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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Commercial party bags

30 replies

boston84 · 23/05/2012 08:21

Attended a party where commercial party bags are given to the children. DD's bag contained hair bobbles, tacky plastic bracelet, charm and stickers. Ds's contained really cool toys including a yo-yo.
AIBu to expect party bag manufacturers to at least include some toys in girl's party bags.
My dd's hair is too short to tie back for a start.

OP posts:

ParsleyTheLioness · 23/05/2012 08:22

Sounds like the old Lucky Bag re-branded as a party bag. They were a bit crap too!

MrsFruitcake · 23/05/2012 08:35

Oh I remember the lucky bags. Was the treat of the month if DM came home from the shops with one of those!

ParsleyTheLioness · 23/05/2012 08:41

There is a unit near me in Stoke on Trent who still makes them. In fact they have Lucky Bags in their name. I always wondered where they sold them. Now I know...

glenthebattleostrich · 23/05/2012 08:55

My friend has just started her own business doing this. Her bags are fantastic and she doesn't go in for this shiny pink plastic shit for girls and blue plastic shit things for boys. She puts in stuff like cool craft kits, yo-yo's for both genders, little books etc.

It really annoys me that some people get away with selling this crap.

halcyondays · 23/05/2012 08:56

I used to love Lucky bags.

GateGipsy · 23/05/2012 08:57

I've only used prepacked party bags once, when I was really stuck for time. There's a huge variety to choose from though. I went with bags that had a gruesome bug in the for the boys, and a pony for the girls. That genderisation is one reason why I prefer to do my own.

Dappylittlemomma · 23/05/2012 09:21

YANBU, I get really annoyed with the whole pink sparkly tat for girls and fun toys that do stuff for boys. OP, please write to the company and make them aware of this gender discrepency, unisex small child toys are not exactly tricky to think of.

Original poster

boston84 · 23/05/2012 13:22

Yep just looked at bags and are branded lucky bags.

OP posts:

Original poster

boston84 · 23/05/2012 13:23

dd has left the stuff from her bag on the coffee table. However, she was really excited by the contents of ds's bag. Should have asked for a boy one I suppose.

OP posts:

TheHouseOnTheCorner · 23/05/2012 13:32

I never buy those pre-filed things. I am more likely to buy one decent thing for each child...not a huge gift but a cute handsewn owl keyring was one thing I did once...that attached to a clear cello cone of sweets and fnished with a ribbon or sticker is lovely for most kids.

I hand cake in a napkin as it is usually scoffed on the way home no?

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 23/05/2012 13:38

I used to love the idea of Lucky bags, but it was always a bit disappointing, the sweets were crap and I always seemed to get a soldier with a parachute attached that rarely worked or took off over next doors fence in a sudden gust.

Original poster

boston84 · 23/05/2012 13:39

I normally give a small book and some sweets when I do them. However, this particular venue provides the bags as part of the party deal so no real choice unfortunately.

OP posts:

Ithinkitsjustme · 23/05/2012 13:40

Can you point out to your friend that the girls bags were a bit crap without making it sound judgemental (just for future reference)?
I don't think I've ever used these bags - always made up my own or done a lucky dip.
I remember lucky bags with nostalgia - the sweetie lipsticks (closest I got to a real one until I was 18!!) and my mother moaning about what a waste of money they were!

solidgoldbrass · 23/05/2012 13:41

It's always pissed me off that so much of that sort of thing is so gender-specific when it really doesn't have to be. Why not just make neutral ones with crayons/dice/bouncy ball/balloon/plastic animal or whatever? It would make life so much easier, for one thing, no rowing over who gets what bag or having the wrong number for each gender and having stupid parents refuse the wrongly-gendered one...

Want2bSupermum · 23/05/2012 13:52

DD isn't one yet but I am taking my neighbours idea when it comes to party bag. She buys crayola sets that are reduced after Christmas. We are in the US so the sets she buys are normally $10 but are priced between $2-4 in the sale. She buys hundreds of these sets (she has 4 children and they invite the whole class of 30-35 children for each party) and as they are gender neutral they work well instead of party bags.

redwhiteandblueeyedsusan · 23/05/2012 13:54

they ae good compaed to some of the ones we have received from parties. 4 tiny crayons, a picture to colour, a couple of sweets and a piece of cake supplied by the host (which she doesn't eat)

Scholes34 · 23/05/2012 14:11

We used to just stick with sweets and a slice of cake. Children are happy and parents are happy because there's no plastic tat.

anniemcphee · 23/05/2012 14:24

I try to have COOL party bags, but to be honest you will never please everyone.
For DDs 2nd birthday I bought little backpacks and filled them with crayons, colouring books, a pack of chocolate buttons, and a bath toy. Thought I had done right by all, but one boy paddied as I bought him Mickey mouse backpack not a tinkerbell one. I get that I was steriotyping in a way, but he LOVED Mickey and the girls all loved tinkerbell. I thought I was doing right.

My SIL goes down the plastic tat route and the kids love it.

OatcakeCravings · 23/05/2012 14:38

Don't judge! I had planned on wrapping a book for each of the kids coming to DS's birthday party (his 4th), when I told him this he was in absolute tears because "everyone gives out party bags". He's right, I relented and have just bought 18 of the darn things (pre-filled) online with next day delivery for his party this weekend. Yes I know I'm a mug but I work full-time and dont' have time to trawl the pound shops to make them up!

I can't remember whats in them - I went for unisex - but I'm sure that it is totally crap!

Original poster

boston84 · 23/05/2012 14:42

This isn't about the party host though. My gripe is with the party venue for using these gender specific products. Don't know why they can't do unisex ones.

OP posts:

Petsinmypudenda · 23/05/2012 14:43

What happened to cake in a napkin? When did we get so mercenary that our children need a swag bags to attend a party and if its not good enough we bitch and whine?

I sound like my mother but its true

Ithinkitsjustme · 23/05/2012 14:44

I tend to put books in party bags (buy a set from bookpeople at about £1 each), I actually had a mother moan that there weren't enough sweets in them! I had put a small packet of sweets, a small bar of chocolate, a balloon and the cake as well as a book - I thought that was pretty good tbh!

Original poster

boston84 · 23/05/2012 14:48

I didn't make it clear in op but the party we attended was actually my ds's. I opted for a nice easy party where everything is provided. Used same venue last year. It was much cheaper than and I topped up party bag with nice unisex items. However, this year they bumped up the cost by 25% and the only difference is these new party bags.

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 23/05/2012 14:49

Ithinkitsjustme. The mother moaned?

Ithinkitsjustme · 23/05/2012 14:50

Floggingmolly - yes, beggars belief doesn't it!

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