‘Let’s stop doing it’: Mum’s rant about classic birthday party tradition

A woman has divided her social media followers by airing her frustrations over a kid’s birthday tradition – begging parents to “stop doing it”.

A woman has shared her confusion over the things parents put in their children’s birthday party bags, saying she wonders why they bother with them at all.

Sharing her thoughts recently in a video on TikTok, mum Isabel said that she wanted to talk to parents about the “tacky” habit.

“Let’s stop doing it,” she said, as reported by Kidspot.

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“I get ranty about things that don’t make sense. I want to talk about the party bag and how we should stop doing them because they are so dumb.”

She then pulled things out of a party bag that her son had recently received, including plastic glasses, a fake dart and some lollies that were rock hard.

“These are garbage,” she said.

“Maybe your child would enjoy this for about 30 seconds. I will put them in the bin, then I’ll feel guilty about doing that, because they served no purpose.”

A woman has shared her confusion over the things parents put in their children’s birthday party bags. Picture: TikTok

‘Maybe your child would enjoy this for about 30 seconds. I will put them in the bin … because they served no purpose.’ Picture: TikTok

Isabel acknowledged that it would be very expensive to get good quality items for the bags.

“Just don’t (make them). Be thoughtful and do something else that you think kids will use and that’s not a problem for parents,” she said.

She said that she got a bunch of “squishy balls” for her son’s guests at his own birthday party, and that was the most she felt obligated to do.

Isabel concluded by warning against the temptation of putting cheap lollies from overseas factories in the bags, because of the high risk of unknown allergens.

“We got the same things in bags last year, over and over, and there’s choking hazards and things that will rip their little teeth out,” she said.

A woman has shared her confusion over the things parents put in their children’s birthday party bags, saying she wonders why they bother with them at all. Picture: TikTok

‘Wow, aren’t you a joy to be around’

Around 500 viewers weighed in on Isabel’s take – and not everyone was constructive in their feedback.

“Wow, aren’t you just a joy to be around,” one person wrote.

Another added: “The spirit of fun and frivolity of childhood. Why do we have to look at everything through the lens of being an adult?”

Responding to the critics, Isabel said they were “missing (her) point”.

“I’m not suggesting we take away fun from kids, I’m suggesting we make better choices on how we spend our money/time and be thoughtful about usefulness,” she wrote.

There were just as many who agreed with Isabel’s perspective.

“I agree 1000%! I throw most of it away straight away and feel bad also,” one said.

“Last year I gave actual toddler sunglasses with UV protection along with cute stickers and a homemade cookies and 2 chocolates.”

Another pointed out it was an issue that extended far beyond kid’s birthday parties.

“I didn’t get wedding favours for this exact reason. I watched people throw them out or leave them! It’s a waste,” they wrote.

This article originally appeared on Kidspot and was reproduced with permission