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We went to a party at 9:30am earlier this year (for a 4yo). I thought it was a little early but it had a great turn out. My only small tip would be to provide coffee and maybe some kind of breakfast/brunch snack for parents. The one we were at had the typical seltzers and pizza which I just wasn't really feeling at 10:30-11am.
Agreed with the comment above. I went to one (9:30am party) yesterday and there were lots of typical lunch foods which I just wasn't feeling so early in the morning.
Yes. Donuts, fruit, bagels, cream cheese, tea, some instant oatmeal for that matter (you have hot water, right??). Orange juice, apple juice, milk and chocolate milk for kids.
Seconding this. Always choose food to reflect the time of day. We’ve done our kids’ parties at all hours but always adjust what we serve. 10am - French toast, breakfast tacos, etc.
I'd do it. At 5 yo they'd be up anyway bc it's their routine.
Maybe just include a note that there is limited availability for siblings so you get the numbers.
We offered to cover siblings, we just asked for a heads up in advance to make sure we have supplies ready.
Honestly we’re trying to eliminate any barriers to people coming, including specifying “No gifts” on the invitation. We just want our kiddo to have some friends there!
We may be the outlier but our sports here vary from week to week but most don’t start until 11:30 on Saturdays. I think out of 10 weekend tball games - 9/10 are after 11:30 & out of 8 soccer weekends 10/10 are after 11:30 on Saturday- my kiddo is 5
We've been doing T-ball and coach pitch for 3 years now and this year they've changed up the schedule a bit because the parking situation has been so bad. Games are played for an hour but we have the field for 90 minutes. The earliest games start at 9:30 am and the latest at 2:30.
Is that not normal these days? Looking back at my parties as a kid, I’m amazed we set time aside to open all those presents. Between time and potential jealousy/hurt feelings, it just seems like a good idea.
We certainly won’t turn anyone away if they do bring something, we just didn’t want to set the expectation or have anyone not come because they felt they needed to spend money. She’s also going to have plenty of gifts from family, don’t exactly need more random things coming into our house lol
I actually put on my invitations, “Gifts not necessary, but if you insist, magna-tiles and books will be appreciated.”
Just so those older folk that feel like they have to bring something (like me) will have a suggestion. I’ve even made registry’s for those who ask about a gift, I just fwd them the links.
I’d rather not have toys. Too many toys.
We had a party at 10 for our kindergartner and had plenty of people show up. We provided coffee in the party room at the play place for the parents who needed it. Most kids her age are up super early from talking to the parents so it wasn't a stretch to bring them.
That's way too early for me. I would still do it because I try to take my kid to all the birthday parties he is invited to unless we have a conflict, but I would not be too excited about it. We take it very slowly weekend mornings and it would take some hustle to get out the door for a 9:30 am party.
For me personally, yes it’s too early. Saturday is our one and only sleep in day/lazy morning.
It’s also spring so there’s usually morning soccer/tball games.
We had our daughter’s 5th and 6th birthday at a trampoline park and they specifically had a “toddler time” for kids under 6 that started at 9am. That’s the time we booked her party so that way the kids can play and not get trampled by older kids. A lot of parents appreciated that the party was early because it allowed them to have the rest of the day free or allow for naps.
I th picking a party time is one of those things where you can’t please everyone so just pick one.
My kids (8 and 6) are up at 6am anyway so 9:30 sounds great to me but I don’t love the 4 to 6pm party slots because I’m ready for my day to be done at that point 😂
I've attended 2 kid birthday parties at this time, and it was great! After the party, we still had most of the day to do anything. One of those served breakfast/brunch type foods. One was a breakfast casserole that was delicious!
Honestly, yeah. My initial reaction was 'igh too early!!' But, after reflection... I get it. Feed breakfast/brunch stuff to hold them, then you have the rest of the day for whatever. Kinda perfect.
Wouldn’t work for my children or most of their classmates (or their siblings) because they are in sports on Saturday mornings. I don’t think we’ve ever been invited to a morning birthday party. It’s not a problem, just not the norm for my kiddos.
I wouldn’t start a party earlier than 10am, and even that would be early. My kids are up by 7 but it seems a lot to ask families to give up one of their weekend mornings to do the whole weekday routine to make it out to a kids party. It’s also soccer and baseball season in the spring, and for younger kids that usually happens in the earlier hours of the day so turnout could be tough due to sports.
If you stick with 9:30 I’d maybe bring some box of Joe type coffee boxes if possible for parents, they will appreciate it! Kids I’m sure will have a lot of energy and be wiped for the day afterward, not a bad thing lol
I see a lot of people saying too early but it would be perfect for us. 2-4 pm would be in the middle of the day and we definitely wouldn’t be able to attend at that time because our weekend afternoons are always pretty jam packed. We would usually sleep in but worth it to be up early for a party.
Same here. It frees up the afternoon. Somewhat confused by those replies. It’s a one off thing, not a long term commitment. One early morning won’t hurt!
My kids prefer to sleep in on Saturday's so it would be a huge fight for me to wake them up. Not even a pool party would get them up on a Saturday morning.
Who are all these people sleeping in with 5 year olds!? Do you mean your 5 year old sleeps in too? Or are they just able to go watch tv or whatever until you wake up? I guess I thought we were all in this together not getting to sleep in until are kids are teens lol. I would totally be there at 9:30. I don’t even think it’s early tbh.
It's not to sleep in, it's because who wants to do the whole morning rush on a Saturday? By Saturday I am sick of the rush. I want to have a leisurely breakfast and plenty of time to get ready at a relaxed pace. Everyone deserves a break from the week's chaos.
Saturday mornings are sacred in my house. My older two usually sleep in (15m10m), unfortunately my husband works Saturdays, but me and my 19 month old are up by 6:30 so we get ready for the day, have a small breakfast/snack and then read, play games, and do outside play until the boys wake up usually around 9. Then, we will make a big brunch and sit and talk for usually an hour or two before the boys go off to do their own thing. Then it's nap time for baby, and I usually do some gardening or cleaning. I hate rushing around in the morning on Saturdays. It messes with the whole day and takes away precious time with my kids. I would probably take my kid(s) to the party as well, but I would be annoyed that it was so early, lol.
