Overthinking K1's Birthday Party

[MrsK]

Yeah, I thought about just inviting the boys but there are only 3 girls in the morning class and 2 in the afternoon. So it wouldn't help reduce the crowd and it would be really awkward. Also, K1 prefers to hang out with the girls anyway. He's really just started making friends with the boys.

[Pollyanna]

Hmmm, I'd invite them all if you are going to have more help or if you're asking for a parent stay. Just you, DrK, and a babysitter with even half that number of kids (especially with special needs mixed in) could be rough. We had dd20 6year old party at our house with 18 kinders and it was kind of nuts. Once the mad scientist arrived it was better but even then. If it were me I would hand pick who my child wanted but I would call before I sent the invite to make sure most of the kids could come. When I get a call from a parent we always make a special point to get to those parties.

I just see the kind of party K1 wants and it seems more than 8 kids might make it less than fun for him.

[SuzySunshine]

I think you should just invite them all, however I wouldn't be to sure about the other parents staying. For R's 5th birthday last week only one parent stayed, the rest all dropped and ran.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I would invite the twin. I don't think it's a slippery slope to inviting the other class. It's clearly an exception because they are twins.

[MrsK]

I think you should just invite them all, however I wouldn't be to sure about the other parents staying. For R's 5th birthday last week only one parent stayed, the rest all dropped and ran.

Ug. I'd die. I doubt that would happen though. The parents from the AM school have been staying at parties lately. Maybe one or two send their kids with other parents or nannies but it's roughly one per kid. I don't think anyone has had a party for the PM class so IDK what could happen. I'd hope that parents of special needs kids would stay. K1 is definitely not at the stage where I could leave him and he's one of the highest functioning in the group.

[MrsK]

The more I'm thinking about it, I'm wondering if I should let him cherry pick at the AM school since he's likely to choose about 3 from his AM class and 3 from the other AM class (including the twins). He would probably invite everyone from the afternoon class. At least then he wouldn't have to invite kids who have been unkind to him in the AM class and I wouldn't have to deal with the pearl clutching gossips who disapprove of the kids in the PM class.

[ladymoreta]

I kind of agree. I love the theory of including everyone, but in practice it's not really fun to have an overwhelming party with kids who have shown in the past that they don't behave properly towards him. I think he'd have a better time if they weren't there.

ETA - but make sure to talk to him about not bringing up the party at school. While its fine to just invite friends, he may need to be instructed not to tell the ones who weren't invited to keep them from having hurt feelings. Kids don't always know these things instinctively.

[Pollyanna]

I think that makes a lot of sense MrsK. Why should he be forced to have children that are unkind to him at his party? Could you imagine if adults were told, "be nice, include everyone, yes, even that b&$ch Betsy that took your job." Certainly parties are not to be advertised but he should celebrate with children who build him up.

[Deebs]

Now that you put it that way, I agree. Have him invite the entire pm class, and just his friends from am. I kind of forgot the am school had the kids who were mean to K1.

[MrsK]

OMG, he's driving me crazy. He's been chattering nonstop for four days about how he wants to invite so-and-so but not so-and-so because this one likes superheros and that one is a bad guy and if he invites this boy that girl he likes won't play with him and he doesn't remember which girl likes Wonder Woman and he wants to invite this one boy but not his twin brother who is also in his class because if he invites them both they'll only play with each other and he doesn't want to invite K2 because he's not in his class.....AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAY SO I SHOULD GET TO INVITE WHO I WANT! Then, this morning he and K2 snuck ice cream from the freezer and lied to me about it so I threw it away and told them that they cannot have sweets for 2 weeks. Now he's hysterical because he thinks there won't be any cake at his birthday party and his friends will all hate him.

[PrincessFiona]

LOL. I'm laughing with you.

[ladymoreta]

Haha me too!

[MrsK]

The K Bros both have colds today. Half their school does. K1 has been horse since yesterday and he woke with a cough. K2 is coughing too. The party is tomorrow. Do I have to cancel? DrK is on call next weekend and we are OOT the two weekends after that.

[Deebs]

It's December. A good portion of the class might have colds until February. I'd just go ahead with it.

[MrsK]

Do I keep them home from school today? Skip swimming? Ugh, I have a cough too.