A Generation of Pussies

[Stephanie B]

Not opening presents is less stressful?

https://www.thepragmaticparent.com/n...irthday-party/

[JRB]

Astounding levels of idiocy. Utterly astounding.

[Joe in PNG]

My great aunt was happy if she got an apple for her birthday- not a common thing in Depression era rural Florida.

Happily, I'm convinced that a good number of kids are being raised like most normal kids by parents that don't read this sort of codswallop.

Edit to add:
I've also become convinced that stupid parenting advice posted on the internet has nothing to do with actual child raising, and everything to do with parental virtue signaling. That article pretty much screams "I'm better than you!"

[0ddl0t]

Not seeing the problem as long as the parents communicate those expectations in the invitation, as the article suggests.

[SeriousStudent]

I am quite involved in my granddaughter's upbringing. She's seven and a half years old and she can:

Cut up a fryer and make chicken and dumplings.
Help change a car tire.
Sharpen a 6" French knife.
Load Glock magazines.
Make a Powerpoint slide deck with pictures of her favorite animals for school.
Make pancakes from scratch.
Trim a dog's nails.
Put a DVD back in the storage shelf in alphabetical order. (Unlike her mother....)

And she loves wrapping and opening presents.

[AZgunguy]

It's dumbshit like this that makes me furious. Per the wingnut left, I shouldn't be here because I rode in a car without a carseat or a seltbelt even, I played tag and football on the playground, I opened presents at Christmas AND birthdays and saw other kids open presents on their birthdays. I shouldn't have survived.

How about telling your kid if they complain about, "Why didn't I get a present to open?" You can say, "Because, dumbass, it's not your birthday!!!!"

[LOKNLOD]

We've skipped present-opening at some birthday parties. Mostly it's a matter of practicality. If we're at an event center type place, the kids are all usually running around doing something fun in a space we've paid for them to run around doing something fun. Why make them stop just so they can watch my kid get goodies? Let 'em play.


Can the gift-giving be a little stressful, if you let it? Sure. Mostly for the parents, not the kids. You mix socioeconomic groups a bit and there's always a risk to somebody's feelings over value, cool factor, whatever. You know what? That's how kids learn to become functional adults who know how to navigate a complicated landscape. Hiding it from them just makes it more awkward later.

If there's one thing good about that 'article', though, it's the suggestion to write thank-you notes. That's a lost art.

[Chance]

In all fairness, I hated being the center of attention at birthday parties when I was a kid. So I told my parents I didn't want parties anymore, and they were more than happy to oblige.

In fact, I probably haven't had a birthday party in... twenty-five years. Just give me the presents and leave me alone.

[RevolverRob]

In fact, I probably haven't had a birthday party in... twenty-five years. Just give me the presents and leave me alone.

Shit I haven't had a birthday present that wasn't from myself in probably 15-years.

My oldest nephew had a birthday party, they all brought gifts but the kids were too busy playing capture the flag Nerf gun battles in the front yard to worry about presents.

[Joe in PNG]

In all fairness, I hated being the center of attention at birthday parties when I was a kid. So I told my parents I didn't want parties anymore, and they were more than happy to oblige.

In fact, I probably haven't had a birthday party in... twenty-five years. Just give me the presents and leave me alone.

I've done Ron Swanson parties for my birthday. Lots of good steak, good scotch, and solitude.