The survey shows that although 87 percent believe that handing out treats is part of the celebration, it also causes stress among parents:

  • 35 percent say they experience stress.
  • 52 percent believe there is competition among parents.

Almost half of parents (48 percent) and teachers (44 percent) are in favor of replacing the treat with a birthday activity.

Those who have a birthday celebrate

In 2022, various regional public health services—the Zuid-Holland Zuid Public Health Service, the Haaglanden Public Health Service and the West-Brabant Public Health Service—together with the Healthy Youth, Healthy Future (JOGG) and Healthy Lifestyle at School (GLOS Educatief) foundations, launched the campaign ‘those who have a birthday celebrate’. This campaign seeks to inspire schools to adopt a new way of celebrating birthdays: no longer handing out treats, but celebrating and putting the birthday child in the spotlight.

In an interview with RTL News, Tilly de Jong of GLOS Educatief gives several reasons for this. “In recent years, regional public health services have worked to encourage healthier treats. This did not really catch on among parents. Moreover, a healthy option can be more expensive than an unhealthy one.” What did seem to resonate was the argument that there is more equality among children when no treats are handed out.

De Jong saw parents increasingly trying to outdo one another with their treats. “The first one brings a bag of sweets, the second a larger bag and the third a bag and a present. That is unaffordable for many parents, so it is better to stop handing out treats.”

The RTL News article also focuses on Anne Frank Primary School in Gorinchem, where handing out treats was replaced by celebrating together as a group as early as 2019. Sanne Hooimeijer, principal of the Anne Frank School, says that getting used to the change is important: “At first, parents had a hard time getting used to it. They were disappointed and worried that their children would receive less attention. But before long, they discovered that their children really enjoyed the new approach.”

Photo caption: Children really enjoy celebrating a birthday instead of handing out treats.