tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post443074827075475084..comments2023-10-14T04:54:09.328-05:00Comments on Fumbling for Words: I blame it on birthday partiesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-84406148727894519782007-02-17T22:48:00.000-06:002007-02-17T22:48:00.000-06:00Those are some statistics, Heather.I have a friend...Those are some statistics, Heather.<BR/><BR/>I have a friend who offers her children the choice of a special day somewhere with just mom and dad (no siblings) or a birthday party. She says they pick the special day alone each time.Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11604097511444010759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-47629001466018171152007-02-16T03:15:00.000-06:002007-02-16T03:15:00.000-06:00You just can't turn back the time! Life today (and...You just can't turn back the time! Life today (and people's priorities in particular) is crazy.The very nice manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13628801735007193872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-6366396597850826792007-02-15T18:21:00.000-06:002007-02-15T18:21:00.000-06:00I wonder how much is spent on Slurpees at 7-11 eac...I wonder how much is spent on Slurpees at 7-11 each year also!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-2136022798264325052007-02-15T10:48:00.000-06:002007-02-15T10:48:00.000-06:00Staggering stats.Great post Heather.We just cleane...Staggering stats.<BR/>Great post Heather.<BR/>We just cleaned out the cree princesses playroom a while ago and I felt the same thing.<BR/>Truth is from a psychological prospective, children are drowned by the number of possesions they have.<BR/>I have the same feeling at Christmas when I look around after the last gift is opened and say, "why?"<BR/>We are a society of haves and wants.<BR/>My boys and his two best friends have birthdays within 6 days of each other. We throw a joint party... no gifts.<BR/>But we make it a humdinger of a party. The party is the gift to everyone.<BR/>One year, Fear factor, the next , Survivor. we plan a whole day of fun at one of our farms. Presents aren't missed a bit.<BR/>Our indivividual kids have a small family party on their special day.Hopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182373929424387249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-43237035911856193212007-02-15T10:28:00.000-06:002007-02-15T10:28:00.000-06:00I know a couple of kids who have had parties where...I know a couple of kids who have had parties where, instead of presents, they asked each attendee to bring a children's book for the local women's shelter...or canned goods for the local Food Bank. Now those are some really good ideas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-28681016533111985422007-02-15T09:19:00.000-06:002007-02-15T09:19:00.000-06:00Amen Sista!! Preach it! Someone pass the offering ...Amen Sista!! Preach it! Someone pass the offering plate please! <BR/><BR/>Honest to goodness I know JUST what you mean. <BR/><BR/>Olivia's Birthday is tomorrow. She just HAS TO HAVE A Ps2 (is that right?) She has a ipod Nano. It used to be that I counldn't afford that stuff, now it's more they don't need that stuff. Instead I am getting her riding boots, belt, Rachel Ray cookbook for kids, and a silver bracelet. It's stuff she can USE. Besides it doesn't encourage her to block out the rest of the world while she focuses on herself only.<BR/><BR/>Steping down from the soap box... okay Heather you can have it back now. ! =)<BR/><BR/> Tag Team preachin!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-6483985191673364152007-02-15T08:14:00.000-06:002007-02-15T08:14:00.000-06:00Here, HERE! J-L and I are already discussing how w...Here, HERE! J-L and I are already discussing how we're going to handle stuff like this. We'd like to settle it before Abby gets too old. Easier to make a rule now than when she's 8 and EXPECTS all the presents from the kids.<BR/><BR/>Aside: Whippersnapper, LOVE your idea.<BR/><BR/>ccapAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-64638415800052809942007-02-15T06:20:00.000-06:002007-02-15T06:20:00.000-06:00I try to give presents like DVD's or videos or boo...I try to give presents like DVD's or videos or books. Not the most exciting gifts, but ones that do not normally cause clutter! I am thrilled when either of my 2 boys receives them for gifts so I like to think other parents like them too....BarnGoddess_01https://www.blogger.com/profile/06178909105522973082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-19632085342268639312007-02-15T04:15:00.000-06:002007-02-15T04:15:00.000-06:00What a sobering post.After parties I find that the...What a sobering post.<BR/><BR/>After parties I find that there are always a good few presents the children don't want so we save them to give to someone else on their birthday. That's not as cheap as it sounds, for example Ben was given a football set but doesn't like football so we gave it to his friend who loves football, he was also given two phlatballs so we gave one to the boy up the road who was desperate to have one. We always match the gift to the child.<BR/>We keep all these gifts (I pick up stuff in sales etc) in a 'present box' and the children have great fun choosing which gift to give to their friend.Beccyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00911316644797253921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-64376694140383993662007-02-15T01:25:00.000-06:002007-02-15T01:25:00.000-06:00I'm going to be the devils advocate and say that t...I'm going to be the devils advocate and say that this commerce provides jobs and homes for alot of people.