Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

I'm really hurt right now. My dd's 3rd birthday is today and more than half her birthday list either can't make it or cancelled at the last minute. Please tell me it's not only me. I feel so bad for her and I hope she doesn't notice there's hardly any kids present. I invited 22 ( needed to guarantee 15), and I have 5!! Yes only 5 coming. I just can't believe it. I was just wondering if this just happens a lot with kid parties because I'm seriously crushed. I just pray she doesn't notice!

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

I think it happens a lot with class parties. Did you invite mostly kids from her daycare or preschool? Honestly, we didn't attend a lot of those parties when my kids were in daycare, preschool since we barely knew the kids and usually had something else going on.

I think it's different in elementary school. Although we only invite the kids my child is friends with, and they all usually come. I know this time of year is also hard with sports, activities, communions, etc. on the weekends. I think off times work better for parties in the Spring, despite what most people say on here. I would much rather attend a weeknight party or Friday night, than a Saturday daytime party to be honest.

I'm sure your daughter won't even notice, she will be too busy having fun

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

Aww your dd probably won't notice when she is off having a good time!

I always go to all the parties my dd is invited to from school that are at party places. I don't know many of the moms from her school because most of the kids are bused and I drive my dd. When we go to the parties many times my dd is one a few of the kids from school most of the other kids are personal family friends. I don't go to people's homes I don't know because those parties go on forever but a set times party at a party place I go.

My dd bday is august but were going to have a party in the beginning of July so she can invite school friends but I highly doubt a lot will show. I imagine the same few who go to the parties will attend and the rest will be our friends who have kids.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

My ds is older but I really feel this time of year is difficult. Most of my no RSVP were because people had other parties etc.

I invited like 25 and have 11 coming and 2 are his cousins and 2 are his step siblings

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

I am sure she will have a great time. I think we notice more than they do. I invited 23 to DC's party, had 10 come. 1/2 of the parents I had to e-mail b/c they never responded.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

Sadly, if I invite kids from school yes. We mostly invite close friends at this point and a few school kids

Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

My DS daycare is near my job. It's an hour round trip for us. We've been invited to 2 parties so far this year and did not attend. The parties are only 11/2 hours long and the travel time is too much. Also both parties were on a Sunday and it is our only day home together as a family. I've made it an unwritten rule that we don't attend daycare parties. My son also attends a developmental preschool and the kids are from all over Long Island. I would not expect them to come here for a party.
My son does not even acknowledge most of the kids he is in school or daycare with and he is 2 1/2. I'm sure at 3 your DD won't really notice that they are not there and she will have a great time.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

DS had a party a few weeks ago and I was a bit hurt too.

The RSVP date came and went and we didn't hear from almost half the kids from school. I followed up with some emails and got a few more yes'. And then one of the kids whose mom said he was coming was a no show. Like WTF? And she never emailed to apologize. DS really likes that kid too which bothered me.

I bring my kids to every party we can accommodate - which is probably 90 - 95 percent. So it bothered me we had a bunch of no's particularly from kids whose parties we had just been to!

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

The funny thing is I'm not really talking about people from daycare (mostly those kids attended). I'm talking about close friends!!!!!!! I had two close friends attend! 2!!! I think that's why I was so hurt.

Thanks for your input girls!

Message edited 4/26/2014 4:35:45 PM.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

I'm sorry you are going through this.

I really feel that we, as parents, are more hurt than the kids. Kids just have fun. They don't overthink, like we do.

I had something similar with my DD's first birthday last month. Invited 25 adults, 5 came. One family (local, blood relatives) never RSVPed. I had to email the wife to get an answer. She apologized for never getting back to me and said she and her family would be there. Last minute, the wife is sick and the rest of the family cannot come. OK, whatever. She emails me a few days later and asks if she can bring a gift by. I give her a few days and times we're available. Silence. That was almost a month ago.

Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

We had dd's party today. My friends all came. My family didn't bother to come or call. They have been on the cusp of getting cut off and today just sealed the deal.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

for my sons 4th.... 7 kids came, package included 15, and invited over 20... He didn't mind, he was happy for the kids that did come.


on the flip side this year his attendance was over double that... and of course I picked a place which didnt have a 15 min this time lol

Message edited 4/26/2014 10:56:50 PM.

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

I'm so sorry, I would have been really pissed and upset too. Both at the low attendance and the last minute cancellations and the fact that you still had to pay. But I highly doubt your daughter noticed and I am sure she still had a great time.

I was sad when we had a lot of nos to my DS birthday last year (looking back it wasnt that many but in the middle of the summer a bunch of people were away so it was more than I expected) but I was more annoyed/upset/disappointed that we had a few no-shows (without notice) and that one of my closest friends was a last-minute cancellation because her son was sick. I rarely get to see them and I was sad (more for me than my DS) that they couldnt be there. We try to go to every party we are invited to, and have only RSVP'd no when we were out of town. But, as birthday season picks up we may start to be a little more selective.

Did your close friends have a good reason for not showing? I'm sorry

Re: Did you have trouble with attendance at kids parties?!

Was the party during the week?
Unless it was a very good friend, that would have been a declined intivation for me b/c I don't get off the train until 6:00 .....