Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To not bother with party bags?

88 replies

JanetPlanet · 11/03/2011 10:31

My temporary contract has ended so I'm not working and I resent having to spend money on frigging bouncy balls etc when I've made an effort on food, drink, balloons and cake. However, my sister says party bags are expected and her kids will be 'devastated' if they don't get one!
Sorry if this issue has been done to death.

OP posts:

worraliberty · 11/03/2011 10:32

Devestated? Clearly these children have been MNetting on the quiet

worraliberty · 11/03/2011 10:33

Oops if I'm going to bold a word, best to spell it properly

TysonNobdie86 · 11/03/2011 10:33

I took ds to a party recently, no party bags and... the kids didnt care one bit.
Im doing party bags but that is because I am more of a kid than the 3 year olds that are invited

Original poster

JanetPlanet · 11/03/2011 10:34

I know!!! It made me not want to do party bags even more. Don't give a shit if they're devastasted! They've got more toys than toys r us. I'm a mean old aunty.

OP posts:

Ragwort · 11/03/2011 10:35

Party bags are an over-rated and expensive load of tat - the kids may be mildly disappointed but the parents will be delighted .

Rycie · 11/03/2011 10:52

YANBU!! I couldn't agree with you more, its ridiculous how much party bags add to the total cost. I give a piece of cake and a balloon to take home. That's how it was when we were small.

eileenslightlytotheleft · 11/03/2011 10:56

We went to a soft-play party and the host said he hadn't done party bags because they hadn't realised it was a tradition. None of the children commented or seemed to notice. Give them a balloon and a piece of cake wrapped in a napkin - which is what we used to get.

eileenslightlytotheleft · 11/03/2011 10:56

Oh and tell your sister that her kids don't have to come!

pantaloons · 11/03/2011 11:05

We've (mostly) quit the party bag thing round here, some parents still give a small something though. DS came home with a joke book the other week, which he loves and DD2 was given a Poppy and Sam activity book a while ago. The parents had a bran tub at the door with the books wrapped up and hidden. It's still an expense mind you, but not too bad from The Book People or similar and at least it's not tat!

ChaoticAngelofAnarchy · 11/03/2011 11:06

YANBU I've done them in the past but it wouldn't have bothered me if my dc had gone to a party and hadn't received one.

bemybebe · 11/03/2011 13:38

I am not british, so I get away with not having any bags on the basis of culture (I do not know any european country that does it either, please correct me if i am wrong).

i think if the party was fun, guests should be grateful for having good time and not expect any presents at the end.

Mishapen · 11/03/2011 13:41

I'd be relived if DS went to a party and didn't get a party bag. They come back stuffed full of sugar, the last thing they need is more sweets and some tat

megapixels · 11/03/2011 13:41

YANBU. It is such a waste of money anyway.

plupedantic · 11/03/2011 13:43

Would the kids prefer not to have cake/music? Treat it as a tradeoff, not a stupid consumerist pressure which belongs in the past decade.

StarExpat · 11/03/2011 13:44

at your sister!

wow....

SandStorm · 11/03/2011 13:46

As a parent whose house is full of bouncy balls and associated tat that comes with party bags I would be delighted if dd came home from a party empty handed! Don't think she'd be that bothered either.

onehotmomma · 11/03/2011 13:46

yanbu I normally throw the tat away as soon as they come through the door. They are more interested in the cake tbh

fifi25 · 11/03/2011 13:50

tell her to buy them then. They are just filled with rubbish which gets chucked...im would rather mine didnt get them. Mine got a lovely homemade thank-you card and a piece of cake last week which they were quite happy with

cerealqueen · 11/03/2011 13:52

Send them home with a piece of cake and a balloon and they'll be happy!

upyourdiva · 11/03/2011 13:53

I always feel the pressure to do them incase anyone moans

I don't do the whole throwaway thing well though, so last year I got a pack of Kung Fu panda plastic cups and curly straws then put in a piece of cake, a pencil and a small pack of Haribo.

Still an expense but I don't have the guts to do it without...

StarExpat · 11/03/2011 13:55

I just still can't believe there are people like that out there... like your sister... who would say or even think that children would be devastated (or even a little sad for that matter) over not getting a party bag!

just

Lonnie · 11/03/2011 14:05

The cake thing is definetly a British thing We always ate the cake at the table in my childhood (Denmark) I have done that at several parties my kids have had and they have loved doing it that way many parents comment on how much nicer that is than havign a slice of cake in a serviette.

Personally I like party bags but not the tat stuff. I often now go for the book people books for a present or a nice chocolate/straw nothing further.

lemonmousse · 11/03/2011 14:09

Bag of apples/satsumas - hand them one as they leave. The parents will be impressed at what a good health conscious Mummy you are - you may even set a precedent for future parties in your area.

Alwaysworthchecking · 11/03/2011 14:14

Good for you, OP! My dc went to a party recently where there were no party bags. They were both a bit taken aback and have discussed it several times since but they were most definitely not devastated! I, on the other hand, was rather pleased!

Tell the guests it's a retro-party: we never had party bags when I was small (1970s). You got a piece of cake and, if the party was a bit posh, a balloon. Also, if you played Pass the Parcel you got a present if you were the lucky one to get the last wrapper. There was none of this 'a sweet in every layer' malarkey.

post · 11/03/2011 14:37

We do a book from the book people too, you can often get sets of 10-15 books for £10, that and a piece of cake is lovely to go home with.
But nothing at all is of course completely fine, and you will be a hero to all the other (sensible) parents for being th efirst to do it.

Flip

1 2 3 4