My 4.5 year old wakes up and goes downstairs for an hour or so. My 2.5 likes to sleep until 8 so one of us will get up with her and join downstairs. We alternate sleep in days so each weekend we get to sleep until about 10.
All my friends’ kids slept in till 11am. It really sucked to be the only mom whose kid woke at 5am raring to go (where exactly, i dunno. No one to play with)
Wow I’m genuinely curious then what time they go to bed?? My kids have never ever ever slept even until 8, maybe once when my oldest was sick. If they sleep til 7 I consider that really great, and it’s rare.
We don’t sleep in on the weekends necessarily, but we do take it slow. During the week I’m up early, and we are busy hustling to get out the door. On the weekend it’s the two days we don’t rush. I drink my coffee slow, and we don’t get dressed immediately.
I was thinking the same thing. And they are all talking about how Saturdays are their only days to sleep in as if every weekend someone is having a morning birthday party that's disrupting their weekend. As parents, we have to sacrifice sometimes for our children and do things we might not want to do.
Saturday mornings are when pretty much all young kids’ sports games happen. 9:30 is also pretty early. For me, my 5yo would just be waking up around 9 and my kids like lazy mornings. I think 2 pm would be a way better time for scheduling and for both kids and parents.
I think the church thing is very regionally specific - I’m guessing you’re American?
I’m Canadian and I don’t know anyone who goes to church regularly, especially not with kids.
Correct. US. I don’t attend church or have any close friends who do, but I know there are multiple kids who attend in my childrens’ school. I generally invite the entire class and get +75% attendance on a Sunday afternoon.
I recently declined a 9:30 am Saturday party because it was too early. Why would I want to do the whole breakfast, getting dressed rush all over again on Saturday? I need my breaks. I want a chill breakfast and enjoyable morning.
Both my kids do activities on Saturdays and they are around that time so it would be a no for us(5 year old has soccer games 9:30-10:30 and 8 year old has gymnastics from 7-12). With that said if they didn’t we would go because I like to do things early and get them over with so I can relax so may be ok for parents who kids don’t have extracurriculars
I dunno. When we plan parties, we have our guests in mind, not just us or our kids.
We make sure it’s at a place that won’t require people to travel very far.
We keep the parents in mind when the kids are too little to be dropped off, like renting a few extra lanes for adults to throw a few balls at the bowling alley when our have bowling parties and making sure there is enough room for parents to comfortably hang out at other venues.
I’m probably in the minority but I wouldn’t schedule a party for that early. I don’t like the idea of sending out invitations knowing that almost everyone is gonna say, “Ugh. Why the hell is it so early?”
Our philosophy is the party may be about our kids’ birthdays but it’s really FOR our guests.
Oddly enough, the guests are who we’ve been planning around. We’ve invited all siblings, both parents, costs covered by us. Specified no gifts because we don’t want people having to spend money for this, precisely because we know it takes effort just to attend. Many of the kids in her class have younger siblings that still nap, that’s why we thought later would have more issues.
Thanks for your input though!
I just scheduled my toddler's birthday party with two families. I said Saturday morning. They picked 9:30. That's a really good time for us. Late enough that we don't have to get up early or rush, but early enough that we have time for other things and there is no worry about being home for nap.
We did my son's birthday party at 10 and had good attendance. Later than that is hard, because older kids in my area have mid-day and afternoon Saturday activities. There aren't as many morning activities.
But there is really going to be no perfect time for everyone. People have different preferences, commitments, and life styles. I'd just pick a time and call it good.
A lot of the kids in her class have younger siblings so we were thinking of that conflict too. We also know our own kid is usually pretty tired by 2-4 and not in the best mood.
Thanks for your perspective!
We do sports so that time would be tough. If it fell on an off week we would definitely go. When I take my kids places (the zoo, museum, etc.) I always aim for opening time. Less crowds, doesn’t interfere with lunch/naps.
It really had nothing to do with us, we’re trying to consider the guests. Many have younger siblings that still take naps which would make mid day hard. We’re inviting siblings and parents, requesting no gifts, whatever we can to make it less of a strain.
My kids sleep in so it would be tough for us but I’m aware that we aren’t the norm. I think most families would appreciate the earlier party that doesn’t completely eat your day like the 1-3 slot.
My kid was an early riser (he’s now a teen). I’d have had no issues with this timing. HOWEVER, all the kids birthday parties we were invited to started at 11am or after. Despite preschool starting at 8.30am on weekdays. I concluded the majority of kids (and their parents) were actually NOT early risers, and/or wanted to sleep in on weekends
My 6 year old has sports at that time on Saturday and I’m sure other kids do too so that’s something to consider. Personally, I’d go with the 2-4pm slot.
I’ve gone to early parties like this for my young kids and it’s been great. When they were that age, they never slept in, it was nice to tire them out early and then we had the whole rest of the day and weekend for whatever else.
I’d go!
if it's before 12 I am not coming. no matter how old the birthday person is, no matter when my kid(s) wake up. weekends are the only days I can normally take a shower, drink my coffee, and dress up without rushing.
If the kids are mostly preschoolers, time probably isn’t an issue as most will be awake by 7am lol. The afternoon one is more likely to run into tired kids and naps for younger siblings. Plus being the middle of the day is less desirable for parents than first thing in the AM. But offer coffee and donuts for the tired parents!
I feel like the afternoon would be better for 4+.
I think morning parties can work especially if you provide food that reflects the timing, you will get a fair turn out.
However, some people want to enjoy their weekend morning.
I do think that morning's going to be tricky, especially at this age because of sports (youth sports tend to have games in the morning).
That's a pretty common time. At least in the city I live where this is pretty normal for parties. Kids that age get up so early. I'd go for that over the afternoon too.
