Is this Wrong for a 5th Bday Party

[catalicious]

Hi I am thinking of having a kind of party for Lochie when he turns 5 march next year, although what I had in mind my Mum thinks is rude and teaching Loch the Wrong thing.

I dont really want a full blown party this year.

I want to have a Jumping Castle kind of thing or something but a HUGE one.

Loch can have like 2-3 of his Best Buddys over then I was gonna have my nieces and some close family friends.

That way we can play with him on the jumping castle to without having to worry about all the other kids.

He always asks us to play with him on them but we never can.

I mean I dont see the point in invitng all the kids at daycare when he only really plays with about 3 of them.

It will be cheaper and funner this way.

Do you guys agree??

Or agree with my mum that Im being mean not inviting a whole cr@p load of Kids

[Mamaduke]

Some would say, "invite one invite all" but at the age of 5 you can ask who he does want at his party - it is really his decision and they have formed friendships/relationships with certain children by that age.
With Jesse's 5th birthday this year we got his kinder group photo out and he chose which ones he wanted to invite - I would have been fine with him choosing all of the group but he was definate on who he wanted to invite.

[Ana Gram]

If he only wants a few there, then just have a few. After all it is his birthday, he should have who he wants there!

[mum2littleman]

i dont think there is anything wrong with only having a few there he cant play with 20 kids at once anyways! id only invite DS group of friends that he plays with its his party do whats going to make him have a great time!

[Bubble*Crazy]

I don't think it's wrong at all! DD had about 14 kids over for her 6th birthday and it was fine, but full on having to worry about so many other kids. Most of the party's DD's gone to this year have had most of the class invited - it'd just freak me out to watch that many!

In my experience too, the more kids there are, the more tears!!!

Gosh, if I were to do it again (well, no doubt I will!) there would only be a handful of kids. You can definately spoil them more too!

[Little Gorilla]

I think your birthday idea sounds just great:thumbsup:

I think it comes down to what your little one wants and what you will allow him to have...don't let anyone else sway your decision.

[pookiesossige]

I think it sounds great too! What other family members think shouldn't really come into it- 5 is old enough to decide and having a smaller number means less stress, less money spent, easier supervision, a more friendly, intimate birthday party and more fun!
I say go for it! It sounds wonderful :D

I don't understand in the slightest how that is rude or 'teaching the wrong thing'. If his close friends are there, then it's not as if any are being excluded- because they'll be at the party! Others that he really doesn't have much to do with aren't going to miss being there.

[catalicious]

She thinks i am teaching him the wrong thing because I said he will have more time to just play and enjoy his day than having to worry about such a big lot of people.

Ive always been the 'kid' kid of mum, in that Im the one who loves getting in there to play with 'all' the kids for the whole party but this year Im too tired.

Having 2 now has taken it out of me.!! :laughing:

Thanks for your advice and support on this one I feel alot more comfortable in my decision.

Althught i was just thinking he will prob want diff people next year because he starts "BIG" school next year :cool: .

Oh dear!!

[Mrs Potts]

For DSs 5th at the beginning of this year he was allowed invite 5 friends. That's all. And he was happy with that. We had the party at home and there was no way I was cleaning up after 20 screaming 5 yr old boys!

It was perfect. Everyone got to play with the birthday boy, they could all sit at the table to eat, and there wasn't too many of them to do pass the parcel inside.

I will be doing it this way everytime we have a party at home. If we got somewhere else (McDonalds etc) then we might make it more since I won't have to clean up after them ;)

Tell your mum to butt out - or offer to have it at her place if she wants to invite everyone!

[ETsMum]

I think it is very sensible of you!! :thumbsup:

[pickles]

My children are still too little to understand the concept of being invited to a party. My sister however has older children - 4 and 6 . She said that the hardest thing was when children bought the party invitations to school and handed them out . All the kids really notice who doesnt get invited. She makes a point of sending them out to the kids home address or descretly giving them to the parents. I guess this way you dont feel like you have to invite everyone for fear of upsetting others.
Sounds like a great idea.
Good Luck
Pickles
DD 02/03
DS 03/05

[HoopDeeDoo]

yep thats a good point about descreetly handing out the inveites. I think it's a great idea to keep it small, more fun for everyone :yes:

[Lunar]

I agree with you Cat,.... as long as Emy is invited!:laughing:

Em will be having a party next year but I am not going to invite every kid from pre-school! that would cost me a $fortune$ !!!

[Mummy-2-2]

I think a few is a good amount. Especially for a smaller child to have around... when you add up the friends, family's kids, adult family and friends parents if they are staying, thats a huge amount, and sometimes kids cant handle too many people in their space and get silly, whereas with just a few, it is far more easy going.

[mumtofivegirls]

Hi Hollywood,

I have so far celebrated 23 birthdays with my children. (ages 8,7,5,3 & almost 1)
Over the time I have decided, the less people there the better. It is the childs birthday and I would rather focus on them. So, if your 5 year old only wants a few friends, that's great. And like someone else said, 'he can't talk to them all at once'.
Besides that, I am getting rather tired with it. It's a pretty huge effort and at one point I was regretting putting on such a big 'do' because I was so busy entertaining that I didn't get to enjoy myself, or spend anytime with the birthday girl.

Anyway, your heart will tell you what to do !
In Kindness. B

[gremily]

The most friends my DD1 has had for her birthday party has been 8. We don't do parties every year, but every 2nd. On the yr we don't have a party she's allowed 2 friends to have a sleepover. She's been to friends parties where they've invited the WHOLE CLASS (that's about 30 kids:eek: ) and it just seems ridiculous to me.

Having a smaller party means less fights and arguements among the kids, only the closest friends are invited not just hangers on, and it's a lot less money;)

Anyway, it's your child, you should be able to do what you like. I can't see how it's rude, I'm sure all the other parents aren't going to crucify you for not inviting their child:laughing:

[NZMama]

I think that what you are doing is the right thing. I did the same thing.
I sat with DD and gave her a number of friends that she was allowed to invite and told her to pick who she would like there. We had some set in stone close family friends and she picked her besties from school.
There were a couple that we get along with really well but she dosnt play with their son and we didnt think it was right to invite them and their son because of our relationship when its her party. They arent close friends but we knew them pretty well at that stage.
My friends DS was having a bday party the week following and she was stressing out because each time a child at Kinda had a birthday everyone from kinda (including teachers) were invited to the party and she felt that she had to do the same, then this party was going to be midweek to make it easier on the kinda kids and their parents.....so she then threw another party on the weekend as the grandparents had flown in from NZ and for the rest of the family......the words 'never again!' came out of her mouth after that...argh! He didnt appreciate all the attention and he had people at his party that he didnt like because they hit him:shame:

[Sheer Bliss]

Sounds just like the party my 3yo nephew had a few months ago!! A few friends & family & a jumping castle! It was great. He absolutely loved it, and got to spend the time with people rather than having to run around 'playing host' and greeting/thinking 10-20 guests as they arrived & left.

He is only young, so if this is the kind of party he wants & you want for him - go for it & have fun! :thumbsup:

[daisyxs]

it would be more rude if you left out the ones he didnt like or did invite them which would make his bday horrible.
its more special for him with only a few.