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Original poster

8 year olds birthday party, £5 In birthday card?

77 replies

MsMiaWallace · 03/10/2022 18:13

Do you think £5 in a card is too tight? DH says not I thought it was.
It's not a close friend just class mate & invited to my DS is invited to a party.

OP posts:
scrivette · 03/10/2022 20:19

I usually put £5 and give a book/stickers/chocolates for whole class parties. For smaller parties or good friends I would give a bit more.

Frazzled2207 · 03/10/2022 20:20

A tenner round here is usual but I think it’s fine if what you can afford. Send a decent packet of sweets too.

friedbrainrightnow · 03/10/2022 20:21

£10/15 standard here with small pressie to go alongside.
£20 for besties!

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Events & celebrations
TimeToGoUpAGear · 03/10/2022 20:23

What you can afford is the right amount.

I'd vote for £5 and a chocolate bar or haribos (if not vegetarian)

tachetastic · 03/10/2022 20:23

I would say put in what feels right for the child (given history of gifts, closeness of friends etc) and if that is a fiver then that is the right answer. To be honest, if someone gave my DS a fiver he would be just as happy as if someone spent five times that on a rubbish toy that ends up in the bin. Kids really, really don't care at that age.

Of course, if I was sending the card I would include a tenner but that's because I would be thinking more about what the parents think than the kids. 😂

genuinelyaskingforafriend · 03/10/2022 20:24

I'd say £10

LaPufalina · 03/10/2022 20:26

We've not given or received cash yet for class parties! This might be a revelation Blush I'll try and kickstart the trend!

CollyWibbleWobbles · 03/10/2022 20:26

NisekoWhistler · 03/10/2022 18:38

In 1987 that was the going rate, that's far too tight now

Don't be so rude , in 1987 I could buy a week's shopping for two for £20
You are talking out of your arse
5 quid is fine @MsMiaWallace

BusySittingDown · 03/10/2022 20:30

I think it's perfect!

Notjustabrunette · 03/10/2022 20:31

Round my way it’s a £10er. That’s about what I would spend on a present.

jolene90 · 03/10/2022 20:32

Singleandproud · 03/10/2022 19:23

Depends where you live and the income of parents surely. If you live in a lower income area where most are on minimum wage compared to Richmond where everyone lives in £800000+ homes I'd expect gifts and parties themselves to be vastly different.

Low income area £5 in a card and a bag of sweets is the norm here, £10 at a push for a non bestfriend. DDs best friend I'll spend £20+ on but they've been friends for a decade and DD has largely taken over gift buying for her friends now.

I would also say the opposite can also be true. In an affluent area kids have so much and parents don't like the idea of excess.

StupidSmallFruit · 03/10/2022 20:37

In an affluent area kids have so much and parents don't like the idea of excess.

That sentence really doesn’t work!

If the parents genuinely ‘don’t like excess’, then the kids wouldn’t have so much. But they do have so much, so obviously the parents have absolutely no problem with excess. 😉

Glitterspy · 03/10/2022 20:41

I generally go with a guesstimate of what the ‘cost’ of the party would be (go ape party kid gets a bigger present than sleepover at home party kid) plus £5-10.

I have two primary aged kids and have never ever given or received money in a card, it’s definitely not standard around here.

Rather than putting cash in a card can’t you go to The Works and get a book or toy set? Then the effort is there, cash in a card is for teenaged relatives and even then I’d make an effort to give a voucher for something they liked.

StarDolphins · 03/10/2022 20:45

If I was going to give money, I’d either put £.10, in or £5 with big bar of choc. Even magazines are more expensive now than £5.

Oblomov22 · 03/10/2022 20:45

Perfect!

WhoKnowsProbsNotMe · 03/10/2022 20:48

Kids that age have a party every second weekend (assuming you only have one younger kid if not it’s every weekend) I wouldn’t expect anything and would be pleased with £5 that should feel like a lot at the age of 8 IMO…each to their own if they want to give more, but to pick it out and have judgement on it is a bit much x

jolene90 · 03/10/2022 20:48

Ok let me rephrase. The kids have so much so getting £10 of crap from 30 kids offends their middle class / environmental sensibilities.

Galarunner · 03/10/2022 20:50

Fiver is fine, I have occasionally had kids coming with nothing or a mum saying I'm sorry I forgot I'll bring it to school tomorrow and it never materialises. Didn't bother me at all. I would have quite happily said no gifts but my kids would have killed me.

Mammed · 03/10/2022 20:54

DD had a whole class party for her 8th birthday a few years ago, £5 in the card was what 90% of them gave. A couple bought a small gift and 2 of them put £10 in the card.
DD was equally made up with each one.

KeepOutingMyselfAnotherNameChange · 03/10/2022 20:56

Would always give £10

tachetastic · 03/10/2022 20:58

Maybe it's just us, but in all honesty at the end of a birthday party I don't have a clue who brought which gift (because DSs or DDs tore the paper off without checking) and I'm just really grateful that people came and made the day special.

At eight years old a five pound note is really special. Get three or four of those from different guests and they can buy something they really want. It's plenty.

Rebecca34 · 03/10/2022 20:59

I used to buy gifts or a book, but than one parent asked in a very nice way, please don't give a gift, a fiver towards to a trip to the toyshop would be appreciated.

I did that too for my son and he was able to buy a big thing he really wanted, much better than multiple toys, some of which he loved, some he played with once and some never looked at. I would rather get 10 €5 notes than 10 presents costing €10 or 15.

Now I mostly give money.

Tallulasdancingshoes · 03/10/2022 21:17

£10 is a what people give for classmates round here. More for very good/best friends.

Marellatea · 03/10/2022 21:31

I think it’s fine. For best friends we tended to spend a bit more (no more than £10).

allboysherebutme · 03/10/2022 22:05

I would not give less than £10. X