what no pressies??

[bloom73]

Had daughter's lush 8th birthday party in the park ystd, no to pressies no to party bags, yes to fun, swings, hammocks, tree climbing, berry picking, jelly, ice creams and cake!

Instead of pressies we passed round a hat & collected fifty quid for birthday girl to spend in oxfam over the coming weeks. She's happy to be helping towards the Nepal earthquake thro' oxfam, and not to be creating more environmental impacts - trad' parties can breed waste (making new toys= more resources used & more pollution) ,when they should be about bringing friends together and having fun.

We're off to spend some of the donations with a couple of her pals after school =more fun than a pile of uneeded/chosen toys (tho granted some pressies can be cool, but lots don't get used).

We did buy her some pressies by the way - she loves her new trapeze swing & bike!

I'll step down from my soap box now please share this idea to reduce the impacts of lots and lots of kids birthdays Imagine the good that could be done and the damage to our lovely world avoided!! thanks CPx

Good grief

I would be so embarrassed and pissed off if a hat went round at a party and I had no £.

We are getting married soon and haven't asked for presents or £. We thought about asking for donations to a charity if people wanted to give us something. Then we were worried about looking like worthy twats.

If people stick £ in cards we can still give it charity without making an enormous song & self satisfied dance about it

I guarantee every parent who had to put money into your hat yesterday is bitching about you today. I just hope their kids still invite your dd to their 'trad' parties rather than pointing her out in the playground as the one with loons for parents.

Is Bob Hoskins dead?

only on entitled mumsnet would a suggestion of less waste and less crap meet with so much abuse.

although the money should be given to charity with nothing coming back.

Yes he died last year

The party itself sounds lovely. The hat is just yuk.

I'm all about less waste and less crap special.

Just not so much about mugging my guests for money.

Err, how is £50 to spend on whatever she like "what no pressies"??

surely she got a present of £50?

Oh dear, OP - did you mean to be so smug????
If you had passed me a hat at your child's party I would have thrown it at you Chinese assassin stylie like in Goldfinger

and err "no to pressies" followed by "We did buy her some pressies by the way"

Oxfam? Surely most children would prefer a rummage in the local Chinese bazaar or pound shop. Stickers, scented erasers, stuff with glitter on.......

OP I hope the ice creams were made of recycled wool like the ones I gave out at DD's party were - or does that make me the Queen of Smug?

Jason - I'm not sure how you thought that my post was in any way critical of my friend? Of course there wasn't anything wrong with what she did, I can't imagine why you seemed to think I was suggesting there was

Threads like this are why I mumsnet.

Just imagine the kids faces if they were handed wool ice lollies!

I was agreeing with you Thumb

Oh were you? Sorry, it didn't seem like it when you said "nothing wrong with that" - my mistake.

I hope you posted this from a computer or phone that you brought from Oxfam OP and I trust the power supplying it is from renewable sources!

yes i can see how it could come across.

Passing round a hat! Cringe.

How very sanctimonious

Oh dear OP I'm afraid you've made yourself look like a bit of a twat, here and in RL

Was the hat in question the one in the photo?