We debated and debated “shall we shall we not”,,,,,,, well the question was shall we throw a party for K’s first B’day or let it be just a family affair. Well as a child whose all b’days were celebrated with full of fan fair I could not deprive K from a great celebration…..well may be I could not deprive myself from a celebration.
Nevertheless, believe me organizing a party and that too at home was not easy. The first thing we did is to create the laundry list of things to do……..and Oh! Boy when the list was ready I didn’t know where to start from……….first came the list of invitees, then the menu and the caterer, followed by the B’day cake which we ordered in the shape of “Mini Mouse” , home decorative and lastly the most toughest of all purchasing “RETURN GIFTS”. We had kids ranging from the age of 6 months to 13 years invited for the party and you can imagine how tough it was for us to select gifts that will appeal to all. K started getting B’day parties invitation when she was barely 3 months old and in all B’days, the host took the effort for giving her something appropriate to her age. Now its turn for her, parents and we went crazy. Thanks to a well-equipped shop and an intelligent shopkeeper, we managed to zero in on individual gifts for all. This was our first time and coming straight from an era where return gifts were merely restricted to pencil, eraser etc we hope we did an okay job to satisfy our junior guests.
However, what I have to hear from friends on this concept of return gift was scary. From a gesture to say “Thank You” this has become a tool of showing off. Starting from the child to the parents’ ones status is pulled up and down in the weighing scale on a basis of the “Return Gift” they give on B’days. Friends with little bigger kids and loads of experience have already warned us, that this is just the beginning and we should wait for K to go to school and see what she brings and what we will HAVE TO GIVE. A neighborhood friendly shopkeeper cannot bell us out; branded shops in dazzling malls have to be the destination.
So in few years it will still be “shall we shall we not” only the question will change to shall we visit X malls for buying the Return Gift or just go to a neighboring shop and let our so called “Status” drain down the sewage pipe.
