Kid's birthday party gift amount

thepogues

What's the going rate nowadays to gift a child when your kid's been invited to their birthday party? They're classmates.

gkb144

Hi My daughter recently had a 10th birthday mostly she received between 15-20 euro in cards.

kippy

5 bucks is the going rate here. Big classes so a good few parties a year. Parents took the sensible step of suggesting 5 max in a card and that's continued thankfully.

Ago group 5 to 12 or so.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884071#Comment_119884071

That'll add up quickly if there's 25 in a class! Do people not buy a present for kids anymore?

gkb144

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884104#Comment_119884104

She only invited the other girls which was about 10 in total. It does indeed add up but the bar has now been set apparently. Not one gift was given just cash and some vouchers. Quite the earner for them.

Potential-Monke

Why does everything require a present or gift? Presence is no longer enough for anything.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884104#Comment_119884104

I don't think so. Mainly because parents know that several people could end up buying the same thing and they don't want to pile the house with clutter.

I find people give between €10 and €20 if it's a small group of friends. If it's bigger class I find people might agree on €5.

Tree fiddy. No more, no less.

Gregor Samsa

Cárta Cúig is the standard in our school. Most parents mention it on the invite. If they don't, I just assume it. Unless it's a very small group invited, or a very good friend: Then I'd give a tenner. (I will note that I have twins, so it's x2)

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884104#Comment_119884104

Getting presents is a pain in the hole, especially if you're having the party at some venue outside your house (which is the smart thing to do). First off, most of it is junk. Secondly, having to deal with 25 presents, mind them while you're dealing with 25 kids, transport them home and then deal with all the packaging/recycling just isn't worth the effort for the junk that most of it is. This is assuming it's school friends. For cousins, etc. a present is probably more appropriate.

Princess Calla

We had the fiver in the card rule which was fine until mine had theirs and they received 10,15 and 20's absolutely mortified!!! Only a very few kept to the fiver rule!

I tend to go 10 for the average classmate and 15 for the ones I know they play with and talk about alot.

A gift under a tenner is usually just tat . However when they get money it goes into their moneybox never to see the light of day.....I'm a soft touch I can't take their money when I order stuff on line for them.

b v

I have the same question. My twin nieces are having their joint 18th bday tomorrow. Is €200 each in a card stingy or too much?

iguana

For my son's birthday recently he got €20 in cash or Smyths/Roblox vouchers from everyone except families with twins/multiple children invited. They gave €25-30 per family.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884568#Comment_119884568

i would echo this,

ideally its great if people stick to the 5er in a card thing, its cleaner, not expensive and the child can go buy one thing they actually want. Kids have so much these days there generally isnt a whole lot they want anyway.

But getting 25 pieces of heavily packaged plastic is awful all round.

Mrs OBumble

25 kids at a birthday party? Really???

Boscoirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885051#Comment_119885051

too much imo, get them a bottle of vodka each. Job done.

Kid in our area never seemed to go to parties he was invited to. Eventually we found out it was because his family was so low on money they couldn't afford gifts and so found it socially less embarrasing to simply make excuses for the child never to go to a party.

So ever since that I have always stressed any party I do for my kids is absolutely gift free. No one is to give anything. And as people have noted above there is very little the kids want anyway so my kids are not in any way put out or down about this.

Do they do gift boxes in Ireland Toy Shops at all? I saw it in France and dunno if its the done thing here in Ireland. But the kid goes in and fills a box with their name on it with the gifts they would like to get. Then everyone who is invited to the party is informed of which shop it is. They go in and pick out of the box whatever one of the chosen gifts they want to get for the kids party. So at least that way the kid knows what they are getting and its something they actually want.

SEPT 23 1989

two crisp Irish punt notes in a card

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885269#Comment_119885269

Back in my day, 30 in a primary class was normal enough so even being selective, if you had any cousins etc at it, 25 was about the norm really.

Victor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885051#Comment_119885051

Take them to a nice lunch / dinner next week. Give them €100 then. The meal will be remembered and at least the money doesn't get blown on drink this week.

When my eldest nieces turned 18 and 16 around the same time, I gave the eldest €50, explaining it was a special birthday. This was at a time she would have expected that a €50 gift would be shared with her sisters. When I reached into my wallet again for niece #2, her keys were at cartoon-level $$KERCHING$$, only to then only get €20.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119885269#Comment_119885269

When the kids are young, a lot of people invite the whole class. Depending on the class size, and if everyone accepts, you could easily end up with 25 at it (our kids' current class is 28). And that's before you get to cousins, friends from the estate or sports teams, etc. As the kids get older (9-10), you tend to be more selective; maybe just invite the boys/girls, or just a handful of close friends. We had 29 at the last party, but that was an exception. From now on, it'll be the close friends, so about 10 in total between the two of them.

buried

Jesus chrisp lads, no wonder none of these Kids want to work, what the f**k are ye doing

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119887676#Comment_119887676

What way do you work it with your own kids?

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119887708#Comment_119887708

I let him know what he can have and what he can't. And I've let him know that if there is some make of product that he really wants, he is going to have to earn it.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119887738#Comment_119887738

Yeah, but that's a different topic to this thread. Do you invite the whole class to his parties, or just his close friends? What kind of presents do you give to the other kids that invite him to parties?

Ms2011

My 7 year old is going to a party tomorrow, I've stuck €15 in a card. So much easier than shopping for a present especially when the invite comes in at the last minute.

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119887754#Comment_119887754

He invite's his close friends from his class, they come here and they have the craic. Most of them bring absolutely nothing, some might bring food or party treats, but that's about it. Nobody brings money, If some child came here with money to my house I'd send it straight back to his parents. Same as his friends parents. Money amounts, that's not what a friends birthday party is supposed to be about. Especially a child.

walshb

15-20 seems about right!

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884104#Comment_119884104

The hassle. Card and few quid much the better way. And most parents would prefer. Saves on a lot silly “stuff.”

stargazer 68

When my son was younger the whole class was invited however one of the mums, different each time, would contact all the other mums and collect 10 off each and buy the birthday child a gift from the whole group..bought my son a bike one year, helmet etc.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119887810#Comment_119887810

We found that if you either say nothing on the invite, or expressly say not to give a gift (we've tried both), that people tend to spend/give even more. I think it's human nature to give a gift at a birthday - well, it's certainly pretty common anyway, and then you have people worrying about what the right amount to give is (like the OP, and it's perfectly understandable). We've found that if we put "Cárta Cúig" on the invite, then people stick to that and don't give more - so it's good way to keep it to an absolute minimum. Works well in the real world anyway.