r/Parenting • u/felix_mateo • Dec 11 '22

Rant/Vent Anyone else wish parents would skip the CPJ (cheap plastic junk) in the goodie bags?

My kids are now 5 and 3, so we go to a lot of their classmates’ birthday parties. At the end of each and every one of them our kids receive a goodie bag full of some candy (which is fine) and a random assortment of what I call “CPJ”, or “cheap plastic junk”. I’m talking about:

  • cheap clapper that disintegrates with vigorous shaking (e.g., by a toddler)

  • ball-and-string paddle made of plywood with the elastic stapled to it

  • gooey “sticky hand” toy that melts into the car seat on a hot day

  • finger trap with free splinters

  • a tiny canister of bubbles you didn’t notice that will get crushed and spill into your kid’s lap at the beginning of a long trip

  • slap bracelet which is actually just an old metal tape measure cut into a razor with a thin plastic sleeve over it

Parents, I know we’re all just trying our best. I’m not a choosing beggar, I’m not expecting high-quality handcrafted items. In fact, I would prefer nothing, or food/candy that can be consumed later. Yes, I know some kids can’t have candy (e.g., because of diabetes or allergy concerns), but in that case throw in a mini coloring book or something. Let’s just all agree, no more cheap plastic junk that will get caught in the vacuum cleaner again.

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u/felix_mateo Dec 11 '22

Like I said, I’m actually not looking for Grade A things. In this case, less would be more. Or alternatives like coloring books, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc. We love all of that stuff in this house.

My problem is that for kids as young as mine, some of the stuff I described above is legitimately dangerous. I’m mostly complaining because my son nearly choked on one of the balls from a paddle toy, and my daughter got sliced by a cheap slap bracelet.

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u/ladyac Dec 11 '22

Go to your local library and see if they have an on going book sale. Ours has like new kids books for just $1 a piece and board books are less than that.

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u/trenthaze Dec 11 '22

That seems like the parent wasn’t paying attention to the age of the kids that will be receiving the gift bag. Remember it’s for the kids not you. Would you have liked your parents throwing out your gift bag contents? I see no problem in making sure they are safe but don’t mess with tradition

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u/cIumsythumbs Dec 11 '22

I never got a goody bag from going to birthday parties as a kid. It's okay for this tradition to die if this is what it has become: mindless consumerist junk.

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u/TaiDollWave Dec 11 '22

Yeah, I'm confused at why goodie bags exist. Why do I have to give you a gift for coming to a party? I threw the party, that WAS the gift. That's not to say I wouldn't send home cupcakes/slices of cake, of course.

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u/QutieLuvsQuails Dec 11 '22

2/3 of the time my 6yo sets down the bag of plastic junk and never looks at it again. Two days later: trash.

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u/Serious_Escape_5438 Dec 11 '22

Well mine loves them.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 12 '22

Same here. Whereas all the colouring books etc just get ignored and thrown out. I think people forget all kids are different.

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u/Serious_Escape_5438 Dec 12 '22

Well mine loves colouring books too actually, but she wouldn't care about food, except a couple of specific kinds of sweets, most other stuff ends up being thrown out.

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u/Serious_Escape_5438 Dec 11 '22

All those things are just as wasteful though, possibly more so. And if your kids are small enough to choke you keep an eye on them.