Morning all.

Mrs FBJ hits 40 soon and I want to sort out a party for her. That’s the easy bit, what I’d like a few suggestions for is help for us and all our mates with children.

As we’re wanting to invite everyone close to us, that leaves us and plenty of our friends without babysitters. How would people feel about going to a do, early evening, with family in tow for a kiddy friendly early evening with the option of a side room with hired help to mind the kids? Would you be happy to take up this sort of offer or do you think folks will just disappear when the wee-uns start to flag?

Obviously, if people want to go home at kiddy o’clock, we loose about half the party and we’re left in a room for 120 with about 60 people.

Any other ideas?

Cheers all.

I’m pretty sure you’ve just described my idea of hell…

I would suggest if you want a party, have one. If you want a family friendly gathering equally, have one. But a combination of the 2 sounds very wrong.

And to answer your question, yes, people will disappear as their kids start to flag.

I did the forty thing recently and we had a fab night admittedly it’s easier when your birthday falls on the 5th of november. we had a buffet and gathering at about half four ish and then went to a firework display and then those with kids went home the rest went to the pub. ace night all round. organise something in a church hall or a field or somewhere with a large field next to it, or a marquee.
or a hotel where they have a sitting service? dunno just options

organise an outdoor rave..

when is your birthday Yunki I want to book the day off
TBH if folk want to be there they will be I went to my mates and all the kids [ my youngest was 4]stayed up till 11 ish. That is late enough to drink to when you need to get up early and deal with them IMHO

the last 40th I went to the DJ played all the songs the kids wanted to hear and pretty much ended up a kids party. you can’t exactly preclude the kids as people won’t come but I would make it very clear to the DJ that he doesn’t get paid if he plays Hey Baby, Barbie Girl or other such gems!

Why not just start and end earlier – no reason a party has to be until late in the evening. You can always head down the pub after if some of you are still going.

As for hired help to look after kids, probably depends on the age, most little kids I know can’t really be farmed off to someone they don’t know.

In my experience of kids / people with kids, if you’re at a kid free event people might stay late, but if the kids are there, you can guarantee people will leave when the kids get tired – it isn’t like your hired help is going to put the kids to bed.

Hmm, sounds like you’ve all confirmed what I expectde. Back to the drawing board I reckon.

Start early and let everyone know that its a family event that will morph into an adults party.

That way people can turn up (and leave) as it suits.