If you thought lavish kid’s parties were just for the Kardashian kids, think again.
A new trend is catching on among us average parents and our kids’ parties, but the timing is bad, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis.
You’ve probably heard of gift registries for weddings, but what about for children’s parties?
Yes, kids are in it, too. And it’s not toasters and Egyptian cotton sheets that they want. It’s little party-loving princes and princesses who want giant toys, perfumes and designer goods.
QR Codes and Gift Lists — For 7-Year-Olds
Speaking to the Daily Mail, one anonymous mum expressed her outrage at being sent four separate invitations, each with a QR code that would take her to a website with a list of luxury gifts.
The first one was for a 7-year-old girl in my daughter’s class.
“The catalogue of merchandise included a Barbie Dreamhouse for £250. [about $320 USD] Barbie’s camper costs over 50 pounds [about $64 USD]” her mother, who lives in the UK, told Daily Mail reporter Sadie Nicholas.
“My first reaction was shock, before any anger set in.”
As a teacher living in a nice but not particularly wealthy town in the UK, she says that (until recently) this kind of invitation was never the norm.
By way of background, the mother explains that her children attend a local public school, that their parents are professionals and some are full-time housewives, and that up until now birthday parties have focused on ordinary toys and small gifts, but this time, they have been invited to four parties in total.
In the case of the 7-year-old girl, her mother said she finally relented and chose the smallest item on the list.
“I chose the cheapest one.”
“I’ll take the cheapest one on the list. [about $32 USD] “I had a bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume delivered to my house, which I think would be a great gift for a 7-year-old, so at least I could wrap it and my daughter could give it directly to her friend.”
For parents who missed out on the “cheap” items, the invitation included this statement: “If you would like to donate more or cannot afford the items on her list, you can send money instead.”
Woof.
While the kids seemed to love the lavish spa-themed party, their mothers in the room looked aghast.
“We exchanged messages afterwards venting our anger and hoping it was a one-time thing,” her mother said.
“I didn’t even get a thank you note.”
Three more copycat invitations followed.
Sadly, this wasn’t a one-time thing, and soon afterwards the mother received three more copycat invitations with gift lists, including requests for expensive gifts that wouldn’t have been out of place on a wedding gift list.
The mother said that while some of her friends felt the gifts were at least something their children wanted, the gifts were so extravagant that they created ridiculous expectations for her own daughter.
“With the cost of living soaring, nothing convinces me that these wish lists are anything other than a sense of entitlement,” she said.
This extravagant children’s party trend is the polar opposite of the “five dollar” party, where parents ask for $5 so the birthday boy or girl can splurge on bigger items at a later date.
In a Facebook post earlier this week, moms discussed the appeal of this “no presents” party trend.
“I only recently heard about the £5 parties… I think it’s a great idea,” one woman said.
“As a mom who goes to parties almost every weekend, I love this! No more stress thinking about toys.”
“There’s so much plastic waste from kids!”
Another person added: “I feel exactly the same way and wrote something similar for my son’s birthday this year.
“Even when times aren’t tough, we all have a lot of plastic kid junk and it’s a pain to have to rush to Kmart the weekend before a party.”
Whatever you think about £5 parties, they’re certainly a lot cheaper than a kids’ gift registry event, and there might be one coming up soon in your neighborhood.
