https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:04:28 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873916 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:26:37 +0000 hellobeeboston 2873916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This just started this year for me with my Kindergartener... he got asked to a playdate first off the bus (EEK!) and then we invited some to our house after school too.... The parties have started with the drop-offs but I've attended so far.... the most recent did an evite and it said to specify kid and/or adult - so I think they got a sense that way how many drop offs there would be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873899 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 10:35:20 +0000 gotkimchi 2873899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: all of our parties I texted the mom first and said, we will be attending - do you need me to stay and help supervise? And they replied staying isn’t necessary </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873897 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 10:26:30 +0000 Anagram 2873897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Both of the parties we've had (the one before and the one coming up) stated "drop off party" in the invitation. Although the one that's coming up actually said "this is a drop off party, but a parent can stay if your child isn't comfortable being dropped off". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873866 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 08:09:06 +0000 Ajsmommy 2873866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: This is a great question. I am not sure how you actually know.... DD is 5 and is in preschool, will go into K in fall. This year she has basically been invited to all of her friends parties.. most of them the parents stay... however the most recent one, I arrived at and the mom told me, while already there, that if I needed to go run errands or wanted to go grab a coffee I could. Although the sentiment was nice in the moment, I hadn't planned to do that and I hadn't told DD that was the plan so I didn't leave....</p> <p>DD is invited to a party for one of her first daycare friends this weekend and this girl is 2 yrs older than DD, so 7 and in 1st grade. We went to her party last year and about 70% of the parents just dropped off.. they were mostly in kindergarten. The invitation didn't say anything... so I don't know... I am wondering if I should just do a drop off this weekend or not... </p> <p>I mean is it annoying when the mom's hang around if you want it to be a drop off party? How are we supposed to know? </p> <p>We had DD's party at a bounce place and honestly I don't really want parents just dropping their kids off and leaving bc I don't want to feel responsible for all of them :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873856 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 22:42:27 +0000 Alexandra603 2873856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My oldest is 4.5 and we haven't done any drop-off playdates or parties yet! I do know one party she is invited to in March is drop off so that will be her first. It's drop off because it's a cooking class in a small room. Most of the 5 year old parties parents still stay, but I can see that changing next year. I don't really get drop off playdates at this point, though! I love doing playdates because I get to chat with the other moms! They are either my friends or, if it's a friend my daughter made at school, I like to get to know them. I can see that making more sense when she is 7+. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873800 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:58:57 +0000 Foodnerd81 2873800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>But actually- how do people know that it’s drop off for a party? I always assumed parents would just include that info on the invitation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873799 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:57:35 +0000 Foodnerd81 2873799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pajamas: I would assume that a 4 yo bday at a rented bounce house place would mean the kid who was invited (not other siblings) and a parent stays. We did go to a 5th bday at a place like that where the invite specified that you were free to stay or drop off, because it was on a Friday afternoon and she knew a lot of the invitees has siblings with other activities. More than half the parents stayed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873776 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:17:03 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2873776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 is 4 and she's been doing drop-off playdates for about 6 months. I have no problem with that. She has a bday coming up this weekend at a bounce house place and I just assumed I have to stay but the invitation didn't say. What is the protocol with those things? the bday parties we've hosted for her we've made it clear the whole family is invited because we like to throw big BBQ type parties. But the rented venue situation is totally uncharted waters for me. Should I check with the parents? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873761 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:50:02 +0000 Foodnerd81 2873761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I agree- drop off parties at a venue seem safer since they have all kinds of safety features in place. I was just thinking about LOs bday party. We have been having it in our backyard, which is not fenced in. I am definitely not comfortable being in charge of a big group of 6 year olds out there. And even in people’s houses, it’s hard to know what’s been child proofed, what my very curious kid might get into that the host’s child has ignore (like my friend has never had to put locks on her cabinets because she told her kids once not to go into them- not my kids! It’s not like she keeps chemicals under there but that type of thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873730 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:32:17 +0000 Anagram 2873730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My oldest is the same age and we've had 1 drop off party and 1 drop off play date. Another drop off party is coming up in a couple of weeks.</p> <p>I'm more okay with the drop off parties than the drop off playdates--the parties have been in rented venues with staff, so I feel like the public nature is more safe. And the parties have been short, like 2 hours. I've read one too many Reddit threads where so many people have instances of sexual abuse or harassment happening at other people's houses during sleepovers and stuff. Although nothing like that ever happened to me, it's made me feel realllllly cautious about it. I'm kind of an extrovery, so I'm always happy to host and hope to host more so that my kiddos don't ask me to go to other people's houses, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873729 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:27:40 +0000 Foodnerd81 2873729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: oh i should have added my older one isn’t in kindergarten yet- so sounds like it will be more common next year.