3rd b-day, should I invite friends?

FortMyersBride

My DS will be 3 next week, but we won't be doing a party for him until the weekend Of October 22. I'm a little busy right now with a 2 wk old at home. If we do a family only party then it would be us plus MIL, SFIL, 2 great aunts, 1 great uncle, great-grandma and grandpa. Last year we had just 2 other couples and their kids over for a BBQ.

DS has been at a Montessori preschool for the last 2 mos. All the other kids seem to be having big b-day parties and inviting the whole class, but they've all be turning 4 or 5. When I ask DS who he wants at his party he lists basically our entire extended family (most of whom can't come as they live too far away) and a friend of mine's DS who doesnt attend his school. Should I just have a family party and invite my friend and her DS, or should I invite his preschool friends since they have all invited him since he started school? There are 18 kids at the school, so if I invited them I hope they wouldn't all come!

VTbride05

I would skip all the friends. Sounds like your DS won't mind and I am sure no one at the school would be offended. Have a fun party!

Pesky

I would invite who you DS wants.  We did invite friends from school but the invite list was very small and she only had 3 or 4 other friends there.

kmhunt11

I agree with pp- if he doesn't care I'd skip the classmates.  At three it feels like the last opportunity to not do a big thing!

Are you going to the older kids' parties from school?  DD is also in a montessori classroom, and we got an invite to a party for a girl who is turning 6.  I feel weird about going, but DD seems to like this girl, there's another 3yo (DD's bff) who is going, and I guess the parents knew they were inviting 3 year olds.  We're new in town and it'd be nice to meet some new people, and this would be DD's first birthday party.  I guess I've answered my questions  Just looking for thoughts I guess.  

FortMyersBride

Thanks for the replies, this makes me feel better about not having the energy to do a big party right now!

kmhunt- we have been going to the older kids' parties. There seems to be a good age mix at each one and DS seems to really have fun

karleegirl

At 3 ds enjoyed having school friends but it wasn't a huge thing. At 4 it was huge. We had to discuss the "guest list" 1000 times. So give yourself a break this yr and do the school friends party next yr.