How many kids did you invite to your 3 year old's birthday party? And how did it work out? I've read that the rule of thumb is to invite as many kids as the birthday child's age, plus 1. Do most people follow that?
Thank you for posting this question. My son's birthday party is next weekend, and I was feeling bad that I didn't have many kids to invite. We have 4 coming, and I now feel better that that isn't too few.
We don't follow that rule because we have a GIGANTIC family. OUr kids would never get to invite a friend if that were the case. We had 23 kids at my daughter's 5th birthday! Yikes!
If I recall we had 7 little girls for her 3rd birthday, tea party. I like the # of kids per age of the child rule in general, as long as it works for your family situation.
Keeping it smaller sure makes for a much pleasanter party, for all concerned. You get very many kids and it just becomes a emotional overload.
V.,
I don't know about that rule of thumb, I always invited the kids that we know, either from pre-k, kinder, etc. and some from church. The only thing I do, is make sure that my children get along with the guests. I don't invite guests that I know my children don't get along with for one reason or another or the ones that are not nice to them. But, I always invited as many as my finances allowed me to :)
Blessings
I do follow that rule! My son turned four this year and I looked around as four kids ran around my house, plus their parents were there and the grandparents and aunts and uncles. It was crazy!!! All I could think was "One more child and we wouldn't fit!"
I also know that they will never remember theses partys so why go all out right now?
I do agree with the rule of kid to age ratio. Other family isn't counted in that.
I think it all depends on whether or not you are having a 'kids' only party (ie: no extended family, cousins, etc). With us, we invite both grandparents, all aunts/uncles, cousins, godparents and their children. That alone is like 6 kids (although they are a few years older than my children). The other kids we invite are our friend's kids. So for us, I do not think we'll put a limit on the number of kids we invite to the party until it affects us monetarily (such as paying per child somewhere) or the kids are having a sleepover (then we'll have a set limit on # of kids!). But we have a large fenced in back yard and I don't mind if a ton of kids come........
we usually invite all our kids friends, our friends and family. We like big parties! It's nice to just have 1 big party and get it over with too. That way you don't have to have a friends party and then also a family party. I have never heard of the rule of only friends of the age plus 1 thing before.
We're trying to decide that this year. Last year, I believe there were 16 by the time it was all said and done, and it was too many for a 3 year old.
Our neighbor had 4 kids (no parents) for her son's 4th birthday a few months ago. It gave their son a chance to spend time with each of the friends equally, and Mom didn't have to stress about playing hostess to all the parents. Her invitations were very tasteful - said something about "please drop off at noon and pick-up at 2:30".
For our son's 4th birthday this year, I'd like to keep it to 8 or fewer of his close friends.
I invited about 10. We have a group of kids that live around us and go to daycare with her and my older son.
