Chuck E Cheese Parties?

[dandelionmom]

My 4 year old just was invited to a Chuck E Cheese birthday party for one of her preschool friends. The idea is almost giving me an anxiety attack!

What would you do?

[jayhawkmom]

Personally, I would not take my child.

1. There is pretty much nothing to eat.

2. There are handprints all over EVERYTHING.... even in the cleanest of CEC's.

3. I'd avoid it during cold/flu season just for THAT aspect, regardless of whether or not my kid could EAT there.

But, that's just me.

I think I'd send a gift and invite the child over for a special playdate on or before the kiddos birthday.

[gdobson]

Sorry, I wouldn't touch Chuck E Cheese with a stick. It's just so dirty in general I'ld be scared to death about gluten on every single thing in there.

I think inviting the birthday girl/boy over to play is a good and much safer idea. But I know, it's terrible for a child to feel left out, and I'm sorry.

[bbuster]

My son was not diagnosed until he was 10.

But I would do what I have done since then.

Bring gluten-free pizza for him.

Bring a cupcake for him.

Explain to the Mom of the birthday child what I was doing (when RSVP-ing)

Be there during the party.

If you want, you might call the CEC manager in advance and ask permission. I did this just last week for a end-of season basketball team party at a similar venue. They told me no problem.

You could choose not to go. But keep in mind that this scenario will replay itself for many years to come, between birthday parties, soccer end-of-season parties, school parties, etc. Each person has to decide what is right for their family.

But I am determined to keep my son's life as normal as I can, and I think the younger you can deal with it, the more it just becomes a way of life.

[Glutenfreefamily]

I hate chuck e cheese and my daughter always would get sick from visiting it even before gluten problems were visible. Usually colds or flus. That being said I would do what bev says. Celiac has a tendency to make you feel weird and odd as a kid especially if you dont know of others with the same intolerances and I try as hard as I can to make her feel normal. I had many health problems and it was very excluding the more my mom made everything different the more it brought down my self esteem and I was a very shy child. I would just tell my daughter that there is going to be gluten everywhere and to keep her from getting sick that she needs to be very careful with not putting her hands in her mouth while playing and wash her hands thoroughly before food and after food. I would bring my own bar soap too and a few paper towels just to make sure since Im sure the sinks are covered in it.

[jayhawkmom]

But I am determined to keep my son's life as normal as I can, and I think the younger you can deal with it, the more it just becomes a way of life.

I do agree with that... totally. However, when the child is 4 - they really have no clue about party invitations, venues, etc. And, if they miss it... they don't realize it, nor do they care. When they are 10, it's a whole different ballgame. =)

Even still, my daughter is approaching her 7th birthday. CEC would still be off limits, as it's just too dirty, period. Blech.

[Nic]

I also just bring a cupcake and pizza for him. I don't even call ahead to ask if it is ok, I feel like they are still getting their money for my kid being there why should they care if he needs special food. I have never had a problem with him getting cc from play areas.

Nicole

[mama2two]

My 4 year old just was invited to a Chuck E Cheese birthday party for one of her preschool friends. The idea is almost giving me an anxiety attack!

What would you do?

I don't care for CEC either because it is full of germs, like the other moms have said. However, we recently went to a Bday party there, I thought of skipping it, esp. since my daughter is not very good friends with the child, but my daughter is 5 and very social, she has a wonderful outgoing personality and people just flock to her and I want to be able to enjoy these outings just like everyone else. We went and I brought some cupcakes, extra incase anyone else wanted one, I try not to bring just one of something because I enjoy sharing food with others and it doesn't single her out so much either. Anyway, we went but if my child had as harsh a reaction as some of the other kids I maybe would have skipped it. She did not get sick and I am thankful for that, but i do cringe at the thought everytime someone mentions going there. My daughter actually wanted to have her party there, but I think I have convinced her otherwise, with a waterslide at home and do sack races, egg toss etc. There is always the chance that something comes up and you have a good reason to miss the party.

[Pattymom]

My 3.5 yr old dd was just invited to a "make your own Pizza and Cake" party. Could it be worse than that? However, she does understand a party and does really want to go. its' a girl from her dance class, and because she is so much smaller than everyone in the class, for the first several months, no one wanted to partner her, so she is so excited now to have a friend there.

I talked to the mom, they are just rolling out and topping premaid dough.

