u/Dazzling-Smell5223

My 10yo son was invited to a school friend’s birthday party at a trampoline park. The invitation is only for him, which I completely understand. The issue is that I also have a 7yo who would need to come with me because I don’t have any family nearby to watch him.

My plan was to pay separately for my younger son so he could also jump and play. I would never expect the birthday parents to include or pay for him, especially since these places usually charge per child.

This is actually the first school birthday party my son has ever been invited to, so I’m not really sure what the etiquette is here. Would this be considered appropriate, or would you handle it differently? I also do not what to make anyone feel pressured about anything.

TYIA!

EDIT: Thank you all for the helpful feedback and questions. I ended up sending a message to the birthday girl’s mom and asked if they needed help chaperoning since I honestly wasn’t familiar with how these parties usually work. She responded and said, “You are more than welcome to stay, but this can totally be a drop-off kind of party,” which honestly made me feel a lot better.

Part of my concern was that I didn’t want her to feel obligated to watch a large group of kids alone, but apparently these trampoline park parties usually have a couple of hosts helping out.
Another concern for me was that if my son needed me for anything, I didn’t want him to constantly have to find the parents and ask them to call me since he doesn’t have a cell phone. He’s a very sensitive kid, and I definitely blame part of that on myself for being overprotective growing up. He was my first baby, born premature, and spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital when he was younger. I think I’m still learning how to let go a little.

The plan now is to bring him to the party, hang out for about 5 minutes to make sure he’s settled in comfortably, and then leave. My younger son and I are probably going to head to the mall while the party is going on.

Thanks again, everyone.

I’ve noticed something and I’m curious if there’s a reason behind it. Most older women I see (like 70+) tend to have short hair. I honestly can’t think of many I’ve met with long hair.
Is there a practical reason for this? Like easier maintenance, hair thinning, or just preference over time? Would love to hear from anyone who knows or has experience with this.

EDIT: Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it makes total sense!