Navigating birthday party etiquette when you move from family birthday parties of the toddler years, to friend parties of the school years is a mine-field that every parent needs to figure out. Do you invite the whole class? Maybe just a few friends? You don't want anyone to feel left out, but do you really want to flood your house with 5 and 6 year old kids? Probably not.
It's become more common to request only the presence of the child, with no gifts. A lot of people don't want to the added expense for their friends, nor do they have space for a bunch of random toys our kids will only play with once.
While some parents may criticize this strategy or even go as far to say that it was mean to deprive your youngster of opening gift after gift, thanking their friends and sending them on their way with a loot bag- I find that the whole production of the party is fun enough, even without the gift opening.
They're just happy to have their friends over, eat pizza, have cake and play some games.
A new style of birthday party is becoming popular among parents, and I think they're brilliant!
What is a "Fiver" Birthday Party?
Invitations go out to friends, saying "So-and-so is having a "fiver" party! He wants to save up for a [insert gift here], so if you wish to send a gift, please include $5 in a card!" The invites are always tastefully worded so that people are not feeling the pressure to include any gift at all.
Going to typical birthday parties can really get expensive because I usually spend around $25 on a gift and that adds up really quickly. When you factor in all the classmates, hockey and soccer teams, you are forced to decline several invitations just for the expense alone.
Why Should You Have a "Fiver" Birthday Party?
- It's cheap! Clearly this is one of the best reasons, because all the kids invited can afford to send a gift.
- Kids love getting money. Who doesn't really?
- They get to choose their gift. No more guessing about what the hottest trend is, or if they already have 2 duplicates of the same toy.
- No useless toys. Sad, but true. You won't have to clean up after toys that are just collecting dust in the corner.
- It's a good lesson on how to manage money. This is a great start to teach your kids how to save up for certian toys that are too expensive to ask for as gifts.
Who's with me, parents?
