or anywhere else for that matter. If they’re invited to a party, I’m not just going to drop them off & leave…even if I know the other parents well. Do I police my kids at every turn in these places? No…they can run free. I guess maybe I’ve seen one too many episodes of “Criminal Minds”; but there’s just too much that can happen to make me comfortable just bailing on my munchkins.

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