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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 18 2007 at 7:38pm | IP Logged
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I just need some plain old good advice here. My ds (4.5 yo) has been invited to an ice skating birthday party for the little girl across the street on Saturday. We got the invitation in our mailbox Tuesday afternoon. All fall, winter and spring my kids played with this little girl, but only ds was invited.
My ds has never ice skated. How is this going to work? I will have to be out on the ice with him, obviously, and dh may or may not be in town this weekend to watch dd. I don't believe I could help two kids ice skate by myself very easily. And I know dd will be heartbroken if she is told she can't go. I do not leave her with any sitters other than family because of her multiple food allergies.
I'm still thinking that ice skating is a strange choice for a 5yo party. How many five year olds ice skate well enough for a party? I wonder if I will have to pay for admission and skates for myself? Has anyone been to this type of party before?
I know both kids would enjoy ice skating, since we've never done it. Should I just skip the party and take them one day when I know I will have help? They have seen the invitation and ask every day when we are going.
Argh.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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chicken lady
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| Posted: July 18 2007 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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Follow your gut! How's that for plain old advice 
Pax
Molly
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Betsy
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| Posted: July 18 2007 at 9:03pm | IP Logged
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+JMJ+
Good advice from Molly!
My kids do skate..but I would say that 5 is young unless they have had some lessons. You would definitely need to be on the ice with your child. Skating can be very frustrating the first few times, too. I have seen kids who are new to skating get blisters, etc, and don’t have a very fun experience. Also, these parties are usually during open skate times so there could be a lot of others on the ice at this time. That can be very frustrating for new skaters and make it difficult to actually socialize with the other members of the party.
One option would be to just go for the cake and ice cream part. Usually for the birthday parties they skate for a time and then have a back room to do the traditional stuff.
As for cost, the party should cover your child. You would have to pay for yourself if you were going to skate.
I hope that helps a bit....
Betsy
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juststartn
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 12:50pm | IP Logged
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Shoot, I wouldn't take my 7 yo dd, unless she'd had some lessons. And since I cannot ice skate (or roller skate very well, but that's a whole 'nother story), I would be of no help whatsoever...not to mention the four other dc who would need me to keep an eye on them (or spend $12/hr for a sitter).
I'd pass on the skating and go for the cake/ice cream portion. Explain the situation to the mother, etc, and do what you feel is best otherwise.
Rachel
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doris
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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Goodness, what a strange idea for a 5yo party! I would be totally hopeless in that situation since last time I went skating (at least 20 years ago) I fell over TEN times -- so I'd be holding on to my child rather than the other way round.
Sounds like the cake part is the bit to go for -- and arrange a consolation outing to the icerink another time.
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Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 4:08pm | IP Logged
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Yes, very strange idea for a 5 yr old party.
Can you plan something fun for you and dc and just say that you already had plans for that day?
Or just go for the ice cream/presents.
I think it's wierd that the mom didn't ask you about it first to see if you would be able to go, BEFORE she sent the invite. 
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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 19 2007 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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Yes, it's just a weird situation- having a party somewhere the kids can fall down and get hurt. Fun for all!
Dh thinks we should go with both kids if he is in town. We can each man a child, so to speak. Dd would not be able to eat the cake or ice cream, anyway, had she been invited to the party part 
I know that siblings are not routinely included in invitations, but these three children spent hours and hours playing together the past few months- it's not as if this is a school friend and no one has ever met the rest of the family.
Anyway- we're a little in limbo here til we see if Dh makes it home. If he does, we'll go and make it more of a family outing. It's a public rink and there will be all kinds of people skating, so the four of us should blend in...
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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wahoo92
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| Posted: July 20 2007 at 6:44am | IP Logged
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We have a rink nearby and our children have been invited to several skating parties there. The girls who have attended are now almost 6 and 9, but both attended their first party at age turning five. Some thoughts:
-I have never had my child invited to an off site party that a parent wasn't welcomed to stay, if that would make you more comfortable. However, the ice-skating parties my girls have gone to have been extremely well chaperoned with plenty of adults to assist with the children whose parents don't attend (something you would think the party host would have shared with the invitation, but you could ask).
-I know it seems young (I thought the same things many of you have expressed the first time my eldest was invited), but five can be a great age to go to this type of gathering. Our rink (as I think is the case with most, but check first) has plenty of old commercial size paint cans-the thick plastic ones about 24 inches high, which can be stacked at a height appropriate level for the child to use. The kids lean forward on these and are able to skate "independently" practically from their first loop around the ice. That being said, I think most kids need one-on-one for the first half-hour or so. I have taken two five's who had not gone skating before and it is an extreme challenge to keep up initially.
-While I have seen 3 and 4's skate, they would certainly need a lot of assistance and they seem to only skate for a very short time, like 15 or 20 minutes.
-I think it's a tricky situation when inviting guests with siblings who all play together to parties. I have found that most limit the guests to those in the immediate age range of the bday girl or boy. It's too bad that the parent didn't give you a heads up to prepare. But, this might be a good time to think about how you want to handle this situation in the future as it will come up again, I'm sure. My husband and I have agreed that the invited child can usually go if it is a good friend whose parents we trust, and that it is their special time on their own. Siblings, thus far, have not had an issue with this knowing that their turn will come. We don't go to that many bday parties, so it is a big treat for the particular child going.
Good luck. Sarah
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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 21 2007 at 7:33pm | IP Logged
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Just wanted to post on our birthday experience. We did go, as dh was back in town this morning, and we did have a nice time. The ice rink had little "walkers" that slid along the ice for the kids to hold on to and skate, so ds was able to get around very well on his own, even with never having skated before. Dd, by the end, was also using a little walker. There is no way, though, I could have taken the two of them by myself. Trying to skate with ds while holding dd would have been impossible.
As it turned out, we did not have to pay for ourselves or dd... When we got to the rink we were whisked into the party room and given wrist bands right away. I talked to the mom in charge and offered to pay, but she said no, she was glad to have us all.
It was refreshing to go into the rink from the July heat, but it was definitely a party where each child needed to have a parent supervising.
Anyway, I just wanted to update and thank you all again for your advice.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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chicken lady
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| Posted: July 21 2007 at 7:55pm | IP Logged
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Oh I love happy endings...... 
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Topic: Five year old iceskating party: Updated
