We are strict and we shelter our child.
Truth bomb right there for you folks.
In our house there are rules. We also have quite a bit of regulations when it comes to birthday parties that the kiddo has been invited to. When he was younger, it was really not an issue. Most parents stick around during birthday parties for the 5 and under crowd. Praise Jesus! Can you even imagine some poor Mom trying to facilitate a roomful of 3 year old's solo? Yeah, no.
So clearly- it was much easier to navigate this issue when the kiddo was small. But now that he's getting older and we are in the PRIME age group for lots and lots of invitations, we are finding it a bit more tricky.
Why?
Well- you see, we don't allow the kiddo to be in someone's home unless we've first been there. I know right. Just think about that one for a moment.
Sleepovers are never going to happen unless we know the parents extremely well.
In addition, we say a big NO to anyone driving our child around in their vehicle.
And all those parties at an outside venue? Seriously- I have no idea what kind of supervision you're offering....so that's probably not gonna happen either mmkay....
Good Lord but the amount of crap we've dealt with regarding these rules. But here's the thing, they are ours and this is our choice as parents. So suck it. Ok....that's not nice but you know what I mean here. We are not about to change our parenting style because several outspoken folks have an issue with it.
So where does that leave us?
Well, we do our best to find a happy medium. The husband and I discuss the event in question and find a way to ensure that the we are all comfortable with the solution.
For example, the kiddo has a friend birthday party coming up next weekend. The party will begin at the child's house, then the parents will drive all the kids to the venue, then drive them all back to their house after for cake/ice cream/presents. While I know the Mom- my impressions of her were not favorable. Sorry to say but I do not feel comfortable leaving my child in her care. But the kiddo desperately wants to go and spend time celebrating with his friend of several years. So after the husband and I discussed things, we decided that we could take him to the venue location and stick around to supervise. The kiddo will not be going to his friend's home and will simply give him his birthday gift at the venue location.
Navigating this can be tricky sometimes. You certainly don't want to hurt the other parent's feelings and you want your child to be able to go and have fun and participate but ultimately you have to do what you feel is best as a parent.
This is simply my advice to all of you as you go through this- do what you feel is best for your child and your family. Huh. That certainly sounds familiar doesn't it? Pretty sure that's always been my advice when it comes to marriage, motherhood, education and the like. It's good advice and worth repeating.
Do what you feel is best for your child and for your family.
Period.
So no- the kiddo won't be going to the entire birthday party but he will still be able to attend a portion of it and help his friend celebrate his special day. The husband and I are happy with this arrangement and the kiddo is just excited to be able to participate in some way. For us, this works. We understand it might not be for everyone and that quite a few simply won't understand our desire to continue to shelter our child. As he gets older, we will continue to re-evaluate each situation just as we've always done but for now, these are our rules for navigating the kid parties, sleepovers and invitations from friends.
Best of luck to you as you navigate this tricky business as well.
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