🧟‍♀️Would you attend a birthday party at 9AM?🧟‍♀️

[cricketwife]

I’m trying to figure out a birthday party for DS for August.  I’d like to do something outside, but we are in the south and it will be hotter than Hades.  There’s a local farm that does parties where you can see and feed the animals and ride horses (hand walk).  I’m considering it but want to avoid the heat. Please do not consider Covid in your response, but only whether the time is acceptable to you.  Would you do a 9 am birthday party on a Saturday in August? We are early birds and up at 6 am anyway, but I know not everyone is. All the kids on the guest list will be 5 years and a few almost-fives.  

poll options: 
1. 9 am is fine and I would take my kid
2. 9 am is too early and I would NOT take my kid
3. 9 am is too early but I would take my kid anyway 
4. other 

eta: location is same town as our daycare, about 7 minutes from daycare.  I think for most guests it would be 10-15 minutes away, may 20 for one or two families? I don’t think anyone will think it’s far and it’s definitely not hard to get to.  

[expectantsteelerfan]

I voted it's not too early, but I answered as I would have if my kids were still the age(s) of yours. We were definitely early birds back then. Now that they are older, we don't regularly do activities in the early morning (and I grumble and struggle to get them up and ready for early morning sports if they happen), but I'd still do it if it was something we wanted to do.

[mbcdefg]

How close is it to the guests? My DD is usually up at 7 - if we had to drive up to 20 minutes away it wouldn’t be a problem. It’d give us time to wake up, have some coffee, get dressed at a regular pace.

Any further than that, though, and it’d be a rush to get ready that early in the morning which I’d be cranky about.

Is 10am doable? I think that sounds a little more reasonable.

[hazelden]

We would RSVP yes to that AND I would think it was really early, but I would LOVE to be done with a b-day party before noon and be free the rest of the day. Totally underrated idea!

[dcn]

We live in the south and regularly had play dates at the playground at 8 or 8:30 in the morning to beat the heat so I get it and would totally go and not think anything of it.

[cricketwife]

Apr 9, 2021 19:41:58 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

How close is it to the guests? My DD is usually up at 7 - if we had to drive up to 20 minutes away it wouldn’t be a problem. It’d give us time to wake up, have some coffee, get dressed at a regular pace.

Any further than that, though, and it’d be a rush to get ready that early in the morning which I’d be cranky about.

Is 10am doable? I think that sounds a little more reasonable.

It should be 20 minutes max for everyone to get there.  I’m sure we could do 10, but that puts us ending at noon which just sounds so hot.  In reality, it’s probably not a huge difference in temps.  

[sillygoosegirl]

Under the circumstances, I think it's a good idea. I know you said not to consider COVID in answering, but I don't think I'll be ready for an inside kid's birthday party by August, and early to beat the heat outside seems very smart in the south.

[cricketwife]

Apr 9, 2021 19:53:05 GMT -5 dcn said:

We live in the south and regularly had play dates at the playground at 8 or 8:30 in the morning to beat the heat so I get it and would totally go and not think anything of it.

Ha, it’s been so long since we’ve had playdates that I’ve forgotten we’ve done this too!  I think you’re right, southerners will think nothing of this. 

[cricketwife]

Apr 9, 2021 19:57:17 GMT -5 sillygoosegirl said:

Under the circumstances, I think it's a good idea. I know you said not to consider COVID in answering, but I don't think I'll be ready for an inside kid's birthday party by August, and early to beat the heat outside seems very smart in the south.

I appreciate this perspective.  And what I meant was I wasn’t that interested in hearing that people won’t come because of Covid. It’s fine if people feel that way but this group has already attended outdoor parties so I don’t think that will be an issue as long as things don’t get worse.  We had considered an indoor option but aren’t comfortable with that either.  And I really want to find something that’s doable.

[nicolewi]

I voted other b/c I couldn't decide between "it's too early but I'd take my kid anyway," and "it's too early". I would probably take my kid. I would take my kid if he/she really wanted to go, or if we were close. If you were a random distant associate (i.e. someone in the class we don't really know), or if we had any other challenges with the date, I'd probably just skip it. Frankly, it would also matter how far this place was or how annoying to get to it. If it's a long drive and starts at 9, again, maybe not.

I am probably in the minority, and I know that, so if it works, go for it. We're totally night owls.

FWIW, 9:30 would be way better. That little bit of extra time just seems to help a lot.

[erbear]

We would intend to come but realistically, we would not make it. My kids don’t get up that early and I wouldn’t wake them.

[waverly]

I attended a party like this once. It was at one of those jumpy places and only 5 kids came out of the whole daycare class. It was sad since usually most kids come from the class, so at least 15-20 usually show up at normal times. We are in the north though so play dates to beat the heat are more at 10am.

