When we were living in California, we had a big party when our oldest turned five. There were about 20 kids plus siblings and parents. We hired a bouncy castle. My sister made that gorgeous princess cake in the photo. There was a pinata (OK, some of the kids are still scarred from the memory of beating an effigy of Dora). It was fun, but it was BIG.
All the parents stayed to supervise their own kids... and one dad took on the job of regulating the bouncy castle. I was so relieved -- there were a few "energetic" boys mixing with the little girls in full princess regalia.
Where we live in the Thames Valley it is the norm to invite the entire class to a party and parents are happy to drop off their kids and leave. I remember the first party where it dawned on me that all the parents were going to "pick up a few things at Tesco" and come back later. The party was in a church hall and I put my husband at the door to make sure there were no escapees.
So .... what if you went to drop off your child at a party ... and they were about a million 4 and 5-year-olds running around with no organised entertainment except a bouncy castle?
Would you stay? Go? At what age do you just drop them off and go shopping for a couple hours?
