Sounds pretty catchy. Maybe I'll keep it up weekly, maybe I won't. If I don't I'm sure it won't be for lack of a topic. I have 2 for today.
#1) Birthday parties
It's great to celebrate your child's birthday. But do we have to invite every child in the class? And expect them to attend and bring a gift? Here's the way it usually goes for us. We get an invitation. If we decide to go, we go get a gift. I usually limit it to $10 a gift. I think that's fair and you can get a decent gift for that, cheaper if you find something on sale. We go to the party, my child has fun, but I know no one there usually. It's all fun and games. Then it's time for my child's birthday party. Now I could care less if she gets lots of presents, but in today's society it is expected. But do all the kids whose parties she attended show up? Usually not and that's half the fun, celebrating with your friends. Then to top it off, most of the presents you get in return have no thought put into it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about presents. Here's my thing. Times are tight. I pay for a bday party for my child for her to have fun with friends. To me that is the present. I know it's not to her but I am trying to teach her that. Most people nowadays focus on the principle of "more kids, more presents". Not everyone can afford to buy a gift and sometimes don't come to the party or buy something that's "cheap" for that very reason. Most will spend $5 on this "cheap" gift, so why not get a gift card for that? A few $5 add up and it's better than something that breaks the first time they play with it. Why can't we get back to the way things used to be where you had a good ole birthday party at your house with cake and ice cream and played pin the tail on the donkey? And if you didn't have the money to buy a gift you made a card and put a few dollars in it? If you didn't have that, you just brought a card. I know some of you may not understand where I am coming from but oh well, it's my blog! I hope to teach my child to understand it's not all about the party and what you get from it. Hopefully I will succeed in that. So now we are off to a birthday party for a kid in her class. I'm hoping I know at least one parent there. I"ll try to post on soapbox #2 tonight!
1 comment:
You know, last summer, we were invited to a party. There were a bizillion kids. I think they must have invited every boy and girl child that they ever met. But~ and here's the cool part~ the mom specified on the invite to bring no gifts. We still would have gone and taken a gift to the party even so...but I am sure that not all those kids would have shown up to have fun. I think that kid had a great time! And that shows that at least one other parent (besides me & you) is trying to teach their kid some of the same values. Ok..my soapbox rebuttal is over. We did a party for my son when he turned 5. What ticked me off was that of the people we invited, one guy rsvp'd for his kid, and they never showed up. They even called me that morning to get directions. I'm sure that something must have come up...but call me back, whydontcha?
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