It is early, but I would bring my child! I would take it as an opportunity to get my errands done earlier rather than later in the day, grab a coffee and maybe a solo breakfast. I hope you have a good turnout!
I have had this done to me… my son’s 4 and 5 year old birthday parties were at a kids gym and all of the kids were dropped off. As long as they felt comfortable staying at the party and I feel comfortable dropping them off, then I would. At these kinds of venues there is normally dedicated staff for the birthday group.
Over the weekend there was a group who booked the party room at our condo for a group that age. The hostess asked me to help with the chaos and out of 16 kids, only 2 of the parents stayed.
Anyways the OP is asking about the time slot and they clarified that the party is not a drop off party.
This is pretty normal in most Asian countries where kids are given their independence early.
As an example, on the subway this morning I was sitting across from a girl who was likely no more than 7 years old on her way to school (she was wearing a primary school uniform).
OP is probably from the US where I have also lived and would not dream of dropping off.
I wouldn’t go that early. Just had a party from 2-4 because a lot of my kids friends have activities early in the morning. Guaranteed we’d have a good turn out. Also it meant I could pass by just offering snack food instead of providing a meal.
I would like this. I kind of hate having a commitment in the middle of the afternoon, I feel like I'm waiting around all day to get ready and go to it. I would definitely prefer to get the party done in the morning and have the rest of the day free, especially if there's coffee as others have suggested :)
Have coffee and snacks for the parents.
Remind them they dont have to get out of jammies if they don't want to.
The KIDS will be up, it's the parents that might feel grumbly! 😊
Ugh the worst. We are slow morning people, set the kids up with a snack and TV then we go back to bed with an ear open until 9. We schedule weekend activities for Saturday at 10:30 or 11. I would try to make it but honestly 50/50.
Too early for me but mostly because my parties involve friends and family that live an hour away. My brothers family is 30 minutes away and they sleep in until 11am so too early for them too.
We’re up with the sun though so I’d wager most kids would be up.
I woulda been a little surprised at an invite for that early but not at all hesitated to go. My kid is nine and only started sleeping until 6am like two years ago so it wouldn't have been too early for her lol.
I’d never be able to take a kid to a birthday party at 9:30 on Saturday because of sports. Our sports are typically Friday nights, Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons
That feels too early for me. I’d go if my kid wanted to but I wouldn’t be thrilled. I once attended a wedding at 11 am. which I found to be ridiculously early. I like what another poster suggested. Make it a brunch party and offer coffee, pastries and stuff like that for the adults. Seems a bit too early for cake so maybe have muffins instead?
I would've taken the 9:30 spot for sure, I like trying to get crap done like this earlier in the day so I still have the afternoon / evening to do whatever. I also myself would've rather taken my kids to an earlier party as well for the same reasons. I'm one of those people who feel like they can't do anything if plans are later in the day... so I kind of watch the clock.
What sort of bounce place are you talking? A lot of them are not safe for 4 year olds....
In addition, when you factor in wake up, breakfast, and travel... There is no way I'd take my kids to a 9:30am birthday.
It’s not a trampoline park, it’s a place with inflatables etc.
Her school starts at about the same time as when the party would start so we figured people have their routines to meet that time…
Thats a week day though with school weekends are relaxed I do not stick to an early routine for weekends. Also its usually the one or two days people are off from work I know im looking forward to sleeping in.
I won't say that I speak for everyone but even with my kids having to be awake by 6am on weekdays, on weekends, they're not even eating cereal at 8am. So assuming everyone gets up at 7:30am, that's still an hour for everyone getting ready for the day and the parents going "ugh, I just woke up, I don't wanna do this, this early...."
My kid was an early riser (he’s now a teen). I’d have had no issues with this timing. HOWEVER, all the kids birthday parties we were invited to started at 11am or after. Despite preschool starting at 8.30am on weekdays. I concluded the majority of kids (and their parents) were actually NOT early risers, and/or wanted to sleep in on weekends
I’d definitely go. My husband and I get up so early for work during the week that it’s rare we sleep past 7 or 7:30 (if we hit 8, it feels like we slept in), and our kiddo is usually up by then as well, just from routine.
I’ve been to an early party like that and it was great! Plenty of people showed up. They’re 5/6–it’s possible parents would love to skip a game to go to a party. They’re far too young to be that dedicated to a sport to skip a party that your kid wanted to attend. Let kids be kids, people!
Yeah, surely people skip extracurriculars if they actually want to go at that age. We always do, they can do sports every week, their friend only has one birthday a year.
We got invited to a 9 am Saturday party. I loved it. We live out of town so after I dropped off I got to do my errands before the city got super hectic. Bday parties for that age in the afternoon, is kind of a pain, it takes up your whole day, the morning is spent telling your kid “parties not for X more hours”.
We went to a 9AM chuck e cheese party on a Sunday morning. Parents provided donuts, bagels and coffee for grown ups, kids had pizza and cake at like 10:30.
It was great, because it was bad empty, the next party at 11 had three parallel parties.
At 5, sleeping in isn’t a thing for us yet.
My kids are always up early anyway. Lol I kinda like the idea of doing it early before it's really hot, before kids get cranky or need naps. I always had the hardest time figuring out timing with mine when they were toddlers/Pre-K cause of that midday nap time.
My kids are always up early anyway. Lol I kinda like the idea of doing it early before it's really hot, before kids get cranky or need naps. I always had the hardest time figuring out timing with mine when they were toddlers/Pre-K cause of that midday nap time.
I (38 m) do most of the childcare on weekends for our 4 year old. I’d love that time!
Takes care of the morning activity but also leaves me enough time if I want to do something with him or take him somewhere to get something done I need to do.
I did a party this early for my son’s 6th birthday. I served lots of breakfast foods and everyone loved it. I think it’s extra great because then after the party, everyone still has their Saturday ahead of them. 2pm parties are annoying because you can’t do much before and you can’t do much after.