We are coming a little late with a crust and baking sheet in hand. She'll get her own bowl of toppings and bake first. Turned out the cake was decorate your own cupcakes, so that is fairly easy for me to bring along things too, and she'll look like everyone else, only with my cupcake. Who knew another child's Bday would require so much work

I would agree with attending the party and feeling normal is proabably worth it. though I also hate CEC, and will to not letting my other kids go to Feb party there before without glutne issues. it was the germ thing, in the middle of flue season. I htink I go to the invitation before them so they never knew.

Patty

[cruelshoes]

You could choose not to go. But keep in mind that this scenario will replay itself for many years to come, between birthday parties, soccer end-of-season parties, school parties, etc.

This is exactly why I would let my son go to a chuck e cheese party. I always tell him he has a choice with this disease - to avoid situations because there will be gluten there or to go do the things he wants to do and make modifications where necessary. I think kids as young as preschool do know when they are being left out of the party.

But if he did go to an event like that I would probably strip and completely decontaminate him as soon as he got home. I understand why some would choose not to send their kids to chuck's place for a party, but I would let my son go.

[home-based-mom]

Here's another thing to consider about CEC, besides germs and gluten. A friend would go with her grand kids when they were invited. She would take a book, order a soda, and sit by the door where she could see as much as possible but especially who came in and who went out. She described it as "pedophile paradise" because of all the unsupervised children running loose. A later newspaper article pretty much validated her opinion. While I don't remember any reports of abductions, there is apparently plenty of lurking, etc.

Where is that little green icon when I want him!

[Juliebove]

I take my daughter there occasionally. The only real safe thing for her to eat there is the salad bar and the cotton candy. The salad bar doesn't thrill her too much. So we often eat before we go there.

[ryebaby0]

Go! Go! Life is too short to skip parties and yes, it always takes some effort. But we decide what we want to do, and then figure out how to make it happen. A better outlook, I think, than seeing gluten everywhere.

That said, I agree that at 4 y.o., you may want to take a book, hang in a corner, and make sure she doesn't forget and eat something bad. Talk to the bday mom BRIEFLY to make sure she doesn't think "just a little cake" won't hurt

Have fun! You're a good mom for finding a way!

[dandelionmom]

Your responses are keeping the panic at bay, thank you! I think we'll go and skip eating (she'll understand and I'll stay to supervise). I might give her a complex with all the hand washing I'm going to insist on though!

[bbuster]

I do agree with that... totally. However, when the child is 4 - they really have no clue about party invitations, venues, etc. And, if they miss it... they don't realize it, nor do they care. When they are 10, it's a whole different ballgame. =)

Jayhawkmom, you make some good points.

Things to consider in general:

Can you trust your child not to give into temptation and eat something they shouldn't?

Is your child old enough not be be putting their hands in their mouth?

Is it worth the hassle factor to both you and your child - i.e. is this a big deal to the kid or no big deal, and do you have time to be there, make food, etc.

[bbuster]

Your responses are keeping the panic at bay, thank you! I think we'll go and skip eating (she'll understand and I'll stay to supervise). I might give her a complex with all the hand washing I'm going to insist on though!

Good attitude.

And as a Mom who has been to many CEC birthday parties, most of what I have seen at age 3,4,5 is a lot of wasted food. The kids are too excited about running off to play.

[Juliet]

I agree with most of the posters about going ahead and taking your child to CEC. However, this being said, I would not take either of my kids (almost 4 1/2 and 2 1/4) there right now since both are thumbsuckers. The youngest still sticks every inanimate object in her mouth, although she doesn't actually shove gluten food in her mouth. She just picks it up and puts it in the trash then sucks her fingers. Needless to say, she gets a lot of cross contamination . The oldest has occasionally gotten gluten from school because of touching shared objects then sucking his thumb later because he got hurt before he was able to wash his hands. Now, if he weren't a thumbsucker, or at the very least a little older and therefore able to control himself a little better about sticking his fingers in his mouth ONLY after washing his hands, I'd take him there. I really think it depends on the age and natural behavior of each child.

[2Boys4Me]

How timely. Ty went to a party at Chuck E. Cheese last February, and he's going tomorrow for a friend's party. He's 8 and is well versed in washing hands before/after everything.

Actually, tomorrow is a busy day for him, and I hope he doesn't starve. He has a friend who had two extra tickets to the monster truck show, so he and another boy from his class are going there from noon to 4. Then they're going to the second friend's house for a bit and then Chuck E Cheese for the second friend's birthday party. I'm sending him with an apple, cheese strings, Enjoy Life and Envirokids snack bars, a pizza and a piece of cheesecake. I'm pretty sure the only thing at the monster trucks he can have is popcorn, so we'll stuff him full of food before he goes and hope the snacks and pizza will be enough. He won't be getting home until about 9pm.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.