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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Say NO to birthday goodie bags
I am now refusing to buy cheap toys for guests to take away from parties.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve done it for the last six years, and this year I have taken a stand. No more goodie bags will be given away at Giarrusso birthday parties. I’m just not doing it.
Goodie bags are usually filled with cheap candy and toys the kids don’t need and the parents don’t want cluttering their houses. We usually find the contents scattered around our house a day or two after a party and just throw it away. And, if you decide to give away something that is good, then it gets expensive fast.
But why do we need to give anything at all? When and where did the tradition of the birthday parents giving away goodie bags start anyways? I don’t remember this when I was growing up. I just don’t believe that being a good host means buying cheap toys for your guests. You’ve already paid for 10 to 20 kids to skate, do gymnastics or play at Chuck E Cheese. Why do they need cheap take-away stuff too?
One of my friends has a theory that goodie bags developed because kids couldn’t handle that the birthday boy or girl was getting presents and they weren’t. It was like a consolation prize for the attendees. I think kids need to understand they get presents when it’s their birthday, not on their un-birthday.
Where do you think goodie bags came from? Do you think they are necessary and if so why? What do you usually hand out?
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