Pool party etiquette

[Dreamalittledream]

My son is turning 7 and as per his usual request, he wants a pool party. Last year was our first in the new house with a pool (pool party). What concerned me is that 2 sets of parents simply dropped their 3 children off (ironically, the non-swimmers) and left. With 10+ sugared up children in attendance & it being a pool party this really concerned me (Re: Safety!!). Fortunately, 2 older teenage brothers were recruited quickly as lifeguards.

How do I word it in the invitation (politely) to:
a) bring your own size appropriate flotation device if your child needs it and
b) stay with your non swimming children so I don't have to entertain them and watch the other swimmers too?!

This year I really limited it to 4 of his friends...but with siblings (how can I not include siblings?), the number is up to his 4 friends plus 5 younger siblings.

[jec]

I had a end of school party for dd and I hired a life guard just to be safe as I knew there would be parents just dropping off ( I offered a 'light lunch' for parents who were wanting to stay to entice them to stay and a few did which turned out to be a big help with the games)
Contact your local YMCA or community center- they don't typically hire their life guards out to parties but I asked with sugar on top for their help and they posted for their employees. I paid them $2 more to make it worth their time for the length of the party
Are the brother's lifeguards or just older kids to watch the little ones?

Good luck and have fun!

[Dreamalittledream]

I had a end of school party for dd and I hired a life guard just to be safe as I knew there would be parents just dropping off ( I offered a 'light lunch' for parents who were wanting to stay to entice them to stay and a few did which turned out to be a big help with the games)
Contact your local YMCA or community center- they don't typically hire their life guards out to parties but I asked with sugar on top for their help and they posted for their employees. I paid them $2 more to make it worth their time for the length of the party
Are the brother's lifeguards or just older kids to watch the little ones?

Good luck and have fun!

. Great idea to hire a lifeguard! Older brothers are not official lifeguards, unfortunately.

[playfelt]

There is nothing wrong with inviting one child - the same age as your son and not the younger siblings. Now that he is school age - he is inviting his friends from school. In this situation I would word the invitation that your child would like to invite his friend child xxx to his birthday party (bring swimming gear). However, in fairness to child xxx younger siblings if you would like to bring them to the party and stay with them to supervise you are all more than welcome to come. Please let me know how many will be attending so I can plan the food accordingly.

Then that lets you off the hook for babysitting the little kids while you are trying to provide a fun time for your son.

I do like the idea of hiring a lifeguard for the day and that would bring peace of mind to all families.

[Toregone]

Wow now you have me thinking. I'm doing a pool party for my son this year and it never occured to me that a parent would drop off and leave. However my age group is younger (3 and 4) and it's at a public pool so hopefully that does not become an issue.

I really like how playfelt worded it. Would you be ok supervision wise if no one brought younger siblings and no parents stayed? That leaves you and 5 children. Just as a worst case scenario.

[Momof4]

If you stress that safety is #1, don't worry about asking for all the flotation devices possible!

[Dreamalittledream]

If you stress that safety is #1, don't worry about asking for all the flotation devices possible!

You confused me. So, you're saying to word it that "safety is #1" instead of asking them to bring flotation devices? Any suggestions in wording?

[Crayola kiddies]

I have never had a pool party as I don't have a pool . but my children have been invited to pool parties and I would never think to send a sibling. Just the child who was invited to their friends birthday .... As well I never stayed for the party. The invitation stated to bring life jackets or water wings if your child was not a strong swimmer. I would expect that the parents would only invite the number if children they could safely supervise.

[Dreamalittledream]

I have never had a pool party as I don't have a pool . but my children have been invited to pool parties and I would never think to send a sibling. Just the child who was invited to their friends birthday .... As well I never stayed for the party. The invitation stated to bring life jackets or water wings if your child was not a strong swimmer. I would expect that the parents would only invite the number if children they could safely supervise.

Am I being a crazy overprotective parent? If it's a pool party, I stay irregardless. My son is 7 & a strong swimmer...but I am always paranoid of the 'what if'. What completely shocked me last year was the fact that a parent put bathing suits & floaties their 2 & 4 year old non-swimming daughters, passed them on to me saying "I have some shopping to do, when is a good time to return?"....WTH?!?! Needless to say, they are NOT invited this year.

[Crayola kiddies]

Maybe I'm under- protective ( is that a word?) first I would never let my 2 or 3 yr old go to a pool party.... My 4.5 yr old went to one this summer I put a life jacket on her and off she went . The dad was in the pool, the mom was on the side and gramma was watching whom ever was not swimming. My son went to one this summer also and he is 7.5 and pretty much same thing dad was in the pool, mom on the side, and uncles(I'm assuming) were extra eyes. I'm not a paranoid parent, (I hope that doesn't make me a bad parent), I'm pretty laid back !