Do you bake or buy for class parties?

[Phteven]

With less than a week until the end of term I'm expecting that any day now I will find notes in my children's bags asking me to donate goodies for their class parties.
I used to bake cup-cakes but last time I forgot and just bought a packet of oreos on the way to school. They all got eaten, they didn't leave crumbs on the classroom floor and I didn't have to worry about getting my tupperware back. I think it might have been cheaper than ingredients for baking too.
Sooo.... am I really slack Mum for thinking that maybe I should just buy a couple of packets of tim-tams or oreos when I go shopping today and stash them away for the class party? Is baking really part of the parenting contract? I'm a SAHM so I don't have any excuse except laziness

In my defence I always produce baked goods for the cake stalls etc.

[MamaPan]

well personally i bake but i love cooking and i hate processed foods for young kids. i just think about 24 lots of bought processed foods and hate the thought of my kids eating it.
but my boys are only 4 and 2...
i usually make something with the boys the night5 before or at 6am when they get up - they then enjoy sharing something they have made too.
i dont judge those who but - its like i dont sew so i always buy an item (apron etc) when it is requested and some other mums send some beautiful hand made item. we all have our talents/interests.

[mummame]

I do bake cup cakes but they are at the request of my daughter, and I have all my stuff purchased wholesale so its cheaper. Personally I would love to be able to get away with buying a couple of packets of timtams and the kids would probably prefer them too

[nothing2lose]

We get told what to provide for the class party. Each child is allocated a particular item. Last year I had to provide fruit skewers. But, given a choice, it would depend on how much free time I had. My preference is to bake though.

[Novella]

Depends on the time I have 1 term I made fruit skewers with cut out shapes of different fruits drizzled in chocolate, took a while to make and the kids loved them. Last time girls had to take savoury so I bought 2 big bags of pop corn and the kids enjoyed that and it all went too! This term Im doing mini mars cars with teddy bear biscuit drivers, quick but cute.

Do what you feel like on the day the kids will enjoy anything if its a treat. This time of year there is normally a heap of other baking and things to do. I have to remake my shortbread as DD2 dropped the box on the floor and now we have short bread chunks not biscuits! I might turn them into hedgehog slice or something lol

[Astrid]

I have baked in the past, not sure what I will do in the future now that I am working more.

[MrsFabuloso]

I usually bake my most basic, simple and quick to make bickie recipe or cut up a watermelon and oranges. Both usually go in about 10mins! Neither cost very much and neither take too much time. As for the tupperware issue, I use disposable trays. I don't care if I get it back or not.

[sloane]

depends what it is for - we're not up to school yet but for playgroup i will bake because it's a close group & only say 12 of us. DS also goes to a music playgroup that is much larger & the first time i baked cupcakes & not that many got eaten so now i just buy something to take. i wasn't sure whether it was because they didn't look tasty () or whether it was just people don't know each other very well & didn't want to eat things made by people they didn't know...ITMS?

i don't think you have to make something - because baking isn't everyone's 'thing' anyways.

[*Ang*]

I usually bake. I kind of figure I am a SAHM so I have no excuse and I also enjoy it too.

Upon saying that this year for both class parties I did something a bit slacker which I knew would go down a treat. It is the easiest thing and only takes 10 mins and looks like you have gone to so much effort!

Buy 2-3 packets of royal chocolate biscuits (arnotts), pack of jaffas, pack of spearmint leave lollies and a tub of betty crocker icing. Cut spearmint leaves in half. Place a dob of icing on top of each biscuit, a jaffa in the centre (almost like a nipple effect) and a half spearmint leave kind of attached to the jaffa. They look like mini christmas puddings and parents and kids alike love them! And sometimes, just sometimes I don't care that for once my kids are eating processed stuff. They look good and they are easy, thats all I care about it!!!

[wysiwyg]

I am constantly amazed at how because you are a mum you are expected to bake, and how much mums bake. Bake if you want to, bake if you enjoy it - if not buy something. I rarely bake, maybe it is laziness maybe is because spend the time doing something else fun with the kids instead, whichever I don't find a fun activity.. SAHM or not makes no difference do it if you like it, the more us non baking mums stick together the less baking will be expected :-) I am more than happy contributing to stalls etc in different ways e.g craft - baking just is not my thing. Has reminded me party food day at playgroup tomorrow, meant to take something - I will be taking bought (have no kitchen today due to new windows but even if did would buy) - I don't know why we have to have party food anyway, kids are too little to understand last day before Christmas and just means are stuffed, full of homemade sugariness (no one bakes savoury). Maybe I will take fruit I like chopping.

