What is the appropriate amount to spend for a kid’s birthday present (not your kid)?

[UCGal]

Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=UCGal].

It’s not a prerequisite, but I’m one of those parents that prefer offsite…Namely

1)Cleaning up or own place afterwards is a total pain.

2)Liability. If I rent a jumper for instance, and some kid slips and hits his head on the ground…. Close friends this isn’t an issue. Some not so close friends (like a classmate’s parent, different story). Most of those offsite places make parents sign a liability waver.

3)I live in a stucco box with very little yard in back.

4)I have white/beige carpets.[/quote]

Sorry, I screwed up on my previous post….

Flu, I heartily concur with your viewpoint on offsite parties, especially reasons #1 and #4.

Back in the late ’80s, I had my house on the market, and there was quite a bit of interest in it. Not wanting to disappoint my child on his birthday, I told my realtor to suspend visits that afternoon so we could have his party. Right before the party was scheduled to begin, I received a call from my realtor, and we set up a walk-through for an hour after the party’s end.

Sure enough, a few parents neglected to pick up their children on time, and one of the poor critters (kids, not parents) got sick and released about 3 quarts of fuschia-colored vomitus all over my front walk less than ten minutes before the prospective buyers were set to appear. Fortunately, since it was outside, we could hose it down, but the experience served to make me a true believer in offsite birthday festivities.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=UCGal].

It’s not a prerequisite, but I’m one of those parents that prefer offsite…Namely

1)Cleaning up or own place afterwards is a total pain.

2)Liability. If I rent a jumper for instance, and some kid slips and hits his head on the ground…. Close friends this isn’t an issue. Some not so close friends (like a classmate’s parent, different story). Most of those offsite places make parents sign a liability waver.

3)I live in a stucco box with very little yard in back.

4)I have white/beige carpets.[/quote]

Sorry, I screwed up on my previous post….

Flu, I heartily concur with your viewpoint on offsite parties, especially reasons #1 and #4.

Back in the late ’80s, I had my house on the market, and there was quite a bit of interest in it. Not wanting to disappoint my child on his birthday, I told my realtor to suspend visits that afternoon so we could have his party. Right before the party was scheduled to begin, I received a call from my realtor, and we set up a walk-through for an hour after the party’s end.

Sure enough, a few parents neglected to pick up their children on time, and one of the poor critters (kids, not parents) got sick and released about 3 quarts of fuschia-colored vomitus all over my front walk less than ten minutes before the prospective buyers were set to appear. Fortunately, since it was outside, we could hose it down, but the experience served to make me a true believer in offsite birthday festivities.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=UCGal].

It’s not a prerequisite, but I’m one of those parents that prefer offsite…Namely

1)Cleaning up or own place afterwards is a total pain.

2)Liability. If I rent a jumper for instance, and some kid slips and hits his head on the ground…. Close friends this isn’t an issue. Some not so close friends (like a classmate’s parent, different story). Most of those offsite places make parents sign a liability waver.

3)I live in a stucco box with very little yard in back.

4)I have white/beige carpets.[/quote]

Sorry, I screwed up on my previous post….

Flu, I heartily concur with your viewpoint on offsite parties, especially reasons #1 and #4.

Back in the late ’80s, I had my house on the market, and there was quite a bit of interest in it. Not wanting to disappoint my child on his birthday, I told my realtor to suspend visits that afternoon so we could have his party. Right before the party was scheduled to begin, I received a call from my realtor, and we set up a walk-through for an hour after the party’s end.

Sure enough, a few parents neglected to pick up their children on time, and one of the poor critters (kids, not parents) got sick and released about 3 quarts of fuschia-colored vomitus all over my front walk less than ten minutes before the prospective buyers were set to appear. Fortunately, since it was outside, we could hose it down, but the experience served to make me a true believer in offsite birthday festivities.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=UCGal].

It’s not a prerequisite, but I’m one of those parents that prefer offsite…Namely

1)Cleaning up or own place afterwards is a total pain.

2)Liability. If I rent a jumper for instance, and some kid slips and hits his head on the ground…. Close friends this isn’t an issue. Some not so close friends (like a classmate’s parent, different story). Most of those offsite places make parents sign a liability waver.

3)I live in a stucco box with very little yard in back.

4)I have white/beige carpets.[/quote]

Sorry, I screwed up on my previous post….

Flu, I heartily concur with your viewpoint on offsite parties, especially reasons #1 and #4.

Back in the late ’80s, I had my house on the market, and there was quite a bit of interest in it. Not wanting to disappoint my child on his birthday, I told my realtor to suspend visits that afternoon so we could have his party. Right before the party was scheduled to begin, I received a call from my realtor, and we set up a walk-through for an hour after the party’s end.

