So we are going to celebrate my son's 8th birthday by having a pool party. We will have about 10 kids there, including family and friends. My question is how do i nicely let parents know that i am only paying for the children to attend the party? i dont want to be rude but it is expensive enough for 10 kids to attend but then to add atleast one adult each, it would be way TOO expensive. The pool does have certified lifeguards and I am having a couple more attend the party to make it extra safe and i think that takes care of the safety aspect but dont know how to word that in the invites. Thank you for any suggestions.
Well, you could include some wording to the effect that the guest's entrance is covered and any parent who wishes to attend is responsible for their own entry fee. I personally would think it odd for a parent to assume they are not only invited to a child's birthday party but also that the host will cover that expense.
How about..."We'll provide lifeguards so parents can drop off their kids and enjoy time for themselves!"
i've had several pool parties for my son. most of the parents assumed they would pay for their own children. i stood at the entry to let them know i was paying for the children. some called me beforehand and asked. actually most parents just dropped the kids off at the pool. we scheduled swim time then with the help of my best friend we loaded up th boys and hauled them back to my house for food and cake and playtime
we had invited about 12 boys. we had two minivans and a big back yard. i spread a table cloth on the livingroom floor and they all ate there.
everyone had a blast!!!
my best
Why do you think the parent's aren't just going to drop their kids and go?
You might try wording it like this.... "The pool has asked for prepaid guest list. I have reserved one spot for Jhonny. Additional places are $___ to parties not on the guest list. Thank you!"....This way parents can decide if they want to stay or bring siblings and they will know ahead of time it is their dime.
Have a great party!
We just did a museum party for my daughter and our invitations simply read "we are paying for the children's admission, but adults will be $7 at the door." No one had a problem with it. I hope your son has a great birthday!
J.
The thing I would do with the invitations is not to say that the parents are not paid for, but to be sure that you state that the children are.....for instance
You are invited to "Jacob's" 8th Birthday Party. This will be a pool party so parents please be sure that your child is dressed accordingly. The entrance fee to the pool is paid for all of the children. Please just tell the person at the gate the name of the child....Thank you.
Or something along that line...I have learned that they seem to get the idea if you let them know who you are covering....I learned that with my daughters birthday at McDonals....some of the parents assumed they would get a meal too!
You might say something like childrens entry fee will be covered that way the parents know that they don't have to worry about it and then they are aware that there is an entry fee and won't be surprised if they haven't been to the facility before. I would hope that most parents would be understanding of the expense and it is the child that is attending the party in the first place the parents staying is a personal choice. Hope this is helpful.
I would just say, "We are paying the admission price for the children. If you would like to join your child, admission is $X for each adult."
Instead of talking about what you won't pay for, emphasize what you ARE doing for them. Or maybe if you get tickets, include them in the invites, saying something like, "your day at Water World (or wherever) includes X free ticket/s! We can't wait to see you there!"
On the flip side, you might want to express that gifts won't be necessary, that the greatest gift your son could have is their presence on his special day. Many will go ahead and get your son a little present, anyway, and at least they know that they're not being made to fork over extra money - some for a gift, and some just for going to the party.
Does the pool charge for parents to come in and watch or just if they swim? Not everyone is comfortable letting their children swim without them there to watch even if there are lifeguards. If the parents can observe, it would be good to let them know. If they have to pay, they should know to be prepared for that. I would use the wording "drop your child off" or something similar. You can put at the bottom something like: "if parents (or siblings) would like to join us, admission is ??$ per person."