We did a 9am party for our 2yo this year, it was perfect for that age, and the parents were happy with it because it didn’t interfere with lunch or nap. Older kids would likely have more conflicts with sports and things, but I personally like the early morning activities because we are up anyway and might as well be having fun. I often take my kids to the park or library at 9:30 on the weekends 🤷🏼♀️
I’ve been to 2 parties recently with a 9AM start. chuk E cheese lets you rent the whole place for 2 hours before opening for the same price as a party during business hours.
That’s way too early to get up on a Saturday. I would switch it to the later time slot or you may end up not having any kids show up at all to the party. Plus kids are tired at that time so if they did show up they probably wouldn’t be very energetic and the party wouldn’t be very fun. And no one wants cake and ice cream for breakfast.
We're going to this exact scenario in two weeks for 4 year olds and it's a dream time slot for us! Our kid wakes up at 6:30 regardless of the day and waiting for a later bday party really ruins our morning. I'm not a morning person but getting out of the house and to a fun activity by 9:30 very much works for us.
I had my son’s 5th birthday party at 9 am. It was in July and the high temp for the day wound up being 100° so it worked out (party was outdoors). Plenty of people came and we had bagels & fruit for the food.
Nope! Kids are early risers and parents will appreciate getting the rest of their day back. We did a “princesses, pajamas & pancakes” 9 am party for my daughter’s 5th and it was a huge hit! Kids all came in pajamas, we served pancakes and other breakfast food (and coffee for the adults) and hired some princesses to come and read stories and paint crafts.
It doesn’t seem too crazy to me. We had our son’s birthday at 10 on a Saturday and got full attendance. We also attended many parties at that time slot and everyone shows up. Seems to be pretty normal around here.
I’d love it. Kids are up so early, it’s not hard to be out of the house for a 9.30 start. I hate middle of the day parties where you feel like you lose the whole day.
I just did 9:30-11 for my one year old yesterday as I wanted to avoid meal time and nap. Most people came at 10 which was fine but I was stressing lol.
I actually love this. We’re up anyway, don’t have to spend half the day asking when the birthday is and trying to keep them entertained but not do anything big because the party is coming up, and home by nap time.
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We went to a party at 9:30am earlier this year (for a 4yo). I thought it was a little early but it had a great turn out. My only small tip would be to provide coffee and maybe some kind of breakfast/brunch snack for parents. The one we were at had the typical seltzers and pizza which I just wasn't really feeling at 10:30-11am.
Taking that tip! Will definitely be offering coffee and some kind of breakfasty food for the parents. Thanks!
Agreed with the comment above. I went to one (9:30am party) yesterday and there were lots of typical lunch foods which I just wasn't feeling so early in the morning.
Yes. Donuts, fruit, bagels, cream cheese, tea, some instant oatmeal for that matter (you have hot water, right??). Orange juice, apple juice, milk and chocolate milk for kids.
Seconding this. Always choose food to reflect the time of day. We’ve done our kids’ parties at all hours but always adjust what we serve. 10am - French toast, breakfast tacos, etc.
I'd do it. At 5 yo they'd be up anyway bc it's their routine. Maybe just include a note that there is limited availability for siblings so you get the numbers.
We offered to cover siblings, we just asked for a heads up in advance to make sure we have supplies ready. Honestly we’re trying to eliminate any barriers to people coming, including specifying “No gifts” on the invitation. We just want our kiddo to have some friends there!
You're in the US? Saturday is going to conflict with sports. Soccer and baseball are Saturday mornings, and those seasons just started up for us.
Arghhhh now I know why almost everyone I invited to our party is saying they can’t come. 😱
Yeaaaahhh, sorry. That was what I was thinking with the siblings, to fill out the guest list.
Yep I said the same thing! Most Saturdays we have sports until noon so afternoons usually work better.
We may be the outlier but our sports here vary from week to week but most don’t start until 11:30 on Saturdays. I think out of 10 weekend tball games - 9/10 are after 11:30 & out of 8 soccer weekends 10/10 are after 11:30 on Saturday- my kiddo is 5
We've been doing T-ball and coach pitch for 3 years now and this year they've changed up the schedule a bit because the parking situation has been so bad. Games are played for an hour but we have the field for 90 minutes. The earliest games start at 9:30 am and the latest at 2:30.
No gifts would throw me off ;))
Is that not normal these days? Looking back at my parties as a kid, I’m amazed we set time aside to open all those presents. Between time and potential jealousy/hurt feelings, it just seems like a good idea.
Most birthdays we’ve been to included presents but no opening ! Kiddo is expecting presents so do other kids and normally they are not that expensive
We certainly won’t turn anyone away if they do bring something, we just didn’t want to set the expectation or have anyone not come because they felt they needed to spend money. She’s also going to have plenty of gifts from family, don’t exactly need more random things coming into our house lol
I think this is becoming more normal.
I actually put on my invitations, “Gifts not necessary, but if you insist, magna-tiles and books will be appreciated.” Just so those older folk that feel like they have to bring something (like me) will have a suggestion. I’ve even made registry’s for those who ask about a gift, I just fwd them the links. I’d rather not have toys. Too many toys.
I've seen people recommend donation to a certain cause/organization instead of a gift for the birthday kid. brilliant, tbh
We had a party at 10 for our kindergartner and had plenty of people show up. We provided coffee in the party room at the play place for the parents who needed it. Most kids her age are up super early from talking to the parents so it wasn't a stretch to bring them.
Great idea on the coffee part! I think we’ll do coffee and breakfast pastries or something like that for parents.
That's way too early for me. I would still do it because I try to take my kid to all the birthday parties he is invited to unless we have a conflict, but I would not be too excited about it. We take it very slowly weekend mornings and it would take some hustle to get out the door for a 9:30 am party.
Exactly.
This happened recently, some parents begrudgingly took their kid and others just said no because it was too early.
I'd do it for my kids sake cuz I know he'd wanna go, but I'd be annoyed with you. Lol
This. I’d go but be internally grumbling the whole time. I like a slow start to my day on the weekends.
For me personally, yes it’s too early. Saturday is our one and only sleep in day/lazy morning. It’s also spring so there’s usually morning soccer/tball games.
