New Party Trend: The Fiver Party... Your Thoughts?

[MrsDuck]

The fiver party is blowing up in my mommy groups... here's the gist.

Instead of buying a gift for the birthday child, you give the kiddo a card with a $5 bill inside. This $5 goes to cover a "big" present that the child has been wanting and the parents bought.

A cute little note is dictated on the invite so parents know 1. what a fiver party is and 2. that this party is one.

So, my DIS etiquette queens (and kings!), what say you?

 

[gwynne]

The fiver party is blowing up in my mommy groups... here's the gist.

Instead of buying a gift for the birthday child, you give the kiddo a card with a $5 bill inside. This $5 goes to cover a "big" present that the child has been wanting and the parents bought.

A cute little note is dictated on the invite so parents know 1. what a fiver party is and 2. that this party is one.

So, my DIS etiquette queens (and kings!), what say you?

Just curious-How old is this child? What would you estimate is the total take from pooling the 5's?
Do the parents reveal (in the invite) what big present you are helping to purchase?

 

[msjprincess]

Never heard of it. It doesn't bother me. I'd save a lot of money if I only had to spend $5 on birthday presents for my kids friends. LOL

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

honestly, I know some people will say it's tacky but I would much rather give a kid $5 towards something they actually want then have to rack my brain to come up with a $15 gift. Especially when it's a kid I don't know well and mine has no idea what they might like.

 

[soccerdad72]

Never heard of it. It doesn't bother me. I'd save a lot of money if I only had to spend $5 on birthday presents for my kids friends. LOL

Same here - works for me, too.

 

[Christine]

If everyone in the mom's groups is aware and in on it, I think it's fine.

I wouldn't necessarily do it for a family party.

I remember when my kids were in preschool and the lower elementary grades. We were going to parties probably every week at times. Luckily I didn't have problem affording it and my kids had fun, but I felt like we were always running out for a gift, wrapping, etc (more of a chore than anything).

I'd be okay with it if it was the accepted norm.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The fiver party is blowing up in my mommy groups... here's the gist.

Instead of buying a gift for the birthday child, you give the kiddo a card with a $5 bill inside. This $5 goes to cover a "big" present that the child has been wanting and the parents bought.

A cute little note is dictated on the invite so parents know 1. what a fiver party is and 2. that this party is one.

So, my DIS etiquette queens (and kings!), what say you?

I say if one is going to be tacky and have a cynical money grab, at least make it a tenner, preferably a fifteener or twentier.

 

[Hikergirl]

I can't remember what birthday it was for but my ds had a class party and invited around 20 kids, almost all of them showed up.
He was at the age where he wasn't in to toys so they all gave him cash.
It felt so awkward, he got $20 to $25 from every guest. It was just too much from friends.
I think having a "fiver" is a great idea.

ETA- I don't like the idea that the money goes to something the parents already bought though. The parents' gift should be from the parents, the guests shouldn't be paying for part of it. Those $5 gifts are more like gifts to the parents not the kid in a way.
The birthday kid should use his $5 gifts for something they want and the parents should give a gift that is just from them.

 

[jrmasm]

I think it's tacky because the parents are dictating the gift that a guest should give.

But also add me to list that would get off much cheaper!

 

[sjrec]

Paying for the gift the parents bought seems odd to me-but everyone putting in 5.00 sounds like fun-I know my 8 year old grandson would feel like a millionaire.
I know he’s gone to parties where the parents and child asked for donations instead of gifts. One was for the local animal shelter (treats, food, etc.) and hats and mittens for community services.

 

[Skellingtonj]

The fiver party is blowing up in my mommy groups... here's the gist.

Instead of buying a gift for the birthday child, you give the kiddo a card with a $5 bill inside. This $5 goes to cover a "big" present that the child has been wanting and the parents bought.

A cute little note is dictated on the invite so parents know 1. what a fiver party is and 2. that this party is one.

So, my DIS etiquette queens (and kings!), what say you?

Hell no! I’m not contributing to a gift from the parents. Don’t tell me what to give as a gift

 

[LSUmiss]

I say if one is going to be tacky and have a cynical money grab, at least make it a tenner, preferably a fifteener or twentier.

That’s my thing. This new trend of begging for $ for weddings, honeymoons & now kids’ parties is obnoxious to me. As parents (and close family), we’ll get the big present DS really wants & I don’t need donations from other parents for it. I don’t expect anyone to bring a present at all & by telling ppl what present to bring ($5), it implies you expect a present.

 

[MrsDuck]

Just curious-How old is this child? What would you estimate is the total take from pooling the 5's?
Do the parents reveal (in the invite) what big present you are helping to purchase?

It seems to be most common with the elementary school crowd. Estimate depends on number of kids coming and I do believe some parents list the item!

 

[Malyficent]

As a member of the elementary crowd, this hasn't hit our circle yet but it would save us a ton of money. Instead we all pass around $25 gift cards. Sometimes I just reuse ones that have been given to my kids that we haven't used yet (I'm classy that way).

 

[mjkacmom]

As a member of the elementary crowd, this hasn't hit our circle yet but it would save us a ton of money. Instead we all pass around $25 gift cards. Sometimes I just reuse ones that have been given to my kids that we haven't used yet (I'm classy that way).

I always kept target gift cards on hand for parties.

 

[Southernmiss]

Mine are old. I would have loved it. Can't tell you how much "crap" we threw away. And treat bags for every party? How many cheap erasers did we really need?

 

[wenrob]

The fiver party is blowing up in my mommy groups... here's the gist.

Instead of buying a gift for the birthday child, you give the kiddo a card with a $5 bill inside. This $5 goes to cover a "big" present that the child has been wanting and the parents bought.

A cute little note is dictated on the invite so parents know 1. what a fiver party is and 2. that this party is one.

So, my DIS etiquette queens (and kings!), what say you?

No.

A) You’re essentially requiring me to bring a gift.
B) You’re dictating what kind of gift I should give.
C) You want your kid to have a “big gift,” pony up and buy it yourself.

 

[kamik86]

I'm ok with offering that $5 cash would be preferred over toys. However I agree that dictating the gift is kind of not ok.

However for those parties your kid goes to but doesn't know the kid super well I could see lots of parents thinking getting a 5 dollar bill is easier.

Agree that the money should go to the kid though not toward a parent gift. I loved getting cash for my birthday. I was generally saving allowance for something I wanted and could put it all towards that!

 

[sksjasams]

Never heard of this...
When my DS was young and went to kid birthday parties, I always took him to the store to let him choose something for his friend within the price range I had decided. The idea of the fiver takes away from that experience for the gift-giver.

 

[BLAZEY]

Here we do "Twoonie" parties. Thats the $2.00 Canadian coin. I have don them and they are quite popular here. Many will put in a coin for each year the child is old, some put in one. Not a big deal. Nothing is opened, the child says thank you for your card and coming to celebrate with me when the guest arrives. My Dsis did one for my niece who turned 4. She got approx $80. Half of the funds DN4 will donate to the local animal shelter and the remainder is for her to pick one special item. Especially with her birthday so close after Christmas she doesn't need a bunch more stuff. DD9 and I have also invited her to go seen Mary Poppins this weekend. I like them as I don't have to go shoppng and pick a present for a child I may not know well, and it save time and money.