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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU not wanting to give out party bags?

268 replies

surreynotsurrey · 08/02/2017 22:44

Wait, you've been invited to a party, fed, watered, entertained, not had to tidy up or pay for anything AND you expect a party bag?!

OP posts:
BusterGonad · 09/02/2017 09:24

Elphaba Grin

Nickname1980 · 09/02/2017 09:27

To those who give party bags - just wondering - what age do you start?

BusterGonad · 09/02/2017 09:31

From the very first party with friends and still do now he's 8 knocking on 9! All kids love a party bag and parties are all about the kids imo. I can't say I enjoy sourcing the goods but it's worth it!

Bumpsadaisie · 09/02/2017 09:34

Party bags are such a big thing for the kids. I can remember my own excitement about them. So I do them even tho they're a pain ....

hibbledobble · 09/02/2017 09:36

We give book people books : very well received and cheap, plus I know they won't end straight in the bin like party bag tat.

SaorAlbaGuBrath · 09/02/2017 09:37

I wish we didn't get party bags, the shite that's in them causes arguments, gets broken and just generally irritates me. The last ones had a plastic whistle in each (who the fuck thought that was a good idea?????)

Ohyesiam · 09/02/2017 09:40

Give then a pitch of cake in a( paper) bag. Then they go home, works for me.

BusterGonad · 09/02/2017 09:42

A plastic whistle! 😂 I bet the party bag supplier was laughing their heads off that evening thinking about the poor parents dealing with that noise all night long!

RubyWinterstorm · 09/02/2017 09:51

There are 2 things I never got about birthday parties, being orrin

  • why don't you eat the cake, but take it home, wrapped up in a paper napkin making it all squashed and unappetising?!
  • why party bags? At all?

but especially the cake thing continues to baffle me.

Despite having integrated into British life 99%, I just cannot do the cake thing. Instead I hand it out on plates and we all eat it there and then Grin

ExplodedCloud · 09/02/2017 10:00

I've managed to combine a nice little book with tat for under £1.25 this year so I'm feeling a bit smug about party bags right now. Don't you be bursting my bubble!

hibbledobble · 09/02/2017 10:02

ruby we do the same with cake, and to be fair I have never seen anyone do the cake in a party bag thing. I think it's something one only hears about on mumsnet.

BusterGonad · 09/02/2017 10:02

Ruby my son has been to a lot of non British birthday party's and they do party bags. Can't remember if the cake was in them or not. I think the cake goes in the bag as the children are stuffed full of party food. It is silly though as it never looks as nice squashed within an inch of its life!

livingthegoodlife · 09/02/2017 10:04

I love party bags. So traditional! They only cost about £1, piece of cake in a napkin, couple of plastic toys/tat and happy children all around!

I think they are an integral part of party hosting!

BusterGonad · 09/02/2017 10:04

Hibble at most parties the cake goes home in the bag, sometimes it's eaten at the party and put in the bag too but I'd say 90% of the time there is always a slice in the bag regardless of if you've already had a piece! 😂

gingercoffee · 09/02/2017 10:11

How old are your children? It probably matters more to younger children I would think. My daughter's been to lots of 11 yo parties and not got one, and not batted an eyelid. I think her 6 year-old self would have been a bit miffed though.

Saying that though, it's up to you, you're giving the party.

roundtable · 09/02/2017 10:22

Parents will love you - children will hate you. Grin

We call party bags the 'go home bags'. I prefer some of the other suggestions though! For weeks you find bits of tat in random places. I now wait until they go out and bin them.

hibbledobble · 09/02/2017 10:38

buster maybe it's a regional thing?

I'm in London and have never seen the cake in a bag, and we have been to dozens of parties.

ElphabaTheGreen · 09/02/2017 11:45

Up north here, and we always get the cake in the bag.

As a non-Brit myself, I, too, think this is odd. At the childhood parties I went to in my Australian yoof, cake was always eaten at the party, after birthday boy/girl did the first 'make a wish' cut after blowing out the candles.

DebbieDownersgiveitarest · 09/02/2017 11:49

You have to do them, you can be as create as you like though, dot com gift shop always has great sales and cute things to put in - a bit nicer than the party bag sections in supermarkets etc. DC adore them - you have to do them. But what you put in - is another matter.

Seeds is another cute one for this time of year - sweet pea seeds Smile ( and cake obv)

DebbieDownersgiveitarest · 09/02/2017 11:49

Always cake in bag here

Believeitornot · 09/02/2017 11:52

I put the cake in a separate bag for my dcs. Just some cheap sandwich bags.

I love party bags. They're a good signal for people to go home and the kids love them. I usually make an effort and put what I think is nice stuff in them

jcne · 09/02/2017 12:28

try just opening all the doors at kicking out time, like pubs do.

my baby hasn't even been born yet and I'm already exasperated by all these nonsensical, materialist traditions 🙄

jcne · 09/02/2017 12:29

I'm going to be a give them a bag of bird seed kind of a mother. there is an aesop's fable in there somewhere

ElphabaTheGreen · 09/02/2017 12:31

Good luck with that jcne.

Bookmark this thread and come back to it in three or four years. Get the rock you're going to crawl under in humiliation ready first, though Grin

birdsdestiny · 09/02/2017 12:36

At my sons birthday I was so focussed on putting the cake in the party bags that I cut it all up and started wrapping it in napkins, it was only then I realised we hadn't sung happy birthday or blown the bloody candles out. I had to piece the cake back together. The other mums there were Shock