If I said 'siblings welcome' do they need a party bag?

[INeedaDietcoke]

My son's bday party is coming up. A lot of DS's friends have younger siblings the same age as my youngest, so on the invites I said siblings welcome. It's a bouncy castle in our back garden vibe so not difficult to accommodate them, we get on well with the parents too.

I have however only done party bags (so far!) for the children who are my son's actual friends, not their siblings.

DH thinks I should do party bags for all. I'm not fussed one way or the other, happy to do them. But just wondered what other people thought? Is 'siblings welcome' as firm of an invite as 'you're invited to my party' and therefore do they need a party bag?

Yeah I would expect a party bag for anyone invited and celebrating ☺️

Yes I would do extra party bags for the siblings you know are coming and even more just incase others bring siblings unless you want tears at the end of the party.

If they've confirmed they're bringing the sibling, after you said 'siblings welcome', then I would count that sibling as being invited.

I once didn't make party bags for siblings of invited children after saying siblings were welcome. It did not go down well.
Looking forwards to the end of party bag era.

I think you've invited them by saying "siblings welcome" so they need a party bag. It's a bit different to saying "yes" to the odd parent who asks if they can bring a sibling because they are struggling for childcare (for example).

Yes, I did party bags for younger siblings when we had a similar situation.

Pretty unanimous and thanks for the cautionary tale @dairydebris!

I think I've shot myself in the foot a bit here as I decided to skip 'normal' party bags and went to The Works and got 10 books for £10, which felt like a great deal, a pound a book and no party bag tat. But if I'm covering siblings too I need to go and get another 10 hahaha so actually not as economical as I hoped.

But still, not worth upsetting kids over! So looks like I'm back to The Works this week. Thanks all!

Yes they should have an age-appropriate gift bag for having been invited and having attended your DC's birthday party, where all their friend attendees will be given party bags.
I hope you have a lovely day, and all of the guests at the party too!

Especially as the siblings are younger so will mind more/be less rational. Older siblings you would be more likely to get away with

Yes

Yes, and I always do a few spares as a nice surprise for siblings collecting at the end

Of course you need a party bag for everyone! It would be very awkward to tell the little ones they’ll be left without one. Is your younger child also not getting one?

Yes

Yes

Yes i'd make sure there was plenty of party bags available. Kids love a party bag!

Absolutely

Yes I would or you will end up with tears!

Ugh I fell for this once. My youngest friends all seem to have older siblings that are friends with my eldest. Casual party in the park. I did party bags for the kids, big bubbles for any toddler siblings not thinking the 10 year olds would be bothered. Well I was wrong 🙈 last minute Scrabble trying to make 'lolly catch' a fun game to distract the older ones 🤣

Yes, because you’ve invited them. Totally different if you said, no siblings but one still turned up on the day.

I would. I made that mistake once.

Yes.

Yes, you need spare party bags even just a balloon, cake type thing. Or just a bag with cake for older children?

We had this last year, did a whole class party for the 4 year old, just music, party games and snacks in a hall. We said parents were welcome to bring siblings but please let me know for catering, and had a couple of babies and toddlers turn up I expected plus 13 older children ageing 9-12 only 2 of which RSVP.

I had done the party bags for expected kids plus expected siblings and another couple of spares. I did not have 11 extra spares on top. I admit I also didn't expect some of the 10 and 11 year olds to be pushing all the 4 year olds out of the way to win running races and to win pass the parcel.

I expected parents to stay at that age, so had plenty of food and prizes like sweeties,
hair clasps, cars etc in a dip bucket but still had to scramble round to make extra gift bags as all the older children expected them too.

We also had a child arrive who was invited but hasn't RSVP, they brought a much older sibling with additional needs and the parent asked us multiple times to put the music off, stop it being too noisy for this additional child, and stop some of the party games they became triggered by. We did offer multiple times for them to leave the younger child at the party, and come back at the end. We offered to bring the younger child outside at the end to thier car if it made it easier. We also offered to let them go home early with party bags x 2. They insisted on all staying but they also kept asking for allowances such as being able to blow out the cake candles on the birthday cake, before the birthday child, pass the parcel upset them so they asked us to stop playing it, there was food ont the buffer the older child was not allowed and they asked us to remove it...

If we had actually invited them or know they were coming I would have really tried to make it better for them, with information in advance. At the time, there was little I could do without spoiling the party for 30 x 4 year olds we were expecting. We did have some help from a couple of family members, but it wasn't really possible to rearrange the whole party round this one 12 year old child and thier needs when we weren't even expecting them or thier younger sibling.

It did make me reconsider doing this type of party for my other child .

So neither of mine will be getting one 😅just realising I'm not as up to date on party bag etiquette as I thought!

My birthday boy isn't getting one because he is the host - he gets the presents and his guests get the party bags. That's how I've explained party bags work. He's turning 4, this is only really the second year of proper parties and party bags so I guess things could change on that later.

My youngest is 18m, and the siblings I know attending range from 18m-6w old. I don't think any children below 18m really know or care about party bags, but there are some siblings that are tbc who are older than this, and also I just cannot be arsed to cause any fuss or upset at all, so will 100% go and sort a book for each of them.

But yeah it's interesting to me as I've lugged my younger one around to all the 4yo birthday parties this year and never once expected a party bag for him! And before anyone comes for me, he's only gone if we've ok'd it with the parents - I learnt on mumsnet that bringing a baby along is apparently a massive faux pas too!

There isn't a shocked face reaction but everything about this is shocking!! It's made me realise I probably need to clarify with some of the families I don't know as well whether there will in fact be any siblings turning up - there may well be some I'm not aware of because they are at school already!

If you live close to an Asda they’re doing big bubble wands for about 58p. One of those and a little bag of Haribos would pass muster.