<BR/>I'm not saying that spending that much on lipstick is a good thing .... but someone is making it, someone is designing the tube, someone is purchasing the ingredients, someone is selling the ingredients, someone is the purchaser and someone is the marketer for the products, someone is delivering it in trucks to the stores, the stores are hiring people to stock is on the shelves, and then to stand at the check out counter and bag it for you, and then someone is hired to clean the store it is stocked in... or someone was hired to build or remodel the store. And someone manages the store, too.<BR/><BR/>It's never simple.<BR/><BR/>And it always ends up in a goody bag at a birthday party... (:Pamelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05404943895800549273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-48653318956767536192007-02-14T22:18:00.000-06:002007-02-14T22:18:00.000-06:00I cringe as I read your post because I suspect it'...I cringe as I read your post because I suspect it's what I have to look forward to as Sydney gets older and starts doing the birthday party rounds. More stuff--just what we don't need.<BR/><BR/>I love the other commenters' ideas about contributing to a cause. We do this for my grandma for Christmas because she has everything she needs. Of course, that can be a tough sell for kids. At least, I think it would have been a tough sell for me when I was a kid.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13069438994373526773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-56912515776143267122007-02-14T22:16:00.000-06:002007-02-14T22:16:00.000-06:00Can you hear my applause?! I struggle with this so...Can you hear my applause?! I struggle with this so much. My childhood was very different to my kids' and I find it hard to know where to draw the line. We do a toy cull before birthdays and Christmas but we're still inundated. TOO MUCH!!!<BR/>Those are pretty sobering statistics.Robynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09517647793482278564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-87100030912936054822007-02-14T21:15:00.000-06:002007-02-14T21:15:00.000-06:00She doesn't even appreciate most of the stuff she ...<I>She doesn't even appreciate most of the stuff she has because there's just way too much of it.</I><BR/><BR/>Yup, I really believe this. It's a tough line for parents to walk (especially with birthday parties), but I think it does have to be walked. For their sakes and ours.Anvilcloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974744042579564912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-24137922034766663952007-02-14T20:38:00.000-06:002007-02-14T20:38:00.000-06:00I have a plan for the birthday parties. All guests...I have a plan for the birthday parties. All guests will be instructed to bring one toonie and a birthday card. That's it. Then we are going to take them to Toad Hall, and they can use the collected money to buy ONE very nice present (I'll probably kick in a few bucks myself, if necessary.) I mean, they're gonna get presents from us and from the grandparents: That's ENOUGH. Kids have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF THESE DAYS, I TOTALLY AGREE!!Whippersnapperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05644304287080536342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-50166765582986158072007-02-14T20:14:00.000-06:002007-02-14T20:14:00.000-06:00I blame it on less kids. My parents had 7 and bel...I blame it on less kids. My parents had 7 and believe me they couldn't afford what kids have today. We got one gift each year. We also only got to have one birthday party in our life. Our birthday was still special. It was our day. We got to choose the kind of cake and what we wanted for supper. Again with 7 kids there was only 1 day when we were SPECIAL. And every meal was like a party. I don't think it hurt us a bit.tlawwifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02432573500697018130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-49561301703592915882007-02-14T18:16:00.000-06:002007-02-14T18:16:00.000-06:00Abby went to a birthday party a couple years ago a...Abby went to a birthday party a couple years ago and the birthday girl requested no gifts (I think it was her 12th birthday). Instead, she requested that everyone make a donation to help the family of a young girl she knew who had cancer. The money was to help with the madical bills.<BR/><BR/>I thought that was pretty impressive, especially since the little girl died a few months later.<BR/><BR/>Maybe if she could pick a cause, Nikki would be more receptive to no gifts.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03794646317737225407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629687.post-74191385432799752142007-02-14T17:08:00.000-06:002007-02-14T17:08:00.000-06:00That's why my kids have small parties - fewer kids...That's why my kids have small parties - fewer kids, less crap. and our goody bags are always a paper sack filled with as much candy as they can grab while their dad flings it off the back deck. (no winter birthdays)<BR/><BR/>It bugs me too. I'm glad when B is saving for something (last year it was a puppy - oops, pet food) and I can just tell his friends to bring him $5.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com