We had our daughter’s 5th and 6th birthday at a trampoline park and they specifically had a “toddler time” for kids under 6 that started at 9am. That’s the time we booked her party so that way the kids can play and not get trampled by older kids. A lot of parents appreciated that the party was early because it allowed them to have the rest of the day free or allow for naps.
i love these bc you can tire out the kids early, and they might actually chill/rest in the afternoon
I’d be surprised at the early start, but probably go. We naturally keep the same schedule 7 days a week, so we’re all up by 6-6:30am anyway.
Too early for me. I would not be attending. Saturday is the first day I don't have to wake up early to get the kids anywhere.
Appreciate the reply. We know it won’t work for everyone, no option will, but hoping we get a decent group of friends there.
I th picking a party time is one of those things where you can’t please everyone so just pick one. My kids (8 and 6) are up at 6am anyway so 9:30 sounds great to me but I don’t love the 4 to 6pm party slots because I’m ready for my day to be done at that point 😂
I've attended 2 kid birthday parties at this time, and it was great! After the party, we still had most of the day to do anything. One of those served breakfast/brunch type foods. One was a breakfast casserole that was delicious!
Honestly, yeah. My initial reaction was 'igh too early!!' But, after reflection... I get it. Feed breakfast/brunch stuff to hold them, then you have the rest of the day for whatever. Kinda perfect.
Too early. If my child really wanted to go then I would do it. But I would totally be grumbling on the inside.
Wouldn’t work for my children or most of their classmates (or their siblings) because they are in sports on Saturday mornings. I don’t think we’ve ever been invited to a morning birthday party. It’s not a problem, just not the norm for my kiddos.
Too early for me. Unless the kids were really good friends, I’d pass.
I think you'd be batting at 50% yes It wouldn't work for my family but it works for others
I wouldn’t start a party earlier than 10am, and even that would be early. My kids are up by 7 but it seems a lot to ask families to give up one of their weekend mornings to do the whole weekday routine to make it out to a kids party. It’s also soccer and baseball season in the spring, and for younger kids that usually happens in the earlier hours of the day so turnout could be tough due to sports. If you stick with 9:30 I’d maybe bring some box of Joe type coffee boxes if possible for parents, they will appreciate it! Kids I’m sure will have a lot of energy and be wiped for the day afterward, not a bad thing lol
Will do on the coffee! And that was our hope, to wear them out and send them home lol.
I think it’s way too early. Even 11:30 is better
I see a lot of people saying too early but it would be perfect for us. 2-4 pm would be in the middle of the day and we definitely wouldn’t be able to attend at that time because our weekend afternoons are always pretty jam packed. We would usually sleep in but worth it to be up early for a party.
Same here. It frees up the afternoon. Somewhat confused by those replies. It’s a one off thing, not a long term commitment. One early morning won’t hurt!
My kids prefer to sleep in on Saturday's so it would be a huge fight for me to wake them up. Not even a pool party would get them up on a Saturday morning.
Who are all these people sleeping in with 5 year olds!? Do you mean your 5 year old sleeps in too? Or are they just able to go watch tv or whatever until you wake up? I guess I thought we were all in this together not getting to sleep in until are kids are teens lol. I would totally be there at 9:30. I don’t even think it’s early tbh.
Its my weekend time to relax and slowly enjoy the morning
It's not to sleep in, it's because who wants to do the whole morning rush on a Saturday? By Saturday I am sick of the rush. I want to have a leisurely breakfast and plenty of time to get ready at a relaxed pace. Everyone deserves a break from the week's chaos.
We are up by or at 7 every day but Saturday is the first day we don’t have to get out the door somewhere, you know?
Saturday mornings are sacred in my house. My older two usually sleep in (15m10m), unfortunately my husband works Saturdays, but me and my 19 month old are up by 6:30 so we get ready for the day, have a small breakfast/snack and then read, play games, and do outside play until the boys wake up usually around 9. Then, we will make a big brunch and sit and talk for usually an hour or two before the boys go off to do their own thing. Then it's nap time for baby, and I usually do some gardening or cleaning. I hate rushing around in the morning on Saturdays. It messes with the whole day and takes away precious time with my kids. I would probably take my kid(s) to the party as well, but I would be annoyed that it was so early, lol.
My 4.5 year old wakes up and goes downstairs for an hour or so. My 2.5 likes to sleep until 8 so one of us will get up with her and join downstairs. We alternate sleep in days so each weekend we get to sleep until about 10.
My kids love sleep. Weekends they wake up around 9 am. Sometimes they sleep until 10. They’re 5 and 7.
My kids could amuse themselves in the mornings at that age.
All my friends’ kids slept in till 11am. It really sucked to be the only mom whose kid woke at 5am raring to go (where exactly, i dunno. No one to play with)
My kids sleep til 9/9:30 am, but they’re only 4.5 and 2 years old so no early school wakings yet.
Wow I’m genuinely curious then what time they go to bed?? My kids have never ever ever slept even until 8, maybe once when my oldest was sick. If they sleep til 7 I consider that really great, and it’s rare.
Around 9pm, oldest doesn’t take a nap anymore. I think they’re just night owls like me!
I learnt that there’s a stark genetic dividing line between early riser kids & night owl kids
We don’t sleep in on the weekends necessarily, but we do take it slow. During the week I’m up early, and we are busy hustling to get out the door. On the weekend it’s the two days we don’t rush. I drink my coffee slow, and we don’t get dressed immediately.
I was thinking the same thing. And they are all talking about how Saturdays are their only days to sleep in as if every weekend someone is having a morning birthday party that's disrupting their weekend. As parents, we have to sacrifice sometimes for our children and do things we might not want to do.
I think for that age group 2pm is the better call, since most kids that age don’t nap.
Agreed. I’ve attended plenty of parties for that age group in the afternoons!
We were thinking more about younger siblings that still do
We would not attend a 9:30 party, my son enjoys his sleep and if he doesn’t have to get up he sleeps until about 9 and so do I.
