At what age do you stop inviting grandparents and other family to kids birthday parties?? When does it start becoming a friends only thing, and do parents of guests usually stay? When do they start just dropping off?
I think once they hit school age you start with the friends only.
As far as drop off, it's a personal choice, for some age 5, others age 8 or 10. It also depends on how well you know each other and the venue.
It has sort of come about for us this year, when my daughter is in 1st grade. We have a large extended family, but my daughter wanted a friends party. I could not justify a big family gathering and a friends party, so we just invited family. Next year, though, I will just have the immediate family over, and let her have her friends party.
When do you....."start just dropping off" from family?
I think a kids party can be for kids....but a family celebration can be just a simple lunch/dinner with cake, presents and go home. If you have families that want to celebrate birthdays (without a lot of DRAMA...God bless them) and be happy.
my kids are adults now and we never stopped having family get togethers. the gift part stops when the kid is out of school as far as aunts and grandparents go. but we always have family get togethethers. we have never invited friends to the family party. so 2 parties. 1 with games / friends etc. and one that is all family that is just visiting , lunch, cake and ice cream
When a child starts school they start developing a group of friends that they will want to do a party with.
From that point on you just need to plan a friends only party and do away with the big family party. Your relatives are really tired of a birthday party for every little kid in the family by the time everyone has a couple.
Grandparents should be invited over any time so have them come over for a meal and they can bring their presents then.
There is no rule that they can't attend a friends only party too though. They could be a massive help in the setting up and clean up.
Once they're in school (kindergarten), they usually want their friends. They're running around and it's not conducive to conversations with grandma. And the parent is trying to be a referee as well as keep the family members content. And big parties are notoriously expensive and frustrating. We held separate parties, or just had Grandma over for dinner and cake.
Friend birthdays are options if you can afford family is top notch importance there's always grandparents n aunts and uncles invited. That's a number one party way before friends.
We have two birthday parties. One with family and one with school friends. I have 4 grown brothers and the grandparents who probably don't want to sit through a kid birthday party but want to celebrate my kid's birthdays. It works great for us!
L.
I usually do a family party and a kid party. So I end up throwing 2 parties for my kids when they start school. The kid party is usually snacks and dessert and not during a meal. The family one is usually bigger and includes a meal. Also in invitations I put that they can either drop their child off an pick them up or stay for the party.
I never stop I just have separate parties on different days. When dropping off only? I would say 10 /11
Family is important to us, so in our family we usually have a family birthday celebration until they are around 13. If we can afford a friend party (and if they want one) we do it separately. My boys are 9 and 8. They both had friend parties for k. When my oldest was in 1st grade they had a combined friend party (their birthdays are only a year and 10 days apart so they have a lot of common friends). Last year we didn't have any friend parties. This year my 9 year old is having one but not my 8 year old. We told him next year he can have one and the 9 year old won't.
Some of the parents dropped off in K and some stayed. The ones that stayed were the parents I knew from the playground, but mostly they dropped off. I am not expecting any of the 9 year old's friend's parents to stay this time. They parties have usually been at our house and not at a pool or anything like that.
It's just my opinion, but when kids start going to school, I think that's old enough. Mom and dad and grandparents don;t go to school with them, do they? My oldest had a birthday party at our house, no parents or grandparents showed up. Except for my parents because they were grandparents and didn't come for the party, just because it was his birthday.
