Hello ladies, My Twins are turning 7 on the 4th of jan. I've booked the gymnastics sport center for their party. Here's the thing, I'm inviting both of their school calsses. Just between their classes there will be about 40 kids. Plus there are some kids outside of their class I'm inviting. So the total number "if" all kids come is 50.
The kids get an hour of playtime, and then 30mins of cake and presents. I have a feeling we're not going to get to the presents. We have to be out of there as fast as we can, so the next party can set up. I don't have the money to extand the party.
I've got drinks, and cup cakes covered. Is it really bad if I don't do goodie bags?
Is it wrong of me to state that siblings are not allowed?
I've already spent about $200, and everything is paid for. If I have to buy goodie bags, it's going to throw me way out of my budget. When we go to B-days and get goodie bads, there alway filled with candy. I let them have a pc or two, then throw it away, along with whatever cheap toy that brakes 5 mins into the girls playing with it.
I'm sorry if I sound rude or callaous. I'm so over Christmas, and the holiday with planning, that my brain is alreay on vacation. Also I have to plan something special for hubby, since I I had the girls on his birthday.
I'm tired...:)
Thanks for any help and advice you can give me.
Thank you lady's for your input. I've decided no goodie bags, and I'm going to attach a little note that says
"Due to the size of the party, RSVP is a must and very much appreciated.
Unfortunately siblings will not be allowed this time."
I also forgot to mention that this will be the girls last b-day party here in Abilene. We're military and moving this summer. Since I was so big and prego their last b-day. They kinda got the saft, so this year I'm trying to make it up to them, and to spend one last B-day with the kids they know, and Have gone to school with pre-k, K, and 1st. I'm also just going to give them the gifts DH and I got them tomorrow. Their party isn't till the 17th. Thank you, thank you!!!!
1. I never do goodie bags. No one has every told me how cheap I am. :)
2. I'd find out from the place how much each additional child is and put it on the invitation: Siblings $x each, responsibility of the parents.
Anyone who can't understand how tight money is - well, they can afford to pay for their own kid. :)
S.
Hi N., 2 ideas... first of all my kids birthdays are 3 days apart so we've done many combined parties with tons of kids and family invited. On average, HALF of the kids come. It is very likely you will only have 25 kids there which will make it easier if some siblings do want to participate. Another option, if you are paying per person you can write on the invitation that siblings are welcome for the $3 fee or whatever.
As for the goodie bags, I quit doing them years ago. I agree with you totally on the junk that gets thrown in the trash. An alternative is to order a bouquet or balloons to decorate with and allow each child to take one balloon home. When we do skating parties, I order glow necklaces in bulk from ABC or any party store, they get to use them while skating and take them home. There have also been several parties where we send the kids home with nothing. I think providing an afternoon of fun and games is plenty.
don't worry about goodie bags....the kids don't need them....birthdays shouldn't be competitions between parents! also, if you don't have time to open presents...which you probably won't....it's okay. the kids really don't care whether they see your girls unwrap the gifts...again, it's more for the parents. just announce that your daughters will unwrap them later and then send nice thank you cards...one time, someone did that and they sent a pic of their child with the present with the thank you card, I thought that was really nice....just a thougtht. ....just relax, this should be about your girls having fun with their friends on their birthday. and, usually, 70-90% show up from the invited list. don't worry, you won't have 50. have a great time.
Keep in mind that most (but not all) of the time, only 1/3 of the people you invite come to a party. Sometimes more do show up though. I think it's fine to open the presents later, since the kids will be more into the party than watching your girls open their gifts. Maybe next year, do something a little simpler, since it is right after Christmas. This will help with your stress level, which will mean the girls (and you) will have more fun! Just try to relax so you can enjoy this precious time!
My twins have been to birthday parties where the "goodie bag" gift was a picture of them having fun at the birthday party. Just email it to the parents. It could even be a group shot or smaller group shots of 4 to 5 kids together. They tend to hang out with their favorite group of friends so it would be nice as a parent to have a photograph of your child at a fun event with her good friends. If you have a digital camera already it will only cost you your time to email the pictures out. Just request email addresses before hand or at the party.
Also its very rare that all invited guests attend a party. Ask them to RSVP by email or phone so you know what you will be faced with.
We always buy a few balloon bouquets from Card and Party Factory on S. 14th. They are pretty cheap and then we give one balloon out to each child as they leave the party. That way everything is decorated and looks festive, and we are not stuck taking home balloons that get in the way! My boys always love parties at Gymnastic Sport center... have a happy party!
i understand. i take lots of pics during the party. i also take the gifts home and let them open them there if time is short. later i send a thank you note for the gift and i am specific so they know we ackowledged what from who and i include pictures of that child having a blast at the party. sometimes i put them in cheap albums and have my girls decorate the front with markers...nothing fancy. the parents love the pics b/c most don't stay or don't bring a camera.