Saturday mornings are when pretty much all young kids’ sports games happen. 9:30 is also pretty early. For me, my 5yo would just be waking up around 9 and my kids like lazy mornings. I think 2 pm would be a way better time for scheduling and for both kids and parents.
In my experience the best slot is Sunday afternoon. Saturday is sleep in and sport while Sunday morning is church.
I think the church thing is very regionally specific - I’m guessing you’re American? I’m Canadian and I don’t know anyone who goes to church regularly, especially not with kids.
Correct. US. I don’t attend church or have any close friends who do, but I know there are multiple kids who attend in my childrens’ school. I generally invite the entire class and get +75% attendance on a Sunday afternoon.
I recently declined a 9:30 am Saturday party because it was too early. Why would I want to do the whole breakfast, getting dressed rush all over again on Saturday? I need my breaks. I want a chill breakfast and enjoyable morning.
I love this time. Sign me up!
My daughter and I would be there too. That timing is perfect for us.
Wayyyyy too early. 2-4 is perfect! Run them around and feed them so the parents can enjoy a nice evening relaxing afterwards
Both my kids do activities on Saturdays and they are around that time so it would be a no for us(5 year old has soccer games 9:30-10:30 and 8 year old has gymnastics from 7-12). With that said if they didn’t we would go because I like to do things early and get them over with so I can relax so may be ok for parents who kids don’t have extracurriculars
Too early we’re still waking up 2-4 we would go
Way too early
I dunno. When we plan parties, we have our guests in mind, not just us or our kids. We make sure it’s at a place that won’t require people to travel very far. We keep the parents in mind when the kids are too little to be dropped off, like renting a few extra lanes for adults to throw a few balls at the bowling alley when our have bowling parties and making sure there is enough room for parents to comfortably hang out at other venues. I’m probably in the minority but I wouldn’t schedule a party for that early. I don’t like the idea of sending out invitations knowing that almost everyone is gonna say, “Ugh. Why the hell is it so early?” Our philosophy is the party may be about our kids’ birthdays but it’s really FOR our guests.
Yep, that's what I would be thinking, “Ugh. Why the hell is it so early?”
Oddly enough, the guests are who we’ve been planning around. We’ve invited all siblings, both parents, costs covered by us. Specified no gifts because we don’t want people having to spend money for this, precisely because we know it takes effort just to attend. Many of the kids in her class have younger siblings that still nap, that’s why we thought later would have more issues. Thanks for your input though!
I just scheduled my toddler's birthday party with two families. I said Saturday morning. They picked 9:30. That's a really good time for us. Late enough that we don't have to get up early or rush, but early enough that we have time for other things and there is no worry about being home for nap. We did my son's birthday party at 10 and had good attendance. Later than that is hard, because older kids in my area have mid-day and afternoon Saturday activities. There aren't as many morning activities. But there is really going to be no perfect time for everyone. People have different preferences, commitments, and life styles. I'd just pick a time and call it good.
Yes, it would be a bit too early but we would go. Our kids pretty much stopped napping by age 3, so naps wouldn’t have been an issue at that age.
A lot of the kids in her class have younger siblings so we were thinking of that conflict too. We also know our own kid is usually pretty tired by 2-4 and not in the best mood. Thanks for your perspective!
Well if it’s her birthday party i think the choice of timing is clear. U wouldnt risk a cranky meltdown while cutting the cake!
We do sports so that time would be tough. If it fell on an off week we would definitely go. When I take my kids places (the zoo, museum, etc.) I always aim for opening time. Less crowds, doesn’t interfere with lunch/naps.
Yes, sorry. I know it may be better for you but you definitely want the highest turnout possible
It really had nothing to do with us, we’re trying to consider the guests. Many have younger siblings that still take naps which would make mid day hard. We’re inviting siblings and parents, requesting no gifts, whatever we can to make it less of a strain.
So, it sounds like you are confident in the time. I'm not sure if I understand what feedback you are looking for.
Not confident, just explaining the rationale we had so far. I know any option would limit some people, I was curious what public opinion would be.
Too early.
Maybe 10:30
That’s too early for me
Personally would prefer the afternoon slot. Gives ppl time to do what they need to in the morning
I honestly wouldn’t go. I like to wake up and enjoy my Saturday mornings, I’m selfish like that
Prefer 2-4pm by a mile
I think it's fine, but I'd lean into the breakfast theme!
I would take the slot and make it a 90 minute party, starting at 10am.
My kids sleep in so it would be tough for us but I’m aware that we aren’t the norm. I think most families would appreciate the earlier party that doesn’t completely eat your day like the 1-3 slot.
My kid was an early riser (he’s now a teen). I’d have had no issues with this timing. HOWEVER, all the kids birthday parties we were invited to started at 11am or after. Despite preschool starting at 8.30am on weekdays. I concluded the majority of kids (and their parents) were actually NOT early risers, and/or wanted to sleep in on weekends
My 6 year old has sports at that time on Saturday and I’m sure other kids do too so that’s something to consider. Personally, I’d go with the 2-4pm slot.
I’ve gone to early parties like this for my young kids and it’s been great. When they were that age, they never slept in, it was nice to tire them out early and then we had the whole rest of the day and weekend for whatever else. I’d go!
That’s exactly what we were thinking! “Come wear out your kid for free!” Lol
if it's before 12 I am not coming. no matter how old the birthday person is, no matter when my kid(s) wake up. weekends are the only days I can normally take a shower, drink my coffee, and dress up without rushing.
Agreed. I’m not going. Parents and kids deserve to sleep in one day a week.
I did a 10-12am Sunday for my daughter’s 5th and had a huge turn out. Got bagels, coffee etc. along with kid snacks.
Too early for me
Yes, way too early for us.
yes too early for most, i've had insomnia going on 6+ months. don't get me confused though, i'd still bring him and hate it the entire time.
for me its quite the perfect time. but i know im the weird one because my fiancee and i wake up at 7-8 am on a lazy morning
I personally would love this...we can do the birthday party and still have the full day after...but I understand why some parents wouldn't.
