To beg you not to buy cheap rubbish from Temu for party bags?

[Nescafeneeded]

They’re toxic and horrible, end up in the bin, total waste and the parts are a danger around toddler siblings.

Don't buy tat. Think of the landfills.

Almost all kids find seeds boring and most find random books boring. Unless you're tailoring the book to each child's interests and even then it might fall flat. And kids do expect party bags at most parties nowadays, though of course it's your prerogative if you choose not to provide them.

We have had some successful alternatives to "bag of plastic tat", but they've tended to be at the expensive end of the spectrum/require parental involvement. These have included:

• Proper "stunt" yoyo.
• Flying saucer toys.
• Sticker scenes or books
• Where's Wally? books (the only "party gift" books that have ever been very popular in our house.
• Personalised t-shirts/hats.
• Inflatable gloves
• Foam swords and shields.
• Balloon animal kits
• Slime kits

Seeds, alas, have never been looked at twice and are quietly disposed of by me on a grassy verge somewhere.

Shame the children who make them dont get to play with then, eh?

Tat in actual shops is required to be safe whereas unbranded Temu/amazon tat is unlikely to be safe for children. Things like toxic paints used, unsafe magnets and button batteries.

Cake slice and a bubble mix bottle or ballon sounds lovely. In my day it was just a slice of cake! I have been to kids parties without party bags and it’s fine. They just say we’re not doing party bags but would you like some extra cupcake to take for your sibling or dad or whoever it is and the kids leave happy with a little thing to share back at home.

Leaving aside the question of how much to put in party bags… it’s not all interchangeable tat. I used to work in this area so know a bit about CE marking and British Standards (rules that some people dismiss as red tape) and how they work to keep kids safe. For instance if a cuddly toy is for sale at Argos or Tescos it will have been made to strict rules for how strongly the eyes are attached, so they don’t come off and choke a baby. That company has to check their suppliers all follow the rules and will handle recalls if anything goes wrong.

You don’t have that protection on direct shipping sites like Temu or with pop up sellers on Amazon. There is no accountability and they will just rename themselves to dodge bad reviews, none of them are based in UK so even if their products hurt someone there is no recourse. See how dodgy Temu ebike chargers keep burning down peoples houses for instance. It’s why I never buy baby toys or electronics from Temu even though it can be very tempting as they are so cheap. It really is dangerous

Party bags are just not needed at all. We survived childhood, had plenty of fun and joy and adored parties where you left with a slice of cake and a little pack of Smarties. When DS was young I used to tell parents that I wouldn't be doing party bags. No one cared least of all the kids.

Depends what you call tat

ive got done nice stuff Temu. Clothes and garden furniture and a hoover

some of Santa’s stocking came from Temu last year and will this

not all of it is crap

and yes no more seeds

new books not bad if child can choose

we went to a party maybe 3yrs ago so a 5th and the party bag was a book used not new from the birthday girls collection

Some liked and meant recycling ans no plastic tat - some pissed off that got a worn torn coloured on ripped book

Oh no! You’ll have to play with your children and support their understanding of the world through craft activities. The horror!

When I was a kid we got a balloon and a piece of cake. I’m old.

The tat you buy in a supermarket has probably had to pass at least a few safety tests, checked against regs etc.

Whereas Temu may have not, for example aforementioned wooden toys could have been painted with highly toxic paint.

If you must give tat try to at least make sure it’s not going to hurt anyone

I was a child in the sixties. We all went home from parties with a piece of birthday cake.

Sorry folks as I read thread I can see several previous posters have said it better than me already 😊

This.

Giving anyone gifts from Temu/Shein is irresponsible.

We live in the part ofthe world which has health and safety standards, like limits for chemicals in clothes and toys.

No need to give away a bulky party bag if it means cheap dangerous tat.

To beg you….. so dramatic.

I remember eating a rubber from a party bag because I thought it was a (terrible tasting) sweet. So I think it’s been tat since at least the late 80s.

I’m mainly concerned by the labour tbh.

Everyone should be concerned about plastics, and the environment- clearly you don't but some of us take the view that the planet is being poisoned by crap you don't need.

Hahaha my 7 year old is open-mouthed: why would I want somebody’s old book? Why? That’s really weird 😂

Let me then remind you of the unrelenting campaign to “shop small” and instead buy from your local instagram and Etsy peddler of goods, who may pop up at local markets and if they’re really making it, in a local shop.

There’s two or three of these near me who I’d bet my bottom dollar are getting a substantial portion of their stock from Temu and selling it with an eye watering mark up because they’re a small business, and their profits pay for a family to eat and for kids to have a nice life instead of paying ultra wealthy shareholders.

So even those trying to spend their money ethically get caught out.

(I agree with you btw, I wouldn’t be buying kids toys from Temu - but it is so hard to avoid it nowadays unless you are buying from big conglomerate retailers).

Because you can read it just as well as an old book?

Most of the paper books I read nowadays are pre owned, I seek them out from used book stores, charity shops, libraries and local book swaps. I think it’s the most sensible way to acquire new books!

It’s bizarre though at a party! I do hope they checked with the birthday girl that she didn’t mind her books being handed out on her birthday?! 😂

Also the whole book swap instead of bringing a present?! Poor kid whose birthday it is! 🙀 What a load of hassle- children are bound to argue over who gets which book, so odd!

Plenty of book swaps at schools/ libraries- let the kids have some fun at parties! Beyond boring.

I put a mini Mars Bar & a party trumpet in ours.

I got two teens now so I have been through this. Please don't give plants and books. They are also just landfill tat for smug parents. My kids don't want them. Stationary is no different. I had too many pens and notebooks. If you don't want things to go to landfill, my kids will eat all cakes and sweets and chocolates. I don't know if all kids like them either. Some might be picky eaters.

My kids will politely accept them and then leave them unloved at home and wait for me to throw them into the bin. The horror of personalised t-shirts and hats.