AIBU not wanting to give out party bags?

[surreynotsurrey]

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?!

Party bags are a must for me, the tattier the stuff the better. DS was at a party recently and got a posh party bag, it was a lovely little gift bag that cost £3 with proper stuff in it, a set of expensive colouring pencils, a wooden toy and a teeny pack of Haribo. I much prefer the garish, plasticy bags with plastic whistles and loads of sweets.

I'm cringing on behalf of the sanctimonious bird seed packet poster. You will save a lot on parties because no one will want.to come! It reminds me of the party where the party food was broccoli soup and each child got an appliqued t-shirt in lieu of party bag.

Elphaba that is honestly one of THE BEST comebacks I have ever read. Seriously some funny shit right there.

I like doing party bags and I set myself the following aims. Not too expensive, environmentally friendly, useful, kid friendly, parent approved and themed!
I do better with some aims than others.
One year I didn't do bags at all, but each kid got a cape with their initial on it. Superhero party.
If you don't want to do party bags, then don't. Maybe you'll start a trend. Have fun at the party and good luck whatever you decide.

A price of cake and a baloon - totally fine x

Always cake in thr bag, some penny sweets and a pretty pencil with a daft little toy from the quid shop.
My friends kids always seen to enjoy the silly plastic frogs. Dont need to spend a fortune its the little things that matter.

I grew up and attended birthday parties in the 1970s. . Party bags not around then in the circle I socialised in. You got a piece of birthday cake, said thank you and left.
I don't do party bags. Just make sure every child gets a decent pass the parcel surprise in each layer. I was brought up to believe parties are for giving and not necessarily expecting something in return. Party bags are provided so the children can take home their piece of a birthday cake, a balloon, craft items that they make and any other food/cakes etc that are left over. My circle of friends understand as a lone parent with no financial support to hire the hall, entertainment, food etc costs me a considerable amount of money. It's just a different approach without the plastic tat.

We did the books - and it went down very well.

Cheap and cheerful too

But how will you show off all your wonderful and utterly useless skills you learned from Pinterest? My daughter was given a party bag that had personalised water bottles label, chocolate bar label, sweet bag, fruit pot and pixie stick (sorry don't know what they are called in the U.K.) it was utterly insane.

I've never done the whole class party thing as mine never wanted it, so had a max of 12 kids at a party. But for those having the whole class, 'only £2' per bag works out at £60, which is a bit mad for a load of tat nobody really wants, or even £30 for books kids might already have.... IF I did a whole class party I would only give sweets and balloons in the bag.

Give them a balloon each. Job done!

Well, I agree they are a bit of a pain but the kids love them. They send the children home on a high, and as long as my DD loves getting them we will give them out.

I agree with some - party bags are an excellent enticement to leave, parties are great, but hard work! Party bags are very easy - The book people do sets of books often only a pound each that have an RRP of a lot more. You can turn it into a craft and make things, my kids love giving them out and saying thank-you for their gifts and for their friends attending their party.

Cake and a balloon from me. I am an old school jelly, ice cream and party games type though. They graduate to pizza and movies.
At a December birthday party they gave out Christmas socks. Brilliant.

They're an arse. I get em out with a lucky dip (party bag budget gift covered in left over wrapping paper.) once one has had a go they're all in there like rats up a drainpipe. You can clear a house in minutes

Don't do pass the parcel though, I'm not made of money!

I like doing party bags, I must be a saddo! We have just had a party for 40 under 7's, the party bags cost more than the venue hire and the birthday cakes combined.

Maybe I went a little ott but it's the last whole class party I'm doing and probably the last actual party.

I think they are a bit ridiculous but do them anyway . However one year I gave out a bag with old fashioned sweets bubbles etc in cellophane looking all lovely I thought and one child said to me ' is that all I get for coming here ? '. 😡

I used to really enjoy doing party bags! I worked for a kid's athletics club that ran parties cheap to get prospective new members through the door. We started doing party bags after the tub of red goo my DS got from one ended up staining his bedroom ceiling and carpet (because of course he threw it at the ceiling to see if it would stick!). I knew which local shops did what cheap. Back then most of it came from Wilkinsons! I stuck in stuff I would have loved as a kid.

They're fun, they hold a slice of cake and, yes, it gets the little darlings out the door!

Why don't you wan to give a goody bag? It seems a bit mean not to give the kids who come something. What about a piece of cake, some bubbles and a few sweets?

Years ago, my son got a better present in the party bag than I had given as a gift. Oops. But my kids do call me Mrs Grinch. My thinking is who the hell remembers what crap anyone gave almost minutes after it's been given. Better to have a fun old party, I reckon.

It sounds a bit worthy but my son got a party bag containing a little plastic pot, some earth in a bag and a couple of daffodil bulbs (as well as cake and a sweet).My son absolutely loved it. Really cheap and way better than a load of plastic tat.

It's my DS' fave part of any party. YABU.

I honestly can't remember if we got party bags growing up or not.

I do bags. Ds(9) they had sweets and a bouncy ball.

Dd(5) had a lip balm, rubber, pencil and sweets. I did 24 for less than £15.

Last year my eldest had an Easter egg as her party was around palm Sunday.

I try to do useful tat after doing party bag tat in years gone by. A notebook and pencil are quite common.

This year dd (11) won't have one (other than a sweet bag to use up some sweets other Dd got for her birthday that she doesn't like) as I am doing a pottery party so they will have that but not until after. I am also going to get a group photo for them to have as they will soon all be going separate ways to senior school.

A little bag is nowt. Not a huge course nor effort especially if you just go somewhere like poundland.

I wasnt going to do them as I have 47 children of varying ages attending...but ds who is 5 really wanted them. They're his favourite bit of a party - he loves tat.

Personally I'm not a fan of sweet cones, but that's just because I'm a bit sugar police with my kids.

After my reluctance to do party bags, I have loved doing them! I have been doing some savvy shopping though. You can get magazines for a £1 at the market that have 6 free gifts with them. I've been buying bits like that to use. Plus I bought some hot wheel cars from the charity shop...not sure if that a huge faux pas, but I figure they'd never know!

If you feel it's not your thing don't do it.

I don't do bags of tat. I still buy and name a set of party bags, though - that's what I send each child's slice of cake home in. Just like what my Mum did for my totally rad parties in the 80's 😎

I wouldn't care one bit if my child came home from a party without a party bag - if he complained he'd be told to stop being so bloody ungrateful.