Parents say "enough" as child parties go wild

[RamboLiberal]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2007-01-17T180336Z_01_N16252896_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-PARTIES.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Heard the one about a group of seven-year-olds picked up in stretch limousines to transport them to a friend's birthday party?

Or New York's designer candy store, Dylan's Candy Bar, that charges $1,200 for a 90-minute party for 20 preschoolers?

Or the sleepover party at New York's upmarket FAO Schwarz toy store on ritzy Fifth Avenue where a store spokeswoman said prices start from $25,000?

The cost and range of children's birthday parties has spiraled out of control, according to one group of U.S. parents and educators who have joined forces to collectively stamp their feet and say "enough is enough."

"Toys overflow, birthday parties become Hollywood productions, and electronic gear takes over the home," said William Doherty, a professor in the University of Minnesota's department of family social science.

"It's time to take a deep breath and ask ourselves how to parent wisely nowadays, beginning with small things like birthday parties."

Mods I meant to put this in GD-Accidentally posted LBN-please move if you deem to do so. Thanks.

[tridim]

1. I could have sworn I read that FAO Schwarz was closing down

Read it right here on DU about a year ago. Anyone else remember that?

[Little Wing]

2. Yep

Tax cuts for the rich must've saved them.

[Nite Owl]

11. Here's the story

http://www.slate.com/id/2110862/fr/rss/

In short they did file twice and then went private.

[napi21]

3. Just another example of more money than brains!

Not ALL wealthy people behave like that, thak God! Some actually believe raising their children to be responsible adults is their primary job!

[KittyWampus]

9. how about more credit than brains? I think a lot of people who get sucked in

are living on credit.

[napi21]

13. I seriously doubt anyone who pays $25,000 for a kids party is

sucked in by CC companies. Those are who I was talking about.

[Warpy]

4. When the rich are lavished with money stolen from the working class

you can always expect this shit to happen, along with cashmere dog sweaters and diamond cat collars, each pig trying to outdo the other in sheer excess.

Meanwhile, the robbed working class goes into crippling debt just to stay alive.

This system is unsustainable.

[KittyWampus]

10. it is NOT just the rich. Ever hear kids talk about their proms?

[mondo joe]

5. I can't believe people think they need to campaign against this.

Most people can't easily afford such a thing, and those who can are not likely to be swayed by a campaign anyway.

[SheilaT]

6. Don't be too quick to start

trashing rich people who pay for such absurdities. Too many lesser folks spend more than they should for all sorts of things. We live in a consumer society. We are surrounded by images of things, and we're pushed constantly to buy, to consume. It's exceedingly difficult to resist all the blandishments.

[pepperbear]

7. and to that point.....

corporate America sure does love it when this kind of stuff makes the news...keeps the zeitgeist going.

[sandnsea]

8. The spending isn't the problem

It's the attitude of privilege and pressure excessive consumerism puts on the environment that's the problem. It doesn't matter all that much whether it's a $1,000 chocolate fufu or a $1.00 candy bar, it takes the same environmental resources to make them. That's what is really going to get us in the end.

[endarkenment]

12. So like it is a vanishingly small set of people who spend 25,000

for a sleepover birthday party at fao. But we normally encashed folks are admonished:

'"Toys overflow, birthday parties become Hollywood productions, and electronic gear takes over the home," said William Doherty, a professor in the University of Minnesota's department of family social science.'

to behave ourselves.

No data is provided about that supposed cost and range of children's birthday parties that has spiraled out of control. Instead tales of the city's idle rich are held out to us while we are admonished to behave ourselves.

How about we redistribute some of that abudance of cash that the idle rich appear to have way too much of to those who are struggling with college tuition, with elder care, with health care costs? For example we could scrap the obscene pillage of the federal treasury through corrupt wars and corrupt tax give-aways, and turn some of the savings over to actually help working families in this country. No, better we should be shamed into not having a wii attached to our tv.

[xchrom]

16. remember after 9-11 we were told to keep shopping.

[yurbud]

14. reminds me of the supposed crush to get kids into elite preschool--while most people are looking for

daycare they can afford that's run by people who aren't TOO creepy.

[sakabatou]

15. What happened to just getting a friggin cake?

[brentspeak]

17. A new generation of spoiled-rotten, filthy-rich Veruca Salts

This sounds like a job for Willy Wonka. }(