Gabe's Valentine's Day party

Today, I "helped" out at Gabe's party. I really didn't do much of anything except stand around and talk to the teachers and some of the other parent volunteers. There are always too many volunteers and way too much food. It was at 10 in the morning, and there were 3 types of cookies, mini cupcakes, cheese and crackers, snack mix and a chocolate fountain! Yes, a chocolate fountain for first graders. I remember one cookie and koolaid when I was in grade school. Everything has to be so over the top now days, like spending more on the goody bags for the party guests than you do on the birthday child. We were lucky if we got a balloon. Back when I was a kid, you were just happy to get to go to a birthday party. It was a big event. But speaking of valentines, Tim and I were talking with the kids about our school Valentine's parties. We made our Valentine's out of construction paper and put them into decorated tissue boxes. There were no lollipops attached to the cards, no snack bags, no fun sized candy, no ice cream coupons. We maybe had a coloring page. Now, we send in money so that the room mothers can order large quantities of crafts that no first grader can do without adult supervision, from Oriental Trading Company. I actually witnessed several moms going to different classrooms carrying large boxes from Oriental Trading Company, so you know they are all doing the same thing.

Nowadays, you don't dare just send in the card. No way! In fact, I remember Ben and Nate just throwing out the bare cards without candy attached, not even looking to see what kind of character was on the card or who it was from. It's really sad.

I don't know how to fix it, but I think it's a big problem. We're just perpetuating over-indulged, materialistic kids. My kids don't expect that kind of extravagance at home, but they know what to expect at a party, even a classroom party. Maybe, our kids' experience is not so different from most of the young 30 something parents that are giving the parties. I don't know when things changed from the simple to the over the top, but somewhere, in the past 30-40 years, it did change.

Oh yes, and right after the party, it was lunchtime. As one mother commented, whatever happened to parties at the end of the day right before the students were dismissed?