Princess party favours for boys as an alternative to wands

[Colourfulchameleons]

DD(3) party is next weekend. The venue let you choose a theme and despite her brother putting some not so subtle pressure on her, she’s gone with princesses. There are a lot of boys attending and the venue are happy to do more neutral themes with the party bags but I was going to give little wands out.

I am perfectly happy for all the boys to have wands but I just don’t think they’ll be interested (and I do know the boys well; one is my own son.) Can anyone think of a small gift that’s a sort of equivalent?

I'm not sure which part I'm finding odder the fact all the boys you know have the same likes or the fact you're inviting all your sons friends to your daughters birthday?

The very fact she’s stood firm in her decision to have princesses despite gentle persuasion from her brother is indicative otherwise I would have thought.

It is going to be an array of pink, balloons and princesses and napkins and everything. No harm in a frog or two mixed in. People have tastes and a lot of the time as they find who they are those tastes reflect what they ‘should’ like.

DS has always been into tractors and he loves football but he’s also enthusiastic about nature and wildlife and loves animals, is quite gentle wi the younger children and at heart very kind albeit somewhat prone to over enthusiasm.

I’m not blaming the boys, I’m blaming you. And the fact that you can’t see you are part of the problem is really depressing. 🤦🏽‍♀️ why do you think the boys ‘would prefer’ frogs/swords over a wand? Is it because the wands are pink?

When people post like this I wonder if they were the mean girls at school who declared how ‘weird’ anyone was who wasn’t exactly like them. The rest I’m not really fussed about responding to - I can’t believe such an innocuous thread has gone so unpleasant.

Glo stick wands, glo stick swords. Foam swords Harry Potter magician wands

I would just do a big basket with a mix of wands some more princesssy style and some more wizard style ones. Then offer them to the children so they can choose, there's no forced stereotype then but something every child may like.

The boys aren’t demanding this. The OP is because her son wouldn’t want a wand

This response shows the opposite though. All your sons friends by your own admission dislike a pretend magical wand toy so much you're changing the party bags at his sister's party to accommodate them?

It's her party he doesn't even need a party bag if it's going to cause this many problems?

So if I give them all a wand, it’s a waste of money, but hey, I’m not part of the problem then am I?

The ‘problem’ is not children having different tastes. You must be able to see that I can’t cater for every child’s individual and wonderful personality in one small, cheap party favour.

The problem is school shoes for girls that don’t let them run freely and then we say in ten years time that girls don’t exercise; the ‘problem’ is women’s talk dismissed as gossip as on a thread this morning. I could go on.

But I think enough now - I do have a lot on my mind and I am upset enough to just think fuck it; they can just have the generic party bags the venue will give out.

No, I’m not changing th party bags.

The venue provide party bags. The child can choose one. I was going to give them something extra, on top, just a little thing. That’s all.

I like @Fireside10 ‘s idea.
or wooden wands they can decorate
or wands/ frogs/ wands and frogs for everyone
Definitely not swords for boys and wands for girls

My sons went to a party with a similar party bag conundrum. The party host just went around with the party bags and said to each child would you like an X or a Y. When all the Y’s ran out the final few children were just told “we only have Xs left, here’s your party bag”.
I think that worked quite well…

Give them all a tin of peas 😂.

Yes, these choices! Amazon do a multi-pack of fibre-optic wands too.

You must be able to see that I can’t cater for every child’s individual and wonderful personality in one small, cheap party favour.

exactly, which is why you should just give them all what your daughter likes. It’s her birthday, and she likes wands, anyone who doesn’t want a wand (for whatever reason) can suck it up!

But I think enough now - I do have a lot on my mind and I am upset enough to just think fuck it; they can just have the generic party bags the venue will give out.

this is precisely what you should do. Planning parties is hard enough without adding to your load. No child has ever looked back on a 3 yo’s party and thought ‘those party bags were amazing!’ Cut yourself some slack, stop forcing awful stereotypes on boys and girls and have a blast at the party.

Glo sticks sound good, could stick them in a pot and let them choose to pop into their party bag. Also I don’t think you’re being sexist thinking of an alternative loads of 5/6 year old boys wouldn’t want princess wands. Absolutely no problem that some do of course.

Edited as saw your update - the generic ones will be fine too kids just like something to take away it’s not worth stressing yourself out.

I would give everyone a frog and a wand and then everyone is happy.

Surely they all need light sabers!

Then don’t give them anything. It’s hardly going to ruin anyone’s day if they get a crappy plastic toy that they don’t like is it? Don’t like the wand? Don’t have one.

separating into boys and girls at age 3 would definitely make me raise my eyebrows and I wouldn’t be impressed. The idea of swords as well…. Cool let’s give the girls a magic wand and the boys a weapon.

Harry Potter is a boy
wands are fine

Why do they need a gift at all? It’s not their birthday!
Party bags with cake and bits of plastic tat is the norm isn’t it?

Wands for girls and swords for boys. Oh my goodness 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'd go with wands too. Yes, some boys might not want one but for every boy that doesn't want a wand there will be a girl that doesn't want one too. As a girl I wouldn't have wanted a wand - my DS would though.

We're still battling our own ingrained prejudices I think, and as as soon as we're faced with a boy that doesn't want a wand we think it's because he's a boy, but actually it's just because he doesn't want a wand. 🤷‍♀️

But it's not your son's party?? Who gives a shit if the boys would prefer a shotgun or an axe..or you assume they would. It needs to be all about your daughter and what she wants.

He can learn that he does not come first before his sister on her own birthday. That sometimes we adapt to different social situations and accept what we are offered politely. And the best part of that is, your daughter learns that she is equal and her interests are just as valid as any boys. This is such an odd thread.

I hate swords, my two got some at Warwick castle and I eventually had to hide them behind the desk in the study because someone was always getting their eye poked out even though they were foam.