</p> <p>And yes- most of our play dates are with my friends who have kids the same ages as mine so it’s social for all of us! Not the same as just a friend from school whose parents I don’t really know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873721 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 06:18:34 +0000 lamariniere 2873721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>5/6, although one time my LOs went to a daycare birthday party together and my younger one was 3ish at the time. But she knew all of the guests and even one of the daycare workers was there, so it was fine. For a lot of at-home parties, it seems like parents expect some parents to stay and will have refreshments. When my DD turned 5, 3 parents stayed and 3 parents left. I had made it clear on the invite that parents could stay or go as they wished. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873712 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 22:40:29 +0000 bhbee 2873712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my oldest is 7 and still a little clingy - she went to her first official drop-off party this year, I think. in kindergarten it seemed kind of in between . . . like we put on her 6th invitation drop off or stay, whatever you like - and got slightly more drop-offs than stays. And similar at most of the parties we went to. This year in 1st, drop-off seems to be the norm. Only one parent stayed at her 7th party and she's a good friend of mine anyway. </p> <p>a lot of the play dates we do are social for me too, or for siblings, so we may all go or may just meet up outside at the school playground. but we've hosted a drop off at our house. again I think it's the norm now in 1st. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873707 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 20:39:46 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2873707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son just went to a drop off party yesterday (I’m friends with the mom!) for the first time and he did awesome. No drop off play dates other than some baby sitting favours in a pinch. He’s almost 5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873706 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 20:22:00 +0000 irene 2873706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Drop off playdates and birthday parties sneak up on you kinda like the ending of breastfeeding, it happens very fast and when it happens it is a complete shock lol. </p> <p>I didn't know drop off playdates and parties were a thing until we were invited to a home party, all these moms are just leaving! It was in pre-k. I think I started my first drop off at late pre-k, second semester (5+ yo), at a gym party. I was solo-parenting and had to run a few errands to keep my head above water that weekend. So I talked to DS extensively that I will come back as soon as I am done. He understands and he was fine and that was that. Then I mostly drop off ever since lol</p> <p>In kindergarten DS invited a friend over for playdate (also second semester, early 6 yo). As I was worried if I needed to prep for entertaining the parent, the father came and swiftly drop off his kid without saying anything as if we were a daycare lol. There I know that it is a thing. I've been dropping off or allowing other family to pick up after school since beginning of first grade. (of course, we have met these people before and we know that they are not psychos). Thank God for drop offs or it'd be miserable to have to do small talks with every single parent, especially the ones that you don't click with! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873689 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 14:41:18 +0000 gotkimchi 2873689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We dropped off at two bday parties at bounce places at 4 (for kids turning 5) no way was I staying for those shenanigans. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873687 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 13:56:54 +0000 Jess1483 2873687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is 6, and we've done quite a few drop off play-dates (and we've hosted many as well). Mostly friends from preschool (and now kindergarten) and in the neighborhood. Generally all parents I knew fairly well. First time was probably around 3/4? But more frequent since kindergarten. We've also just recently done a few drop-off birthday parties (mostly when they're at kid's homes), but most are still parents staying. And I have one friend who takes my 3 year-old fairly often, but that's mostly a childcare trade (I watch her boys sometimes as well, and I'm also her son's preschool teacher), so it's less about the kids and more about us ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873686 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 13:50:56 +0000 erinbaderin 2873686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>B is five, and I’ve never dropped him off - he’s pretty shy and I don’t think he’d be comfortable yet. We have had play dates with two friends whose parents dropped them off, though, and at his last birthday party (at a play centre) a lot of parents dropped their kids off and then came back later - we invited his whole class, though, so I’m assuming those were the SK parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/drop-off-play-dates-and-parties#post-2873685 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 13:41:50 +0000 Foodnerd81 2873685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At what age did you start doing or hosting drop off play dates? What about drop off bday parties? </p> <p>My older one is 5 and we have only done a couple of drop off play dates, with one girl she was good friends with at school, and whose mother I knew pretty well. My daughter can be a lot to handle so generally I would feel bad dropping her off and not being their to watch her behavior, but with this one girl she got along really well! She’s stayed at a friends house without me a couple other times but with one of my very good friends, as a big favor when i needed childcare in a pinch or something. Even my 3 year old did a play date without me but it was my friends helping out when I had to go to a funeral, not a regular thing. </p> <p>And the 5 yo went to one drop off bday party, for our neighbors who were turning 6. I didn’t realize it would be drop off! </p>