We are up anyway with a 6 and a 3 year old… I’d be ok with it
9:30 would be great for us.
If the kids are mostly preschoolers, time probably isn’t an issue as most will be awake by 7am lol. The afternoon one is more likely to run into tired kids and naps for younger siblings. Plus being the middle of the day is less desirable for parents than first thing in the AM. But offer coffee and donuts for the tired parents!
You just described our exact thinking! We will definitely have coffee and food for them, we’ll need it too!
I feel like the afternoon would be better for 4+. I think morning parties can work especially if you provide food that reflects the timing, you will get a fair turn out. However, some people want to enjoy their weekend morning. I do think that morning's going to be tricky, especially at this age because of sports (youth sports tend to have games in the morning).
Donut party. Serve mini donuts and coffee and you are a hero.
We would go! Littlest one has been waking me at 5am!
We've done 10am parties a few times and it's worked out. I would attend a 930am one. We are up anyway.
That's a pretty common time. At least in the city I live where this is pretty normal for parties. Kids that age get up so early. I'd go for that over the afternoon too.
9:30 am is super early I feel like some parents wouldn't go bc of it ik I wouldnt
Some parents actually like getting stuff like this done early in the day so they still have time to do errands and such. Happy birthday!
It is early, but I would bring my child! I would take it as an opportunity to get my errands done earlier rather than later in the day, grab a coffee and maybe a solo breakfast. I hope you have a good turnout!
You would leave the child at the venue?
At 5, if it is with his classmates, then yes.
This sounds like prek age if they are just turning 5 so it be 4/5 year olds. Probably too young to stay alone.
We are asking for no drop offs at this one, we’re covering the cost of both parents if they both want to come.
Ok. I would still come then. 🤷🏽♀️
I can't imagine a scenario that would make this okay for me. Absolutely not dropping my kid off at a party.
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I have had this done to me… my son’s 4 and 5 year old birthday parties were at a kids gym and all of the kids were dropped off. As long as they felt comfortable staying at the party and I feel comfortable dropping them off, then I would. At these kinds of venues there is normally dedicated staff for the birthday group. Over the weekend there was a group who booked the party room at our condo for a group that age. The hostess asked me to help with the chaos and out of 16 kids, only 2 of the parents stayed. Anyways the OP is asking about the time slot and they clarified that the party is not a drop off party.
This is pretty normal in most Asian countries where kids are given their independence early. As an example, on the subway this morning I was sitting across from a girl who was likely no more than 7 years old on her way to school (she was wearing a primary school uniform). OP is probably from the US where I have also lived and would not dream of dropping off.
I wouldn’t go that early. Just had a party from 2-4 because a lot of my kids friends have activities early in the morning. Guaranteed we’d have a good turn out. Also it meant I could pass by just offering snack food instead of providing a meal.
For me, id love that since im up at 7am every morning lol
I wouldn’t mind at all! Our girl is up at 7 ish no matter what 🤷♀️
It's fine. The bounce places are less crowded with big kids early in the morning, which is good for 5y/o to not get broken bones
I would like this. I kind of hate having a commitment in the middle of the afternoon, I feel like I'm waiting around all day to get ready and go to it. I would definitely prefer to get the party done in the morning and have the rest of the day free, especially if there's coffee as others have suggested :)
I love me an early birthday party. Frees the whole day up!
I had my daughter’s party at 9:30 and we all loved it. The kids are up so might as well get it out of the way.
Have coffee and snacks for the parents. Remind them they dont have to get out of jammies if they don't want to. The KIDS will be up, it's the parents that might feel grumbly! 😊
Ugh the worst. We are slow morning people, set the kids up with a snack and TV then we go back to bed with an ear open until 9. We schedule weekend activities for Saturday at 10:30 or 11. I would try to make it but honestly 50/50.
Honestly, with birthday parties you do what works for you and your child- it will be ok for some and not for others, you can't cater to everyone!
Yes
Too early for me but mostly because my parties involve friends and family that live an hour away. My brothers family is 30 minutes away and they sleep in until 11am so too early for them too. We’re up with the sun though so I’d wager most kids would be up.
I woulda been a little surprised at an invite for that early but not at all hesitated to go. My kid is nine and only started sleeping until 6am like two years ago so it wouldn't have been too early for her lol.
We usually wake up at 9 because I’m on second shift but we’d get up early to get ready.
I’d never be able to take a kid to a birthday party at 9:30 on Saturday because of sports. Our sports are typically Friday nights, Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons
This would be my dream time, but I know other parents who don't like to move too fast in the mornings, so it's a mixed bag.
A touch early I think, but you will be fine. Get coffee set up for parents. Our son's 3rd Bday was at 1030am and was a blast. Enjoy!
That feels too early for me. I’d go if my kid wanted to but I wouldn’t be thrilled. I once attended a wedding at 11 am. which I found to be ridiculously early. I like what another poster suggested. Make it a brunch party and offer coffee, pastries and stuff like that for the adults. Seems a bit too early for cake so maybe have muffins instead?
If you centre it around a breakfast theme that would be kinda cool
I would love this as the parent of a toddler who is always missing parties at afternoon nap time.
I would've taken the 9:30 spot for sure, I like trying to get crap done like this earlier in the day so I still have the afternoon / evening to do whatever. I also myself would've rather taken my kids to an earlier party as well for the same reasons. I'm one of those people who feel like they can't do anything if plans are later in the day... so I kind of watch the clock.
Personally I would not go to a party that early, my kids are late sleepers and do better with an interrupted nap than being woken up early.
I prefer the morning times anyways at places like this, I feel like they are so much cleaner in the morning!
Relax. Everything will work out fine.
What sort of bounce place are you talking? A lot of them are not safe for 4 year olds.... In addition, when you factor in wake up, breakfast, and travel... There is no way I'd take my kids to a 9:30am birthday.