Sounds like you did some right things in your final decision, but saying siblings aren't allowed seems very rude. I agree with Steph in that extra children should pay their way. Children at that age usually have siblings, I don't know if the parents have to stay for the party. If they stay then they should pay for their extra children because they can't always find a sitter.
I think an hour of play time at the gym is worth more than any silly goodie bag. Like you said those usually have silly toys or candy in them.
I would count on about half of the kids showing up and if I was going to do goodie bags for them all it would be something small like the bubbles from Dollar Tree or those glow in the dark necklaces/swords from Dollar Tree. (I think the necklaces come in a 6 pack)
IMHO: We don't do goodie bags at my kid's b-day parties. I think it's silly to give a gift to someone who came to my party and gave me a gift. I tend to think along the lines of the "goodie" is that you get to do whatever we are doing for free, you get ice cream and cake for free, and you get to hang out with your friends. My girls don't expect a goodie bag (now they do get excited when there is one)from their friends or at their own party.
Most importantly, remember to have fun and focus on your twins! The day is about them!
You have a lot of great ideas here. I made it a policy to never ever open presents at the party. After having seen a kid at one party get mad at another kid for giving him a female power ranger I decided there is to much potential for a disaster. Kids don't have manners yet and they cannot hide it when they are disappointed. As to the goody bag, the bane of every parents existence. I'm all for a universal ban on them.
The balloon idea is great. If you have time and are looking for something fairly inexpensive you can bake giant chocolate chip cookies and put the child's name or "thank you" or your kids name on it or something clever, wrap it in colorful plastic wrap with some ribbon and you are done!
No it is not wrong to ask for no siblings at the party and I don't do goody bags for my kids party's. I am a single parent that has to budget my kids partys too. While everyone is eating there cupcakes have the girls open there presents. They can always have a cupcake at home. Also your presents have them open them at home. You want to travel to the party lite as possible. hope this help
You've already gotten some great ideas. I agree to not bring any family presents to the party. Just let them open presents from friends if there is time. I also have my sons open their family presents from us and their aunts / uncles / grandparents after the party at our house. That speeds things up.
I have another couple ideas to think about for your budget or stress level even so close to Christmas. One, I've heard of people having half birthday parties for kids who have birthdays around the holidays. YOu could so something fun in June or July. Or, maybe just do a party every other year. You could even alternate kids. One twin gets one one year and the other gets one the next. I only give my sons friend parties every other year. On the off year, we do a party with just family.
Look on the Internet for cute thank you crafts and have the twins make them ahead of time....with thanks for coming to my party on them...use one that incorporates candy....like Thanks a "million" and glue a million dollar bar mini size to the card. You will find much more creative things than I can ever think of. Also, have a friend (adult) stand where the kids come in to the party and take a picture of each one. Send a runner to the closest Wal-Mart of pharmacy with an instant picture maker and print one copy of each kid during the party...usually about 20 cents each....and put them in the thank you card your kids have made. Much more personal and definitely cheaper.
I don't think a goodie bag is that big a deal. The party is the goodie bag. You don't need to send a gift home with your guests. One cheap thing to do if you really feel you must is to get a bunch of helium balloons. Send each guest home with a helium balloon. The kids love them and they are cheap if you buy a bunch at once. You can decorate them and then send them home with the kids. Just a thought.
As for the opening of the gifts, I think it is rude to not open them and thank each child before they leave. Especially little kids...the giving of the gift is one of the most important things. You see them crowd around the birthday kid? It is because they want affirmation that their gift is appreciated. They are saying, "Open mine! Like mine! See mine!" It is important and when you don't have that, kids are disappointed.
A few thoughts: We rented a place that didn't give us time to open the gifts or allowed us to pay an extra $100 for a room to open them in. Out of our budget. We went to a sonic playground nearby and opened them. We had their cake there too. The parents ordered some drinks and we didn't stay long and Sonic didn't seem to mind. I had a friend who did the same, had her cake at the sonic nearby the jumphouse place she rented, and she asked them for some half off coupons for drinks and they gave them to her. Then she bought everyone a drink (half off) and she chose the size. They just chose the type.
If there is a park or playground nearby, you could move there for the gift giving. Parents usually don't mind moving to spot B if they know the reason why...we've all had to rent those places that don't give you a lot of time without a big expense so I think everyone understands. Anyway,that is how I would handle it.
Good luck.
VickiS
Something else that you may be interested in is something that we did this year (took the idea from a couple of other parties), and it saved us a lot of time and postage. We premade thank yous. It matched the theme and just said something like "Thank you so much for sharing my birthday celebration with me. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. I’m so glad you were able to come, and I hope you enjoyed yourself." I just passed them out to parents as kids left. It's not as personal as a regular thank you, but it worked out great, and we'll continue to do that in the future.
