Kids parties and present value should be about the same as party cost?

Not heard this either.
Also I think it's hard to know the cost of a party unless it's a well advertised party at a specific venue.
Suggesting hiring a hall is cheaper is not necessarily the case unless they do nothing else in the hall. Once a bouncy castle or entertainer is added plus then buying the food, it usually works out the same as going to a venue where someone else does all the work so it is actually lower effort!

I’d rather people just come and enjoy the party to be honest. The present really isn’t important.

I don’t like it when this ‘rule’ is applied to weddings, let alone kids’ birthday parties. (And, yes, I know it’s standard practice in Ireland, etc.) It’s absolutely fine for guests to choose a gift within their own budget, and for the party host to throw a party that fits their budget.

@ElatedMauveFox are you ok?

I have never heard that. I live in quite an affluent area and most parents pay about £200-400 for a party but everyone gives approximately £10. I guess it is quite area dependant. Not sure how you would always work out the cost of every party though according to your rule? It doesn’t sound that fair to the child.

No!!!

I have thrown my child some ridiculous parties. Not every year, but sometimes we splurge. I want her and her guests to have a great time.

Any gifts from friends should be small.

I’ve never heard of this “rule” but think it’s ridiculous.

It also isn’t practically possible. My DD is invited to a party in a village hall in a few weeks - I’ve no idea until we turn up how much the cost is. Have they got expensive entertainment? Rented a bouncy castle? Gone all out with the decorations? I don’t know. Should I buy a few presents of varying value, and then select the most appropriate once the party is over and I’ve judged how much the party was worth and therefore how much I owe?

Protocol is to take the birthday gift with you to the party to hand over to the birthday child. How can you judge how much host has spent before attending the party?

Anyway OPs idea is nonsense. Where did you pick that up from?

I give a tenner in a card for all presents, I really can't be arsed to shop for a child that I don't know very well.

To be honest, I'd prefer to be given cash too but I can't dictate what people gift us. DD had a party and she received 29 gifts, it was very overwhelming because it was just so much stuff but she loved it all.

Yabu. No value should be expected. I generally spend £5-10, regardless of cost of the party. I don't expect any presents from guests, and would far rather they came without a present then didn't come at all.

No anything that you get times 30 is crap. Doesn’t matter if it’s a £10 connect 4 game or a £20 LEGO set. I don’t want any of it 30
times. I just want my children to celebrate with their friends

I think you may be thinking of weddings?! Definitely not a thing for kids' parties 😂

Go into Home Bargains - pick out the special buy toy of the week at £4.99, card for .29p.

Rinse and repeat.

I wouldn’t want my kids to have that many presents even if it was a thing. Thankfully it’s not - presents seem to float around £10-£15 but I only know that as we tend to get lego
sets a lot as well as buying them for other kids. What I spend on my kid’s party is a separate thing altogether

I don’t understand this. If I have enough money for a £300 birthday party then I have money for birthday gifts for my child. I’d rather not have ten lots of £30 gifts that are things my child might not be interested in, she already has lots of or are clutter. I would prefer something smaller like a book, activity book, £10 for piggy bank or something edible that can used up.

I spend between £5-£15, if at the lower end, its because I’ve sourced a discounted present in a sale. The parties DD attends often cost £500-£3,000 to host, depending on venue and entertainment, the hosts aren’t expecting to recoup the cost via gifts. I don’t link gift cost to party outlay.

£10 presents are crap? Not good enough for you?

Not at all- I hate getting 30 crap presents from a class party, I’d rather get none. 30 £10 presents sounds like a nightmare 😭

We spend about 15-20, irrespective of venue, which seems the norm round here. Some will give more, some less. I’d rather a kid came with a packet of stickers or a picture/card they’ve drawn and enjoyed the party than their parent(s) overstretching themselves financially or opting out of the party. Some hosts do extravagant party bags, some do a bag of sweets - either is fine. Parents who dump siblings at parties unannounced piss me off massively though.

Not only is your idea ridiculous, but your costings seem off too. Hosting a party in a garden isn't £2 a head if you do food and a party bag, and especially not if you hire a bouncy castle. It's up to parents to spend what they see fit on a party and up to guests to choose a present they think is appropriate too. I do spend more if both my children attend though.

No. This is a very money-centred, materialistic view of things. Am I supposed to google the party venue and guess which package the parents have booked?

DD’s been to parties in community halls that would have been relatively low cost (should I have emailed them to check room hire rates then asked about guest numbers to work out the cost of my DD’s attendance?) and ones where a group was taken out for lunch in town and given substantial party bags. The birthday children were given presents of similar value, around £15-18. The ones with richer parents are not more deserving.

I've never heard of that before

My DS is 6. Regardless of party type, whether it's laser tag, soft play, village hall, or garden, everyone gets a fiver in a card.

I'm lazy. I don't want to go shopping for random kids who I don't know. I have no idea what they like, what they already have, what they're in to, etc. So a fiver in a card it is.

Absolutely not.

You have no power over what sort of party the hosts organise and the costs of it.

Therefore you have no responsibility to match their (over)spending.

You buy a gift you think the child will like that's in your own personal budget.

We always spend £10-15.