Hey Moms,
My sons birthday is coming up next month and he has stated mutliple times he would like to have a slumber party for his birthday. I am fine with this except I would like to limit this to 3 maybe 4 of his best buds - kids we see all the time and have constant playdates with. My issue is his birthday party (cake and ice cream time) will have more kids than his 3-4 buds, due to other family members and his godfather has 4 kids alone. What do you think would be the best way to handle having all the kids for the cake and ice cream part then transitioning to the slumber party part? I am not trying to leave anyone out on purpose, we just can't handle having 10 kids stay the night. Should all the kids leave and the parents bring back the slumber party kids? But that feels sneaky to me....so I am unsure of how to proceed. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks for all the good advice. I think we are going with the arrangement of the kids staying the night then the party the day they wake up. That way the sleepover party is done and everyone can leave at the same time. I would have never thought of that idea - so thanks. The only issue I see is that my birthday is the day before his so they will actually be sleeping over on my birthday :) So I will just have the kids arrive a little bit later - after dinner maybe.
Thanks
Couldn't you have the slumber party part on another day/night? Maybe have the kids stay the night on Friday and have the party on Sunday or something to that affect? That way, it will be like a completely separate little party instead of leaving anyone out.
I would do the sleep over on and different night than the party. If your child was one that wasn't invited to the sleep over part there is potential for him to feel hurt.
Yes that is a part of life but it seems easily enough avoidable. Kids aren't careful enough to 'not mention' sleeping over to the guests who will be going home.
Just my thoughts..... I would do it on a different night/day.
Please, don't hurt anyone's feelings! Children just don't understand the logic of your decision - have the events on two separate days!
Birthday parties are so much fun! Have a blast and don't worry about being sneaky! All parents understand that not everyone can be invited and have been thru this themselves. Just keep the sleep over part on the quiet side and have the kids that are sleeping over come 15-30 minutes early with their things and stash their sleeping bags and things out of sight. Take a minute to have a little talk about keeping it quiet and not hurting anyones feelings etc. Then have a so much fun that the sleepovers will actually sleep when its time!
Good Luck!
L.
I'd have the 2 events on 2 different days near each other.
I think you should have the sleepover on another night also, unless those family members will totally understand why their kids were not invited, and the kids will understand also. At some age, we split off from having family parties to 'friend' parties, and it was right about the age of your son.
Jodi-
If I were you, I would just go on with the party as you would normally. Put on the invites that the part is in between 3-5 or whatever time you want, but on let the parents of the kids staying the night know other wise. That way, everybody except the kids staying the night will leave as usual, and the others will stay. Nobody will know any different, and will probably not think anything other than those 4-5 kids parents just haven't arrived to pick them up yet. You should not feel like you are being sneaky. You know how many kids is reasonable to stay the night. The others should be happy knowing they were invited to spend the day with your son on his birthday. Hope this helps and good luck.
Just a thought from the other side of the coin...my son went to a b-day party not too long ago and wasn't one of the kids that got invited to sleep over. He was humiliated and depressed for a long time that he had been excluded. To him, it was everyone but him. The parents apologized and said that after the event was done they realized that they shouldn't have had some of the kids sleep over and not others because of how it made the "others" feel.
Think about having the sleep over another day!
Good luck!
S.
Why not have the slumber party and all that that involves and the next morning have brunch, complete with cake for the overnight guests and everyone else you want to include!?!
Have the party and than pick another night to have the sleepover.
Any other way, the kids will be saying I am, sleeping over because they will be so excited. Other people will hear and be offended that they or their kids were not invited. Tell your boy this week we are having your party and next week we are having your friend sleepover. We do it all the time.
For the sleepover just have pizza or hot hogs and breakfast in the morning.
Jodi,
You could do the sleepover the night before the party. Then have the party the next afternoon, and their parents could take everyone home at once. By that time the whole excited chatter about sleepovers should have settled down quite a bit.
Another option would be to have the sleepover as a seperate event, either the weekend before or after the party. This option might be less stressful as it gives you a little break in between.
First off GOOD LUCK!
Sleepovers can be ALOT of work!
I always do my sleepovers on a different day. and I MAKE that cake for that party to make it special..My kids love homemade cakes...
I did this last year I think. I have triplets (2boys and a gril). We had their bday party (wrote on those invites the times) and then each child was able to have one friend stay the night and I stated on those invites that they were invited for a sleepover. There was really no issues with the other kids going home. It was a lot of fun for the kids.
hi jodi,
i agree with the other posts. just make sure your DS understands that he shouldn't make a big deal about the slumber party portion to the kids who won't be staying. that way any potential hurt feelings or confusion can be spared. as a parent, i would completely understand the dual nature of his party. :-)
S.
If you don't make a big deal out the fact that some kid will be staying it won't be a big deal!
