BAN THE BOOTY BAG

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Since having my daughter and attending children's parties I have been shocked by the expectations of others to receive a booty bag at the end of the party. I do not give a booty bag as the children have been invited to join my daughter celebrate her birthday, and see no reason for the booty bag is. The children leave with a piece of birthday cake and a balloon, having had a good time at a party. Along with my friends we are trying to encourage other Mums to follow us in a campaign to BAN THE BOOTY BAG, they are costly and have become another competitive area for materialistic parents to fight over and bitch about. The birthday party should be an enjoyable time for children and parents alone and arguments and worries over what to put in the booty bags are ridiculous. Please would you give your support to our campaign. Many thanks.

Merle, I would just ask that you show compassion and understanding for those less fortunate than yourself and encourage your children to do the same.

So what experiences have you and your friends had when not giving out party bags?

If you can afford a party, you can afford to give each child a cake and a balloon when they go home.

I arranged a party in the local park where we played games in the playground and had a picnic, they left with a piece of cake and balloon and we all had a lovely day, but the following day at school I was upset to be told by my daughter that a group of children had said it had been rubbish because they didn't get a booty bag. I also attended a friends party which we arranged at her house, we did pass the parcel and some of the parents and children complained because we hadn't put sweets imbetween the papers. Parties really don't have to cost much and it was always the booty bags that seemed to push the price up.

Most of my friends are in the same situation as me and have limited income to spend on parties, so we try to be creative, I turned my garage into a cinema, borrowing a projector and using my shower curtain as a screen. I fed the kids popcorn and hotdogs and it was a lovely quiet party for us all. Again they left with a balloon and piece of cake. I consider myself lucky to have such compassionate and understanding friends. I have learnt who to invite and who not to invite.

Well I think the children who complained about no party bag would have complained about something else. Some people are just rude. I once had a mum complain the children were given too much food.

nkf, your parties soumd fabulous!

tbh, those children were very rude to your daughter. We do party bags but I would be very upset if I found out any of my children had been rude when they didn't get one.

I don't spend megabucks on the party bags, btw, they're mostly full of crap from LIDL!

I just want children to look forward to celebrating a birthday with their friends and shift the focus from the booty/party bags, it seems such a shame when so much effort is put into parties and it comes down to what's in the bag. It has become so much easier now we don't have to worry about them. Children take home the paper mats or crowns they have coloured in and from this get a sense of achievement and pride, rather than arguing about who got the purple dinosaur and who got the yellow one.

I don't see what the problem is with party bags, as long as the parents don't get competitive. Round my way, most party bags only have slice of cake, balloon, ONE toy, ONE sweet. That's it. Probably less than a pound per bag. Children love going through it. My dd loves sitting in the car and eating the cake out of the bag

We went to a party last week where the party bag only had the cake and balloon, and dd was happy as larry

nfk, if any child said that to my dd, I would think very poorly of them and of their parents. Party bags are not the be all and end all of celebrations! Especially after all the effort that you seem to have put into the actual party.

I'm glad there are children out there who are happy with the cake and balloon, but I have to say that this has not been my experience and it has put alot of pressure on me when I am organising my daughters party.

nkf, I think you should continue to host your parties as you see fit and just not extend an invite to the ungrateful little sods darlings that are rude about the party bag.

I can't say that I blame you for wanting to ban them then

I have to say I'd judge the children who turn their nose up at the lack of a party bag. What are their parents teaching them!

Well I think children love getting party bags and and it is so much the norm that i am sure they look forward to it as much as the party. BUT they are not bothered about what is in it! You don't have to go over board at all. A balloon, a couple of sweets/mini choc bars or something similar and a little toy. Cheap and children love them. I used to do little cars for boys and hair clips or something similar for girls. One year I did books from the Book People. Another year I did little notebooks and pencils.

I think that something to take home from a party is a nice surprise at the end of it but very few children arrive at the party with that in mind.

Not having a piece of birthday cake is weird. Balloons are great. But anything else is a bonus IMO. Surely you can take it or leave it? It's a bit like being fussed about whether or not you get a wedding favour at a wedding.

Party for DS next week is going to be at an activity centre where they provide party bags as part of the package. I have no idea what will be in them and it certainly won't be the worthy little paper bags of balloons/pencils/organic treats I sweated over in previous years. Oh, the relief .

I'm with Soupy on this one. The bag says "goodbye now."

Last party actually I gave an Easter egg and a piece of cake, but guests seemed pretty pleased with that (and it was Easter Sunday).

Nobody I know has ever fought about or bitched about party bags - not parents or children, thanks.

My best ever party bag was for DS1 last year - it was basically a bag of sweets, his eyes popped in delight when he saw what he would be giving out, they cost about 50p (£1 shop bags divvied up).

LOL @ "nice quiet party" well you wouldn't have liked DS2's than

It's your choice at the end of the day isn't it.

It means a signal for everyone to go home, which is very welcome in my book!

I do a lucky dip now anyway, so just one present each, wrapped up and put in a big box of shredded paper. They get to rummage around for the one they want. Goes down really well.

No, I wouldn't want the booty gag bag party bag banned either....kids have a right to these hyper bags.

why have you resurrected this?