Birthday Parties

[Ac114]

Do you attend your DCK’s birthday parties if you are invited? My child gets invited to all the kids birthday parties but it’s usually the last thing I want to spend my Saturday doing. Not to mention, DCK usually acts like a nightmare because they are with their parents and I can’t help myself from being judgmental when I really don’t want to be 😩😁

[Snowmom]

When I first started doing daycare I did.

Now, never.

I think it depends on what kind of relationship you want to have with your families. I want mine strictly professional. I'm still "friendly", but do not interact with them outside of daycare.

[Blackcat31]

Do you attend your DCK’s birthday parties if you are invited? My child gets invited to all the kids birthday parties but it’s usually the last thing I want to spend my Saturday doing. Not to mention, DCK usually acts like a nightmare because they are with their parents and I can’t help myself from being judgmental when I really don’t want to be 😩😁

Nope. I like to keep personal separate from business and even if I am providing services for family and/or friends, they are clients until they are no longer clients.

It's a sanity thing for me. We all know who ends up "watching" all the kids while the adults chat....

My own children were friends with the DCK's but didn't attend any birthday parties until they were old enough to be dropped off and not need me to attend with them.

[Cat Herder]

No.

It was a slippery slope and a learned mistake from the past.

There needs to be a business and personal boundary while enrolled. Once they move on, sure, they are a lot of fun later.

[storybookending]

I have my neice in care so I attend her birthday party. I have been invited to others but have not gone. I am considering attending the joint party of two of my current daycare kids next month but I am not sure. The ONLY reason I am considering is because they are related to my neice so it’s a lot of my sister-in-laws family that I have obviously gotten to know over the years. I am still on the fence though.

[hwichlaz]

I do if they are friends with my children. But my youngest is 8 years old now so that time is ending soon.

[Jupadia]

Currently yes because it's my boys being invited since their roughly the same age as the daycare kids. My kids invite them as well since they want their friends at their parts. But when my kids aren't the same age then no I won't be (can't wait)

[Meeko]

I tell the parents that as I can't go to all the parties, I don't go to any...just to be fair.

Truth is, I have no desire to go at all. I did once, many years ago and will never do it again. I was invited to come along to a party at the local skating rink. It soon became very obvious that I was invited to keep the kids busy at one table while the parents talked at another table or skated. No adults even talked to me. Last time ever!

[boy_mom]

I ran my daycare while my boys were both small, and were"friends" with all the DCKs. We went to the parties of the children they truly got along with and who's parents I enjoyed. I also did play dates with these children outside of care. Two of their closest friends to this day are former daycare children.

I had no problem being "busy" when were received invitations from the families that I didn't like as much or felt the need to keep them on a professional level only. I never really discussed it with them, just smiled and thanked them and let them know I had to check my calendar!

[Lil_Diddle]

Currently yes because it's my boys being invited since their roughly the same age as the daycare kids. My kids invite them as well since they want their friends at their parts. But when my kids aren't the same age then no I won't be (can't wait)

Same here

[Ac114]

The birthday party was actually cancelled!!! Yay! Haha I’m kind of relieved. We had a tornado come through earlier this week (which NEVER happens in our state. Maybe every 20 years) anyways, it damaged the building they had scheduled to host the party at!

[BrynleeJean]

This is a good post happy face
I didnt plan on it, i was strictly professional and i had ZERO kids of my own at the time i was still invited to all my DCKs Bday parties, the parents would tend to treat me more of part of the family in that way, it was always really awkward because i didnt wanna be rude and not go but i saw myself as a professional, not their babysitter/bff of the child though thats how i got treated
i would say a no go. unless you are one to enjoy being a part of everyones family, i would find it MUCH harder to term care for that child and family if id been to their house and ate their food, and our kids were friends outside of my business.