More Birthday Parties

Posted by Cathy Spalding Jun 3, 2007

While my kids are thrilled every time they bring home an invitation to a birthday party, I must admit I feel something a little different. Some weeks can include three or four parties. That to me means spending time and money buying gifts. While birthday parties are a rite of childhood, I realized long ago that I needed a strategy to get through the gifting end of things.

While you may think that I sound a little like Scrooge, I think I am just being realistic. I don't want to spend every week scouring the shelves of our local stores for the perfect gift for a child I barely know. Sometimes my kids barely know them too, as in the case of the children who invite everyone in the class to their parties. I also don't want to spend more money than necessary to purchase more toys that may never even get used. At least when you buy for your own kids you know for sure what they play with. It is a little hit and miss when you buy for your child's friends.

Now I have a better way of dealing with birthday party gifts. It doesn't completely alleviate the anxiety when yet another birthday party invitation comes home, but it does help greatly.