My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

To hate party bags?

28 replies

MummyPig24 · 01/10/2012 09:30

Do any parents truly want a bag of plastic tat and sweets? Do the children actually care? I'm thinking of alternatives for the dcs party because I know how much I hate party bags. The plastic toys always break within half an hour. Waste of money no?

OP posts:
Report
SavoyCabbage · 01/10/2012 09:31

I am doing marbles. I have printed off and laminated how to play a game.

Report
moogstera1 · 01/10/2012 09:32

I'm sure the parents don't want a bag of tat.
Children, however love them and that's who they're for.

Report
freddiefrog · 01/10/2012 09:32

I buy packs of books from The Book People/Redhouse

You can get about 10 books for around a tenner (for DD2's birthday this year I bough a pack of 15 sticker books for £11.99).

Book, piece of cake, a small pack of Haribo or something, job done

Report
OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 01/10/2012 09:33

Entertainment and excitement is never a waste of money IMO. There are plenty of party leaving/thank you gifts that aren't all plastic tat if you want to give something better.

I love party bags, and so do children. I think yabu.

Report
UniS · 01/10/2012 09:34

YANBU
party bags are rubbish.

That said, we did party bags last year , as it was an easy way to do "pudding" after a cafe lunch. Dairy free bags of bisciuts, Haribo and a pack of moshi monster cards each. worked perfectly and way cheaper than cafe cake for 6 kids ( 2 of whom were dairy intolerant). Its plastic tat I dislike more than the sweets.

Report
bigsnugglebunny · 01/10/2012 09:34

When I was a child, I used to love the party bag - maybe I was easily pleased? Sometimes it was the highlight of the party and I'd be sad (and ungrateful, brat that I was) if there wasn't one.

As a child of the 80's, party bags used to contain: Cake wrapped in a napkin, a bouncy ball, pot of bubbles, box of smarties, balloon and a lolly Smile

Report
MummysHappyPills · 01/10/2012 09:34

Yabu. When I was little the best part of a party was the party bag!Grin

Report
bigsnugglebunny · 01/10/2012 09:35

ooh YABU by the way

Report
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/10/2012 09:36

Kids love them and they don't have to be full of tat.

In the past we've put books (split packs from book people), colouring books and pencils, little craft kits as well as the obligatory cake and small bar of chocolate.

YABU to just fill them with tat, YANBU to give well thought out party bags.

Report
WorraLiberty · 01/10/2012 09:38

Blimey, do you give party bags to the parents too?

That's a new one on me Grin

Kids love them and that's all that matters to me.

Report
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/10/2012 09:39

My DC are older now (10 and nearly 13) but they were delighted by Party Bags and came home clutching them (or more likely diving in on the way home).

If you don't like the plastic crap, why not a little tube/bottle of bubblebath -M&S do Fruity Beauty type packs of 6-8 bottles. Then they can be used that day and it's done with.
(Don't know about boys though)

Report
monkeysbignuts · 01/10/2012 09:40

I hate party bags too. Its always shite plastic crappy toys. We got whistles in our party bags last time, can you think of anything more irritating for a parent than two kids with plastic whistles following you round the house!!
for my daughters party I got a big bag of mini haribo packs and a big bag of cadbury treat size buttons, the kids picked one of each plus a piece of birthday cake and were more than happy :)
yanbu

Report
ElectricSoftParade · 01/10/2012 09:48

For my DS's party when he was 3 I did not do party bags and it is still mentioned now by some of the mothers and children. DS is now 8. Sad I was being all "I hate party bags and I won't do them" but didn't realise the long-term implications!

Since then, I have done party bags but I still hate the bloody things.

Report
ElectricSoftParade · 01/10/2012 09:49

Sorry, should have said YANBU.

Report
dysfunctionalme · 01/10/2012 10:10

You can't do much about the party bags your kids bring home but with your own kids' parties you have choices -

  • don't provide party bags
  • provide quality take home e.g. like a book
  • do an activity that involves making something like screenprinting a t-shirt or beading so the children have a nice take home gift rather than a bag of tat
Report
Scholes34 · 01/10/2012 10:30

Socks - socks are good. I found some women's socks in Tesco for 75p a pair with boxes of popcorn on them, which I gave to my DS2's friends when they came for a DVD/sleepover party (11th birthday). They don't look like women's socks and they were delighted to have them. Similarly, I found socks with tents on for DD's 14th birthday camping in the garden sleepover.

Report
Scholes34 · 01/10/2012 10:31

Just to add - I wouldn't normally do party bags at the age of 14, or even 11, but the socks were too good to miss.

Every little helps . . .

Report
Chandon · 01/10/2012 10:35

hi mummypig, I don't liek party bags so i gave up on the idea when the DC were 6.

Some people think I am "brave", but tbh the kids don't care. We do a fun party, lots of treats, that should be enough, and it is.

Report
ihatethecold · 01/10/2012 10:40

I'm not doing them for my DD party at the weekend, she will be 9.
It becomes too expensive, there are 18 kids coming!!
It a swimming pool party and food after.
I just cant afford to buy loads of extra tat.

And i really am not fussed if anyone has am issue with it Grin

Report
halcyondays · 01/10/2012 10:48

They're not for the parents, they're for the kids. They are supposed to contain sweets, and annoying party hooters. Parents aren't meant to like them. Grin

Report
AdoraBell · 01/10/2012 12:03

I hate them. They are filled with sugary sweets and bits of plastic tat that get left in the DD's wake and really aggravate meAngry

Disclaimer, when I do party bags I fill them with sugary sweets and bits of plastic tat that get left in the DC's wake, 'cos I know the DCs love thatGrin

Report
ShatnersBassoon · 01/10/2012 12:08

YABU. Party bags aren't meant to be tasteful and worthwhile, they're a token gesture to make the partygoers less sad about going home. Give a child a bag of small things and they're happy.

Report

Newsletters you might like

Discover Exclusive Savings!

Sign up to our Money Saver newsletter now and receive exclusive deals and hot tips on where to find the biggest online bargains, tailored just for Mumsnetters.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Parent-Approved Gems Await!

Subscribe to our weekly Swears By newsletter and receive handpicked recommendations for parents, by parents, every Sunday.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 01/10/2012 12:16

the important bit it that kids really like them
also, they are invaluable in terms of signalling "the party's over and you all need to get the fuck out of my house so I can open the wine, there's your bag, off you pop".

Report
Startailoforangeandgold · 01/10/2012 12:21

Books are good, lucky dips of one 50p to a £1 note books, decent pens, power balls etc are fine.
A piece of cake and a packet of Haribos is best. Cheap and nothing to find a home forGrin

Please no balloons, no one ever blows up, plastic puzzles no one plays with or very cheap pencils that don't sharpen.

Report
Startailoforangeandgold · 01/10/2012 12:22

Oh and DD2 says absolutely no chocolate birthday cake, she hates it and she doesn't see why SH or Mummy need cake.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.