Sure enough, a few parents neglected to pick up their children on time, and one of the poor critters (kids, not parents) got sick and released about 3 quarts of fuschia-colored vomitus all over my front walk less than ten minutes before the prospective buyers were set to appear. Fortunately, since it was outside, we could hose it down, but the experience served to make me a true believer in offsite birthday festivities.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=UCGal].

It’s not a prerequisite, but I’m one of those parents that prefer offsite…Namely

1)Cleaning up or own place afterwards is a total pain.

2)Liability. If I rent a jumper for instance, and some kid slips and hits his head on the ground…. Close friends this isn’t an issue. Some not so close friends (like a classmate’s parent, different story). Most of those offsite places make parents sign a liability waver.

3)I live in a stucco box with very little yard in back.

4)I have white/beige carpets.[/quote]

Sorry, I screwed up on my previous post….

Flu, I heartily concur with your viewpoint on offsite parties, especially reasons #1 and #4.

Back in the late ’80s, I had my house on the market, and there was quite a bit of interest in it. Not wanting to disappoint my child on his birthday, I told my realtor to suspend visits that afternoon so we could have his party. Right before the party was scheduled to begin, I received a call from my realtor, and we set up a walk-through for an hour after the party’s end.

Sure enough, a few parents neglected to pick up their children on time, and one of the poor critters (kids, not parents) got sick and released about 3 quarts of fuschia-colored vomitus all over my front walk less than ten minutes before the prospective buyers were set to appear. Fortunately, since it was outside, we could hose it down, but the experience served to make me a true believer in offsite birthday festivities.

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I’m hoping the novelty of this wears off in 2-3 years. No, I don’t plan on doing this every year.

I miss Farell’s..The last one in MM closed..Was pretty disappointing.

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I’m hoping the novelty of this wears off in 2-3 years. No, I don’t plan on doing this every year.

I miss Farell’s..The last one in MM closed..Was pretty disappointing.

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I’m hoping the novelty of this wears off in 2-3 years. No, I don’t plan on doing this every year.

I miss Farell’s..The last one in MM closed..Was pretty disappointing.

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I’m hoping the novelty of this wears off in 2-3 years. No, I don’t plan on doing this every year.

I miss Farell’s..The last one in MM closed..Was pretty disappointing.

[Coronita]

[quote=UCGal]Don’t get me wrong – we’ve gone to pump it up as guests, and hosted at pump it up. I fully understand the allure. My kids have December birthdays – that month is crazy enough and it’s not conducive to outdoor parties.

But to do that every year – if you have multiple kids… that gets pretty pricey pretty darn quick.

I remember parties at Farrell’s. They’d order a “zoo” for the whole party.

The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I’m hoping the novelty of this wears off in 2-3 years. No, I don’t plan on doing this every year.

I miss Farell’s..The last one in MM closed..Was pretty disappointing.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=UCGal]
The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I like this idea, UCGal. Bet it makes it a more special occasion for the birthday kid, too. That’s the way it was for most of my friends when I was a kid.

Of course, these days we parents have party-planning assistance courtesy of MTV’s “My Super-Sweet Sixteen”. Gawd! It makes me long for the days of good taste and refinement with Robin Leach and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – relatively speaking, of course.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=UCGal]
The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I like this idea, UCGal. Bet it makes it a more special occasion for the birthday kid, too. That’s the way it was for most of my friends when I was a kid.

Of course, these days we parents have party-planning assistance courtesy of MTV’s “My Super-Sweet Sixteen”. Gawd! It makes me long for the days of good taste and refinement with Robin Leach and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – relatively speaking, of course.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=UCGal]
The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I like this idea, UCGal. Bet it makes it a more special occasion for the birthday kid, too. That’s the way it was for most of my friends when I was a kid.

Of course, these days we parents have party-planning assistance courtesy of MTV’s “My Super-Sweet Sixteen”. Gawd! It makes me long for the days of good taste and refinement with Robin Leach and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – relatively speaking, of course.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=UCGal]
The balance we found is that we do “big” parties on the birthdays divisible by 5. We always have a family birthday party separate. Since my oldest is turning 10 this year I better figure out where I’m going to have it.[/quote]

I like this idea, UCGal. Bet it makes it a more special occasion for the birthday kid, too. That’s the way it was for most of my friends when I was a kid.

Of course, these days we parents have party-planning assistance courtesy of MTV’s “My Super-Sweet Sixteen”. Gawd! It makes me long for the days of good taste and refinement with Robin Leach and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – relatively speaking, of course.

[Author]

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