When Should the Parents Stay at Kids’ Birthday Parties?
When it comes to kids’ birthday parties, one of the hardest decisions for some parents is whether or not to stay at the event or to drop them off until the end. If your child has a birthday party coming up soon, you may be stuck with what your best choice is as well. Here are some things to consider that may help you decide what’s best for you:
How old are your children?
For some parents, age might not seem like a big deal, but for others, it significantly impacts their decision of whether or not to stick around during the party. For younger children that aren’t yet adjusted to time apart from their parents, dropping them off could do more harm than good. For example, if your children aren’t old enough to be dropped off at school or daycare, you might not want to leave them alone at a party. However, if they are used to being without you for long periods of time, then it might be okay.
What is their personality like?
Though many children are comfortable being left at daycare or school, they might not be comfortable with staying at a birthday party without you because it’s unfamiliar territory to them. It’s important to consider how they will react to being left without you in a strange setting. If they have severe attachment issues, it could prove troubling to leave them alone.
Are other parents staying?
For some hosts and hostesses throwing a child’s birthday party, they make it an event for both the parents as well as the birthday boy or girl. Ask your host ahead of time if other parents will be sticking around, or if it is a kid only event. After all, you don’t want to be the only parent that stays if the host would prefer you didn’t. Then again, if you are still insistent on staying, you could offer to be an assistant for the day to take some of the duties off the host during the event. This is why communication ahead of time is so important.
Where is the party being held?
One of the reasons many parents prefer to stick around at children’s birthday parties is for added security. Safety of our children is paramount. On the other hand, if it’s in a public setting with plenty of chaperones, your kids might be just fine at a birthday party for a couple of hours. The sad reality is that we can’t protect our children from everything 24/7, so sometimes it becomes a matter of doing things based on calculated risks. In other words, if you don’t feel your kids will be safe, it’s understandable that you would want to stay nearby. Speaking of….
Can you be nearby without being in the way or at the party?
If your child will be at a birthday party here at the bowling alley, you don’t necessarily have to be at the party to be nearby. For example, while the kids are bowling or having cake with their friends, you could be close without actually interfering with the party. They never even have to know you’re still there.
At the end of the day – it’s really your call
Regardless of everything that has been brought up in this post, at the end of the day, you know what is best for you and your family. Still, we hope that this has given you some things to consider to help you make the right choice for yourself.