Ah, the good old goodie bag debate. I saw it pop up on my feed and couldnt resist chiming in with my two cents. It is so interesting how so many people feel one way or the other. I personally do not like getting goodie bags or parting gifts at the end of a party or event I attend, or ever plan to do them for my kids. I dont need extra stress, something else to prepare, extra trips to the store, plus I am trying to limit our purchases of things other than food, junk, limiting our footprint as far as landfill stuff, opting out of that supply and demand cycle as much as possible. But I do know some people love them. And thats okay! The tiny felt finger puppets we received this year were sweet but I felt awful that the mom made each one by hand, with a new baby even! Craft supplies and seeds as parting gifts are also sweet ideas Ive heard of but why give gifts to attendees? I dont understand. Chalk and seeds for the birthday child and thats enough! I dont think my girls needs gifts for attending a party. I do not want gifts given to me when I leave a party unless its some sort of handmade food because I cant turn down yummy food and I have to eat it immediately. Anyway. I had a child directly walk up to me and ask for their party favor before leaving a party once and I was momentarily taken aback but I guess its normal, it was their normal. I said something along the lines of, No, there are no presents for guests to take home. The celebration was here, enjoying your company and all of this delicious food that everyone made and this beautiful day outside. We are so happy you could come! How do you feel about this day? I think the child that asked me was 3 or 4. They may have been disappointed but I didnt see tears. Party favors actually make it harder for my girls to leave without flipping out because they want to barter/bicker with each other or me for what they got, can eat, use immediately (because I dont want them to eat candy or spill bubbles in the car) instead of saying goodbye and honestly expressing their feelings about the event, their friend or relative. I love seeing a big hug and my child saying thanks for inviting them to their party. Not them fumbling frantically through a bag of stuff. If theyre flipping out, I help them work through the issue, feed them something wholesome if they just played too much and didnt eat enough, talk to them about whatever it is, realize theyre tired, etc. But mostly, we leave okay. Im trying to teach them that the party is not about us, to not expect anything when leaving. How do we make it to the car from a party in one piece? We talk about their favorite parts as we walk to the car, notice our surroundings, just talk, and drive home while the girls read books. The more stuff my girls take home from parties, the more they expect it and act just nuts. After our parties, if there were any gifts received, we slowly work on little thank you cards. Receiving a card in the mail from a friend is really special. It was the best, thinking back to my childhood. Perhaps it is teaching delayed gratification and communication after a party is okay rather than instant with a quick let down, no followup. It helps the memory stick as well, the bonding of friends. Oh, goodie bags. End ramble. Your turn!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 07:14:18 +0000
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