Tell Me This Isn't A Thing Because ACK!
A hurricane of birthday party invitations has blown into our home, sucking up time but delivering Alexis a mountain of happiness. She has been enjoying attending one party after another after another for the past few months. If she's happy, I'm happy, so it has been a Very Good Thing.
Except.
There is a trend that seems to have infiltrated the pre-school sector. I don't get it. At all.
Is it just me, or is it nuts to have a registry for a 4 or 5-year olds birthday party?
Mind you, I am from the Land of Opposite of Birthday Registries. For Alexis' first real party, I asked people to bring canned goods for a donation to a local food bank in lieu of gifts. The guests didn't listen very well, which created some conflict when those who did listen felt bad for not showing up with a real gift. But, I did mean it. The kid didn't need a single thing. NOTHING. She was aware of the arrangement and that she shouldn't expect presents and was OK with it.
I didn't want to repeat the conflict this year, so I just let people do whatever. It. Was. Ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.
Alexis has played with maybe half of that stuff. The other half is just taking up space in a closet until the day comes when she's looking for something new to be the center of her world for a minute or two. I think it's safe to say I'm going to go back to a present-free sort of party next year, if I can figure out a way to make it not awkward.
Anyway, I know I'm all sorts of anti-ridiculous birthday gifts, but I just can't figure out a world in which it makes sense to let a 5-year old wander around a store and make a list of potential birthday gifts. Some of the registries I've seen have been mostly reasonable, but one had a long list of items that started at $50.
$50. $50!
The most expensive item on that list was $150, which, HAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I'll get right on spending $150 on a gift for your kid. (Spoiler: I won't spend that much on my own kid.) Maybe they just did one list and also gave it to grandparents or whatever, but still. It was really hard not to ask what they were thinking with that list. It wasn't an over-the-top fancy party by any means, but the registry sure was.
Registry or not, Alexis thinks everyone wants a Barbie for their birthday. I'll just keep on letting her pick one out each time we are getting ready to go to a party.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Reader Comments (56)
I am with you thinking things get a bit out of hand with the birthday gifts. I did the same thing for Jack's last birthday, putting away half of the stuff for him to play with later. His birthday was in November, and I still have toys he hasn't played with. It might not be right, but I think I would have to refuse to go to a birthday party that has a registry. That is CRAZY! I didn't read through the comments so someone may have suggested this. It is a bit Mommy Dearest style, but maybe for her next birthday Alexis could just pick one or two of the toys to keep, and donate the rest.
That actually makes me sad. I already worry that we have a current generation of teens who feel that they are "entitled" to everything. What are these preschoolers going to be like?
Is that really a thing? I've never even heard of a a birthday party registry until your post ...
I have a friend who asked for diapers for her boys for Christmas because they had everything that they needed/wanted ... They are just getting to the end of their stock NOW!!
I am completely and totally speechless. I don't have kids so I had no idea this was even a "thing". Isn't this precisely the time that they should be learning to be grateful for whatever they receive? Getting something you necessarily don't like or want teaches children to still be gracious. And perhaps provides an opportunity to do some charity/donating?
When we were kids, we made lists for Santa at Christmas, but that was it. I remember when I was somewhere in the elementary school age-range (maybe 8ish?) it was a week or so after my birthday, and a cousin of my mom's stopped by to visit. She told me she was sorry to have missed my birthday party but asked what I would like as a gift. I remember getting the toy catalog and pointing something out that I had wanted. My mom took me in another room, right that moment, told me that it was rude to ask for something specific and that the appropriate way to respond would have been "You don't have to get me anything" and if she pressed to say "I would love whatever you get me". She marched me back out and made me apologize. I have never forgotten that little episode!
I hate kid's birthdays. Out of control. We will only give our kids a "friend" birthday a few times in their lives. And I got sick of spending every weekend at a birthday party, so now we skip a lot of them.
Registries? Oh god, no. We will definitely skip anything with that...
{faints}
Mouth agape.
hell no