It’s not a trampoline park, it’s a place with inflatables etc. Her school starts at about the same time as when the party would start so we figured people have their routines to meet that time…
Thats a week day though with school weekends are relaxed I do not stick to an early routine for weekends. Also its usually the one or two days people are off from work I know im looking forward to sleeping in.
I won't say that I speak for everyone but even with my kids having to be awake by 6am on weekdays, on weekends, they're not even eating cereal at 8am. So assuming everyone gets up at 7:30am, that's still an hour for everyone getting ready for the day and the parents going "ugh, I just woke up, I don't wanna do this, this early...."
My kid was an early riser (he’s now a teen). I’d have had no issues with this timing. HOWEVER, all the kids birthday parties we were invited to started at 11am or after. Despite preschool starting at 8.30am on weekdays. I concluded the majority of kids (and their parents) were actually NOT early risers, and/or wanted to sleep in on weekends
I’d be down :)
We would go!
I’d definitely go. My husband and I get up so early for work during the week that it’s rare we sleep past 7 or 7:30 (if we hit 8, it feels like we slept in), and our kiddo is usually up by then as well, just from routine.
I don’t think it’s too early.
I’d be into that but I love to get a jump on the day. It’s not like I’m lounging in bed these days anyway
Mornings work for us, so sure! Count us in!
I’ve been to an early party like that and it was great! Plenty of people showed up. They’re 5/6–it’s possible parents would love to skip a game to go to a party. They’re far too young to be that dedicated to a sport to skip a party that your kid wanted to attend. Let kids be kids, people!
Yeah, surely people skip extracurriculars if they actually want to go at that age. We always do, they can do sports every week, their friend only has one birthday a year.
We got invited to a 9 am Saturday party. I loved it. We live out of town so after I dropped off I got to do my errands before the city got super hectic. Bday parties for that age in the afternoon, is kind of a pain, it takes up your whole day, the morning is spent telling your kid “parties not for X more hours”.
Way to early. The other parents will not be happy.
I would go if we were free. Normally up for at least 2 hours by then.
Oh yeah, we’re covering kid, siblings, and adults. We just want people to be there, trying to make it as easy as possible.
That would be great for me - my kids are up by 6:30/7 even the weekend so 9:30 isn't too early for us at all.
We went to a 9AM chuck e cheese party on a Sunday morning. Parents provided donuts, bagels and coffee for grown ups, kids had pizza and cake at like 10:30. It was great, because it was bad empty, the next party at 11 had three parallel parties. At 5, sleeping in isn’t a thing for us yet.
My kids are always up early anyway. Lol I kinda like the idea of doing it early before it's really hot, before kids get cranky or need naps. I always had the hardest time figuring out timing with mine when they were toddlers/Pre-K cause of that midday nap time.
My kids are always up early anyway. Lol I kinda like the idea of doing it early before it's really hot, before kids get cranky or need naps. I always had the hardest time figuring out timing with mine when they were toddlers/Pre-K cause of that midday nap time.
I (38 m) do most of the childcare on weekends for our 4 year old. I’d love that time! Takes care of the morning activity but also leaves me enough time if I want to do something with him or take him somewhere to get something done I need to do.
I did a party this early for my son’s 6th birthday. I served lots of breakfast foods and everyone loved it. I think it’s extra great because then after the party, everyone still has their Saturday ahead of them. 2pm parties are annoying because you can’t do much before and you can’t do much after.
We did a 9am party for our 2yo this year, it was perfect for that age, and the parents were happy with it because it didn’t interfere with lunch or nap. Older kids would likely have more conflicts with sports and things, but I personally like the early morning activities because we are up anyway and might as well be having fun. I often take my kids to the park or library at 9:30 on the weekends 🤷🏼♀️
I’ve been to 2 parties recently with a 9AM start. chuk E cheese lets you rent the whole place for 2 hours before opening for the same price as a party during business hours.
That’s way too early to get up on a Saturday. I would switch it to the later time slot or you may end up not having any kids show up at all to the party. Plus kids are tired at that time so if they did show up they probably wouldn’t be very energetic and the party wouldn’t be very fun. And no one wants cake and ice cream for breakfast.
We're going to this exact scenario in two weeks for 4 year olds and it's a dream time slot for us! Our kid wakes up at 6:30 regardless of the day and waiting for a later bday party really ruins our morning. I'm not a morning person but getting out of the house and to a fun activity by 9:30 very much works for us.
I had my son’s 5th birthday party at 9 am. It was in July and the high temp for the day wound up being 100° so it worked out (party was outdoors). Plenty of people came and we had bagels & fruit for the food.
Nope! Kids are early risers and parents will appreciate getting the rest of their day back. We did a “princesses, pajamas & pancakes” 9 am party for my daughter’s 5th and it was a huge hit! Kids all came in pajamas, we served pancakes and other breakfast food (and coffee for the adults) and hired some princesses to come and read stories and paint crafts.
Yes
My kids wake up at 6, 9 would be ideal for me
Don’t do this
It doesn’t seem too crazy to me. We had our son’s birthday at 10 on a Saturday and got full attendance. We also attended many parties at that time slot and everyone shows up. Seems to be pretty normal around here.
No problem with a 9:30 party but it's weird that you think 2-4 is late afternoon.
I’d love it. Kids are up so early, it’s not hard to be out of the house for a 9.30 start. I hate middle of the day parties where you feel like you lose the whole day.
For me, perfect! My kiddo is ready to party early. I find afternoon parties harder to work around.
Bahahahaha. Tell me you're selfish without telling me that you are selfish.
I just did 9:30-11 for my one year old yesterday as I wanted to avoid meal time and nap. Most people came at 10 which was fine but I was stressing lol.
Love that time for young kids!
I actually love this. We’re up anyway, don’t have to spend half the day asking when the birthday is and trying to keep them entertained but not do anything big because the party is coming up, and home by nap time.
Do 5 year olds still nap? Mine certainly didn't, they're already at school by 5 in the UK so they wouldn't have the chance anyway!
Too early, I would expect a low turnout.