We’ve been invited to a birthday party for an 8 year old at MacDonald’s tomorrow lunchtime and I don’t know what to give as a present. Should I give money, and if so, where do you get those special envelopes and how much should I give?
Or is it more normal to give a child a present for their birthday, like a toy or something?
Any more tips on what I should expect? We’re complete newbs.
My suggestion would be to do what you would do in such a situation in your home country and leave yourself open to learning from anything the situation may offer as it happens. Nothing wrong with being different (if that turns out to be the result). 
[quote=“Petrichor”]We’ve been invited to a birthday party for an 8 year old at MacDonald’s tomorrow lunchtime and I don’t know what to give as a present. Should I give money, and if so, where do you get those special envelopes and how much should I give?
Or is it more normal to give a child a present for their birthday, like a toy or something?
Any more tips on what I should expect? We’re complete newbs.[/quote]
Never use odd number in the numeration (i.e. Giving 2k NT instead of 1k NT…or give 600 NT). Never use the number 4 (don’t give 400 NT).
For an 8 year old, I suggest 600 NT would be fine since it’s MickeyD and not some fancy Chinese restaurant.
Present is fine but money is more practical in Chinese sense :-).
We always give presents. I’ve never seen money given for a birthday party–only for Chinese New Year. Of course, I’ve only attended maybe 5-10 parties for children, so I’m sure there are other customs that I’ve not seen.
Money is for adults. My 4 kid experience coworker tells me kids receive toys here, too. Try Toys R Us or Mitsukoshi.
Great, thanks, people. I’ll get him a present. Normally I’d spend about the equivalent of 500 NTD. Is that appropriate do you think?
I’m so touched to be asked. The parents at my son’s school have been exceptionally kind and welcoming.
I think something around that dollar amount should be fine. It’s really up to you. Some people give more, and some people give less than that. It really depends on the giver/recipient.
Thanks scomargo. I don’t want to be seen as ostentatious nor mean.
Agree about the cash. A $500 gift is fine.
Go to Toys R Us and ask the staff what’s appropriate for a kid of the age and sex in question, within your price range. Or… how about this? Ask the parents of the kid what’s appropriate.
I’d agree with giving a gift, not money.
I was invited to one of my kid’s birthday parties once. I got her a nice Barbie thingie for NT$1200. For my next birthday, the parents bought me a NT$8000 watch. God forbid I get invited to another of her parties!
Sure just get her another Barbie, then when it’s your birthday again, roll up your other sleeve and smile at the parents.
All that money and they didn’t hire someone to teach you how to tell the time? :loco:
Buy a gift. Buy what you can easily afford. Give from your heart and all that. A nice English book would be great, a game too.
Thanks all. Jimi - how do you know the watch cost NT$8000? Did they tell you? The pressure!
I went to the watch emporium in Ximen the next day and priced it. 
It’s fairly common here for people to leave the price tags on things when they give them to you. Especially if they were a little expensive. Keep it in mind that something with an 8000NT price tag might have been sold for less than a thousand.
There is no traditional etiquette for birthday parties as they are not part of Taiwanese tradition, with a few exceptions like a man’s 6oth.
I went to the watch emporium in Ximen the next day and priced it. [/quote]
Remind me to get you something homemade.
Navillus, my mum’s a bit like that!
Big John, I thought it was maybe more of a Western thing. This mum has American relatives and an American tutor for her children.