The Communion money issue: too much, too young?

How much d'ya make?

First communion is a rite of passage for many Irish children, but has the money issue finally gone too far? In a week when we found out that Irish children are receiving an average of €570 in gifts for their Communion and one in four rake in more than €800, surely the answer is a resounding yes. More shocking still is the fact that the gender pay gap is starting far earlier than anyone could have guessed, with boys receiving an average of €591, compared to €550 for those wearing white dresses. Now, I don't know about you but back in the day (way back) when I made a hundred pounds and a few Prize Bonds, I was promptly informed that I could spend half and stick the rest in my Henry Hippo savings account. That idea was sold to me pretty quickly when I found out that I'd be the proud owner of a plastic hippo money box and some 'Super Saver' stickers. Never mind today's extravagant parties (with parents taking out loans and spending an average of  €845), we made do with a trip to the zoo and the promise that we could wear our prized gúna for another few Sundays. For fear of sounding like a 'back in my day' aul one, I will concede that times have changed and the pressure on today's mums and dads far exceeds anything our own parents could have possibly imagined. Nobody wants to be the parent who says no. Nor does anyone want to be the relative who hands over an empty card or a presentation box of rosary beads. Indeed - in what is becoming an increasingly secular Irish society - non-Catholic gifters may  feel uncomfortable with anything other than cash. So, what is the Modern Irish Mammy to do? First Communion will be hitting my own house next year and I will be endeavouring to push the 50/50 rule; this time with a charity as a beneficiary, rather than a money-hungry plastic hippo.