CHILDREN’S PARTIES - FROM THE SLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS
Whatever happened to pas the parcel?With birthday parties costing Americans over 10 billion dollars a year, the games the kids are playing at parties are a far cry from the traditional favorites.
Parties seem to be supersized these days.Extravaganzas, costing thousands of dollars are happening more and more, and parents are under pressure to keep up with the Jones’s. Party planning has become big business, and the good old jumping castle has been replaced by entertainers, magic shows and fully propped themed events,
We’ve come to expect celebrities to throw lavish extravaganzas.A cool 100 000 dollars was reputedly spent by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on daughter, Suri’s 2nd birthday whilst the Beckhams were said to have spent 10 000 dollars on Brooklyn’s 5th birthday party.But regular folk are being influenced by the Hollywood effect, and many parents feel under pressure to keep up.
And it’s not just the celebration itself that costs. Recent findings put the average cost of goody bag given to guests in Britain at 7.50 pounds, adding up to a huge 239 million pounds a year.The traditional goody bag of a plastic trinket, balloon and candy is being supplanted by pricey gifts, some even including French perfume, jewellery and watches.
Concerned parents and interested parties around the world have responded to this growing culture of excess, and there are numerous websites offering comment and advice.One such citizen action group is Birthdays Without Pressure, and they formed the group to engage in dialogue about ‘out of control’ parties, and what can be done about it.
They are concerned about a number of trends, including one in which kids are given ‘half birthday’ parties every six months. Their website cites examples of excess, such as a wealthy New York father who threw a million dollar party for his 13 year old daughter’s birthday, including the band Aerosmith and ,000 gift bags and a one year old’s party in Minnesota where the 60 guests endured two hours of gift opening, while the party baby slept through!
What’s the alternative?
• Have fewer guests
• Invite guests to send a gift for charity, rather than to the child
• If you have a gift bag, make it economical eg. paper bag containing bird seed or homemade candy or cookies
* Themed parties generally cost more. Consider a theme-free event
* Outsourcing is pricey.Entertain at home, and get everyone involved in cleaning up
* Shop around for the best prices on party goods, and visit discount stores for good value items
• Schedule the party for a time when you won’t be expected to provide a meal eg 10am to 12 noon or 2 to 4pm
* Get the children themselves involved. Use plain paper as a table cloth and provide crayons for kids to decorate.
* Arrange for the kids to play traditional fun games like hide and seek
* Consider a jumping castle. Perth bouncy castle hire company, Soxon Jumping Castles say more and more parents hire bouncy castles as a great way to keep kids active and occupied, without going to great expense.
And all too often, despite all the outlay, some spoilt children will still complain that the party was boring or that the party they went to last week was way better.’ Let’s give the parties back to the kids - get back to some good old fashioned fun, and let the games begin.
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