Party Pooper

I am not out to ruin anyone's good time. I am not against getting something fun. I am however in great awe at the ridiculousness of the goody bag at children's birthday parties. When did this phenomenon begin? Where did it all start? Why has it gone so terribly terribly wrong?

Once upon a time individuals had a right to feel special and be special on a day set aside just for that person. A birthday is about the person born on that day. Twins and Triplets (etc..) have to deal with sharing the day and so too the rare instances of siblings years apart being born on the same day but ultimately it is a day that should be all about you. Why aren't we teaching children how to be happy for someone else? Why are we not helping them understand that you don't give something just to get something in return? Why are we so afraid to let someone have his or her special moment?

As a child I went to a party. I gave a gift. We played games. We ate snacks. There was cake and ice cream. We went home and within a few days of the event we received thank you letters for the specific gift that was given. I was not upset that I didn't get a bag of treats to take home. I was not unhappy that the child received all of this stuff but I received nothing. Why is it no longer done this way? I even see siblings have this happening. I never received gifts on my younger brother's birthday nor did he receive gifts on mine. It wasn't about him on my birthday and it wasn't about me on his yet many of today's children do not understand this concept.

A great deal of this sense of entitlement that is circulating around the youth of today might just in part be due to this very event. They expect something just because they showed up. They think that every event is about them. They aren't satisfied to do something for mere enjoyment's sake. It is an awful reality.

Parents have also taken this goody bag at the end of the party to extremes. The one upping of each other became so bad that at an actual elementary of which I am quite familiar, they had to ban the celebrating of birthdays altogether. It is not about YOU Mom and Dad and it is not about the people who came, it is all about the Birthday kid. I think it's well past time we all remembered that.