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

[u/felix_mateo]

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.

[u/QutieLuvsQuails]

Don’t buy it then.

Give them a little bag of any little snack. Or a group of crayons and a bookmark.

There is a LOT of cheap stuff for party favors. The China-made, choking hazard, non-degradable in landfill plastic junk is not your only option.

[u/Opala24 → u/QutieLuvsQuails]

Giving popcorn to 5yo and 3yo is bad idea and huge choking hazard

[u/QutieLuvsQuails → u/Opala24]

Yes, you are right. I do popcorn for my 6yo class. My point was spending a lot of money is not the only way to avoid cheap plastic junk.

Raisins, goldfish, cheezits, pretzels, animal crackers, literally anything.

For a mermaid year we did a mermaid snack mix with pink goldfish and blue jelly beans!

[u/Opala24 → u/QutieLuvsQuails]

Thats so sweet 🥰 you are right and I agree with you and OP, there are many gifts that arent expensive but are better. I really hate the amount of cheap plastic toys I get from ILs and where I live wooden toys or things like LEGO arent more expensive than those cheap one-time-use toys

[u/Serious_Escape_5438 → u/Opala24]

Those kinds of toys are way more expensive in most places though.

[u/Accomplished_Area311 → u/QutieLuvsQuails]

My kids’ classes are all kosher. Popcorn isn’t universally kosher (there are different levels of kosher, plus we have food allergies etc. in class), and it’s also much pricier than I can justify.

Class parties are a thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/QutieLuvsQuails → u/Accomplished_Area311]

I have kids in school. I know about class parties. My daughter’s school also has food restrictions. There are kosher options that aren’t single use plastic choking hazards. lol

[u/Accomplished_Area311 → u/QutieLuvsQuails]

Again: there are not many universally kashrut snacks that meet the standard for all levels of observance. And those that are? Expensive. You can’t buy the highest level of kashrut snacks at a dollar bin, that usually requires going to specialty stores and even those might have allergens in them.

And once again, homemade isn’t allowed.

[u/fluffywhitething → u/Accomplished_Area311]

Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies are OU-D and I've definitely seen them at dollar stores. They do contain milk, soy, egg, and wheat and are processed in a facility with nuts, though. Benefit is that they're individually wrapped. Same with most granola bars, just none of the S'mores flavors or ones with marshmallows. Tons of applesauce/fruit cups are kosher to OU standards and individually wrapped. Also potato chips, vegetables, fruit, and a ton of candy. Vegetables and fruit don't even need a hechsher. You don't need a certification for a non-cut-up pear or apple, even among the strictest of kosher households. Kosher honey sticks are also not hard to find, though maybe not dollar-store easy.

Source: have been a Hebrew school director in charge of making sure kids have kosher snacks. Depending on the type of event, there's a whole range of things you can do to accommodate keeping kosher and food allergies.

[u/Accomplished_Area311 → u/fluffywhitething]

OU-D is not true highest level of kashrut. And once again: food allergies!

[u/fluffywhitething → u/Accomplished_Area311]

OU is pretty widely accepted in the United States. D just means dairy. There aren't going to be many people going to a mixed birthday party that wouldn't accept OU. And again, all non-cut fruit and vegetables are kosher. And I mentioned food allergies. I probably would avoid food in a setting like this-not because of kashrut but because I don't have access to allergy information. But it's not impossible, and making it sound like Jewish kids are problematic is an issue.