What happened to parties with games and a party tea?

I know, catapulted into grownup so soon! Still, presumably it is what the birthday girls wanted, I am glad ours were children when they were, if you see what I mean! They will have a wonderful time, whatever. I wonder how many the "lucky mummy is hosting?

Sorry, bl**dy iPad, I meant " birthday girl" singular.

They will most likely have a lovely time. Sounds great.

I don't think it sounds great. Little girls should remain little girls until they are big girls. Both my kids enjoyed their sandwiches/jelly/birthday cake teas followed by games of Dead Lions, Pass the Parcel and Blind Man's Buff. However, that was some years ago and now the grandchildren have similar 'parties' to the one described by vampirequeen. Sometimes I think it is all part of a Mummy's competition to see who can spend the most money. (I'm feeling grumpy today.)

jingle - what were you doing up at 0330?

Our lot have outgrown the soft play area parties and eldest DGD had a great muffin /cake making party in her mums kitchen , sounds more like fun to me . She is 11

Whoops - showing my age! Sorry, jing, I see now it is 11.03.30. Ignore me, I'll just shuffle off into the corner now and pick up my tatting......

My GD has been to these makeover parties, DS and DIL let her go as she would otherwise be the only one in the class not going. DS goes to collect her and takes baby wipes to take off any lip gloss or eye shadow that may have been applied. GD loves the sleepovers, when I ask if she has had pizza and Disney DVD she says "how did you know Grandma" ?

Something tells me it won't be a Disney DVD.

The muffin party sounds brilliant.

I just wish children were allowed to be children rather than pushed into adulthood.

DD (who makes cakes for a living) has been asked if she does cake making parties and has looked into it but decided that it would be too stressful. There is, apparently, a franchise offering a similar thing.

After 5 children I would have given a king's ransom not to have to hold any more jelly and cake parties. I was so glad when they wanted to 'do' something instead.

As a penance for having 5 children I know help out at 6 jelly and cake parties - eek!!

know now!!

When I taught Yr 2, the fad was for 'Build a bear' parties in nearby town. One little guest was talking about it in circle time and complained that they ONLY had £20 each to spend on the outfit for their bear. Totting up the cost of this, plus the Bears, plus the meal at TGI Friday for ten ungrateful children, the parents must have spent almost £500 and this was 5 years ago!

Build a bear are still very popular but a bear plus clothes for each child is quite an expense, when I asked GD how many attended she said "only ten"

I think one reason that parties have changed so much is because of the behaviour of some of the children. My DD stopped having them at home because the friends of the DGCs were just so badly behaved - and she's used to working with autistic children, so well used to coping with challenging behaviour!

It doesn't seem to be quite such a problem with boys. GS1 was 8 last year and he had a magician at his party who showed them some tricks and taught them how to do some. Eight boys and girls and lots of jelly and cake. All fairly painless.

I was invited a couple of weeks ago to a neighbours 7 year old son's party and I found it boring as I think did some of the children, the girls, because there were no party games- it all involved around playing games on the largest wall mounted TV screen that I have seen outside Currys. Only one child could play at a time. I sat and chatted to 3 girls- 2 of whom lived doors away so I knew them.

I was only invited because George has adopted me as his Scottish greandmother. His parents are Greek/Cypriot and only moved in a few houses away after Christmas.

When I was young I always found traditional birthday parties a bit of a trial. I would much sooner have had the option of laser quest, building dens, making bows and arrows and and lighting fires in the woods (professionally supervised!) or having a swimming party, which is what GS has done in recent years. One of his friends even had a party in a nearby Peak District cave, where they each got the chance to polish a piece of Blue John to take home. It was, apparently, "awesome". It all makes musical chairs and pass the parcel look like a huge yawn. But all these things can cost eye watering amounts of money. Even taking half a dozen to the cinema and a burger afterwards is not cheap. I know that a lot of parents these days tend to get together, if birthdays are fairly close, and split the cost of a venue, which seems to be a sensible option.

Mini Mouse , things were a bit fraught when my youngest had a 6th birthday party , the boys had to be frisked at the exit as many of his old toys and most of his presents were being " borrowed " He was completely bewildered and it was the last party in our house

aggie Isn't it awful when that happens? My DS had a friend who did that each time he came to play - and as for the friend's younger sister . . . The irony was that they had every toy you could imagine bought for them, including quadbikes when they were only five years old, but they always wanted other people's toys and treasures - which they would then abandon in their garden I did manage to retrieve a few things, but gave up in the end. Luckily, my DS got fed up and acquired some different friends!

Parties still seem quite traditional for smaller children but bouncey castles or soft play rather than musical chairs and Oranges and Lemons.
My daughter in London has a big problem with parents leaving siblings along with the child who was invited, sometimes much older or younger and sometimes without even telling her they've been left.
Thank God I'll never have to hold a children's party again!

Oh dear, DGD will be 7 soon, what are they going to be in for in the next few years?

It all sounds a bit grownup to me; 10 pin bowling or the cinema followed by an unhealthy burger sounds about right for 9 year olds!

DD2 decided once her girls felt traditional parties were passe they could take one friend to an 'event' plus going out for lunch or supper. Funnily enough they both still want tea parties with games etc & more friends ! (aged 6 and 9)

DD1 is planning her boys 7th birthday and it will probably be sports based plus a picnic.

I do think space and location play a part too. Not everyone has a house big enough to host a party for 15 or more boisterous 7 year olds and sometimes it's just more practical to book a venue or choose an activity that can cater for larger numbers.

Fortunately my grandchildren haven't been taken over yet. They still have tea parties and pass the parcel, along with their friends. The youngest will be 8 next month. Even did tail on the donkey last year.