Last year, one of my neighbors went off about goody bags. She said she hated them, that most parents that she had talked to despised them, and that if she were president she would send around a petition banning them. I can't stand them either, so at Drew's neighborhood swim party last year, I got tons of animal beach balls from Oriental Trading. As each child left, I let them choose an animal to take home. Clever, right? The balls served as decorations, amusement, and party favors. Wouldn't you know that the "down with treat bags" neighbor's kid, marched right up and asked where her goody bag was?! I felt like a bad hostess as several other pairs of eyes looked at me accusingly. "But, the animals served as..."
Since last year David has been invited to parties of classmates and of course, Drew is not invited. So treat bags have become even more of an issue. It would just rub salt in Drew's wound that not only did David get to go to a party, but he came home with a bag full of treasures. And yes, I know life isn't fair. And we dealt with it, but sheesh.
On the other hand, Drew's class has this dumb, dumb, dumb, tradition of when it is a child's birthday, sending treat bags to leave in the other children's cubbies. Whoever started this should be shot. Preschool was from 9-11:30 so that meant that almost twenty times last year we got a sack stuffed full of candy right before lunch. And, yes, again, I know how to say "no" but it was annoying. Especially because then David, hungry and tired from pre-K, would start bellyaching that he never, ever got bags full of chocolate at his school.
Maybe it's only people with multiple kids that dislike party favors? Because this neighbor has three kids. I can't even imagine hunting for junk toys under car seats times three.
Drew's birthday is coming up. He has brought up treat sacks several times. I wish I could just hand each kid three quarters instead. Teach em' the value of seventy five cents. Maybe I would enclose a note saying, "Buy your own junk. Have fun." But that would probably be even less popular than beach ball animals.
My question is, if I circulated a petition outlawing all baggies full of high fructose corn syrup and plastic, would you sign it?
5 comments:
Yes! I hate them too. I didn't do them for either of my kids parties last year. i'm with ya, they are ridiculous and get expensive).
yes, and not because i'm a no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-for-my-child-kind-of-girl, it's just because they are stupid. isn't going to a birthday party enough? of course this coming from the one who didn't even throw their child a birthday party this year...much less goody bags.
Yes!! I always immediately throw away almost everything inside. Who needs plastic junk!? If the kids get them and it's candy, I just have the kids share and they seem to be OK about it.
I love goody bags and can't stop myself. I know they're junk, I know that parents throw it all away when they get home, and I know it rots their teeth out. I like them, and will probably never change. I also like really expensive birthday cakes and not even looking at how much the party cost until about 6 months later. Does this make me a bad person? I blame my mother for giving me only a half of a stick of gum my entire childhood and making me buy my Guess jeans at re-sale shops. ;)
I'm with Gena, clearly you all have never had the thrill of receiving a parachute man, two marbles, a plastic spider ring, 1 off brand Hot Wheels car, an army man, two pieces of really cheap hard pink bubble gum, fun dip, and an atomic fire ball. What more could any kid want...ever!
Post a Comment