[abs]

9 am will get you some strange looks but I don’t think it’s too early. Even now at 10 DD is always up by 7 and bored by 8. Do what works best for y’all!

[Becca]

Yes please! A party that doesn’t ruin my weekend by being smack dab in the middle of a Saturday or Sunday? Sign my kid up!

ETA:
I answered and then read other answers. I have a kid who has a Saturday morning activity that starts at 7:00am. So it never even occurred to me that someone would consider 9:00 am too early. We’d be going to a 9:00 party straight from another activity.

I’d still do the party at 9:00 if it works well for you.

[purplepenguin7]

I voted no, but I have a late sleeping toddler (not messing with that!). I also live in the northeast, and am always cold. Not sure the words “too hot” are in my vocabulary. I’d probably feel different if I lived in your area and 9am events were the norm.

[krystee]

What kid activity starts at 7?! I would be devastated if I had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday, and I don’t use that word lightly.

My kids both finally reliably sleep until 7 am, and no one is ever getting me out of bed before 7 on a Saturday ever again!

[sent]

Yes, I would. I am sick of the "holding out for a better invite" trend. If you are putting in the effort to host a kid's party, I will respect that and put forth the effort to attend. And teach my kid the same. Even if I don't want to wake up on a Saturday morning. In this case, 9 am isn't that horrible for us, we're out the door anyways to head to school/daycare before that on weekdays.

[Becca]

Apr 9, 2021 21:42:54 GMT -5 krystee said:

What kid activity starts at 7?! I would be devastated if I had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday, and I don’t use that word lightly.

My kids both finally reliably sleep until 7 am, and no one is ever getting me out of bed before 7 on a Saturday ever again!

Figure skating. Ice time is at a premium, so you’ve ‘gotta take what you can get. We’ve been doing it so long that it’s just part of our normal. (DD is 12, and we started Saturday morning ice at 6 or 7 - I just asked her and we can’t remember for sure 🤪)

Somewhere out there on Facebook, I have a picture of her walking into the rink at 6:45 on Saturday morning, captioned “oh, the things I said I’d never do” 🤣

[lilac05]

At 5 and under, I loved morning birthday parties. We threw a couple of brunch parties that were a big hit. Have fun. Eat good food. Rest of the day free for whatever you want to do.

At 7 and 10, we’d still go, but our mornings have gotten a little slower and lazier on the weekends. The kids still get up pretty early, but we often don’t.

[al dente]

We're always out of the house by 8:30/9 because otherwise all hell breaks loose. So I say fine! Esp if it's a close drive for everyone.
I actually debated doing my kids party at 9 this year lol I didn't even think about it being very early.

[sdlaura]

Yes, this timing would be perfect for us. We’re west coast (where things seem to start earlier anyway - elementary school starts by 8 am) and we have little kids. I dislike afternoon birthday parties because I like to relax during my little kids’ naps on weekends. We once went to a 7:30 am birthday party - the only time they could rent out the entire trampoline park - and I was fine with it.

[wizardressofoz]

Fwiw, I had DS birthday ( 5th) pre-covid at 9 am and it was well attended and fine. I served brunch (bagels, hard boiled eggs, fruit) and coffee and juice. I encouraged everyone to come as they were, and it left the rest of the day open.

Eta- honestly, with this fucking year, if you invited me to an outdoor party that started at 5am, I'd come. I miss people. 😢

[lessel]

My 6yo wakes up at 5am every damn day. Can we come?

But for real, we would totally go. We used to do gymnastics with him at 8:30 on Saturdays in the before Covid times. I loved having something for him to do at that time.

[fancynewbeesly]

Yes! DD1 especially is a early bird--if she sleeps until 7 that is late for her. I love morning parties that didn't interfere with naps or ruin the whole day.

[pandorica]

Unless DD is drastically different at 5yo than she is at 2yo, this would be perfect for us. Especially for a summer party in the south.

[dulcemariamar]

I would go if it was reasonably close but I think it is too early. Can you push it back to 9:30?

I think most people would then end up arriving late to the party.

[icedcoffee]

I’d go. I prefer to drink coffee on the couch at that hour, but I’d make it happen. And probably treat myself to takeout coffee instead. 😂

I don’t think it’s a bad idea and we are not early birds. My 4 year old regularly sleeps until 8 or later.

[brooke77]

I’d prefer 9:30.

[brooklyn]

I’d totally go. My kid is currently doing 9am baseball, and I’d much rather be at a birthday party.

[yellow23]

I have to drag my 5 year old out of bed at 9:30 everyday for school that starts at 9:50 (we start late this year since she’s virtual, but their classes are the same time as in person kids). I voted it’s too early, but I would take her, however she would be in a bad mood the whole time from me waking her up (she’s a big grump when I wake her up too early).