[MamaPan]

I sense this is an issue that can unexpectantly get emotional. so fwiw - i do bake savoury sometimes and i work full time.
maybe i bake so i dont get judged or feel like the only one who doesnt dedicate as much time - kind of overcompensation!!!
but mainly as i said i do it because i enjoy it.

[JLeigh29]

It's about 50/50 in the classes I've taught. Personally, I would prefer something 'prepared at home', but not necessarily home-baked e.g. a fruit platter, cheese and bikkies, sandwiches etc are just as welcome as baked goodies. Some parents go all out and I often wonder if they are trying to make everyone else feel guilty (the triple layer cake with cream that they have to bring especially so it doesn't get squashed/melted)!!!! I admit that I have had the occasional parent that I have judged 'lazy' - like the parent that gave her son an apple and an orange and told him to cut them up at school!

[Laranna]

I had my first class party yesterday. We were asked to put our names on a list with a plate of food that we would bring. I made some mini sausage rolls because I had the time but if I didn't have the time I would have just bought the frozen ones and heated them up.

[MrsFabuloso]

I admit that I have had the occasional parent that I have judged 'lazy' - like the parent that gave her son an apple and an orange and told him to cut them up at school!

Not necessarily lazy hun, maybe just run-off-her-feet busy.

I agree with PP in that if you don't want to/enjoy cooking, don't. If you're too busy, there are plenty of things you can buy which are suitable. Seriously does it really matter if you bring a brought cake/biscuits/whatever?? All that is expected is that something be brought. Likely something fairly kid friendly, oreos are great! As are cupcakes, or fruit, or fairy bread, or veggie sticks and dips, or crackers and cheese, or mini sandwiches!!!!! There are tonnes of options with varying degrees of effort required. How much time and effort do you want to put into it? That is what really matters, I think!

[Astrolady]

The boys had all theirs today, and I have no spare money. We got notes after shopping day last week. Typical. Kam had to take sweets, so he went with gingerbread men that he helped make at my mum's last week. Mum actually brought the left overs down for him to take. Ashton had to take savoury, so I had some kabana and cherry tomatos and cucumber in the fridge so he took that. I didn't know what Lachlan had to take, so he went with some rice crackers and a bag of popcorn from our treat cupboard.

I do generally buy it, cause I just don't have the time or energy.

[Lenny]

The boys had their ODC christmas party today. I was allocated shortbread. Instead i brought home made santa-bread men. Close enough.
Trust me, if i'd been allocated sauages rolls they'd have come from a packet. Half the food on the list was only really things that can be bought i.e. cordial, chips, sausage rolls etc.

As for home made being better for them - well, sure, but OMG there was soooo much food there that there was no way wholesome home made food was going to get a look in.

No, baking is not part of the job description. And go for oreos - tim tams make for sticky fingers, and oreos are more fun to pull apart.

[~Kim~]

I have learned that despite what I might believe is best for children, very few parents IRL share that opinion, and very few children will eat what DD enjoys.
I didn't bake this morning. I had good intentions but between a power outage and split cream....gah so off went a plate of biccies....it was the only plate that got emptied. DD didn't have one.
They had beautiful fruit platters and veggie sticks. DD tells me she enjoyed them. They were still full at the end.
I agree with Lenny. Oreos mean less sticky fingers.

[Phteven]

Thanks for all your input.
I don't feel bad about sending oreos to school now
I don't mind the boys having sugar and processed foods occasionally for parties. I figure that if I want to teach them the difference between sometimes food and everyday food I need to let them have sometimes food sometimes.
I don't mind baking on occasion but I hate baking stuff that won't be eaten so anything I baked would be sugar laden and covered in sprinkles anyway. I thought about the strawberry santas but by the time they had been carried to school and rattled around in a bag they would just be a creamy, strawberry'y mess not cute little santas and I think turning up with a tray that my children can't carry is just a tiny bit precious.