True, we live in changing times. |
I think that says more about you, than it does about the host, if that's the message you are taking away from it. Try not to take everything so personally. Like a PP said, we're just "trying to save other people money, avoid spoiling our kid and cluttering up our house. Funny people take it the wrong way. Guess you cannot please everyone." |
I do agree with your PP (not you), but some of the previous posts were snotty. You take care of your little/big house, de-clutter it in ways you deem fit. Nobody else cares. |
PP, I love you. Can we be friends? My child will reach an age when her parties will be smaller, the kids will actually know her, and the gifts will be appreciated for their thoughtfulness as much as their existence. Anywhere under 6 years old is just overwhelming and contributes to the child being spoiled. I would rather invite her whole class so as not exclude anyone and not obligate families of varying means to bring my kid a gift. It's about the celebration not the accumulation of stuff (which 30 seconds after she gets it, she can't find because she has too much stuff). I am sorry to deprive OP of the opportunity for OP to buy my 3 or 4 y.o. a gift. It's not your kid buying the gift or even picking it out. It's you. You can get your jollies instead by buying that gift for a child who needs it, but then again, you'll still be deprived of watching the wrapping paper being pulled off, which is about what you are missing, not what the child is missing. |
I really feel like birthday party gifts are outdated - a relic of past times when kids didn't have a million things. |
I hear ya. |
Same here. I don't care if Miss Manners currently thinks it's rude (she also doesn't like gift registries) but times have changed. It used to be that you can go to a birthday party with no gift. The point of the party was to have fun and celebrate. Now, gifts are not only expected, people bitch when they feel guests haven't spent enough on a gift. Like PPs, we had limited money growing up and I'm very conscious of people feelign they can't attend because they don't have a gift. I don't want their gift, I want their presence. If it makes me rude to stipulate 'no gifts', so be it. At least I have made some people feel very welcome and that outweighs the slight the affluent feel by not being able to buy my kid a gift. BTW - I also don't write thank you notes. I'll thank you in person and that's enough. If you don't want to attend our party because you can't buy a gift, fine. If you don't bring a gift because you don't ever get thank you notes, even better. your absence is no loss. |
Question for those of you who don't mind saying "No Gifts Please" because you don't want gifts cluttering your house. How do you feel when you get a wedding invitation that says "No Boxed Gifts" (i.e., we only want money, because boxed gifts will clutter our house).? |
I don't know. Have never received a wedding invitation that said, "No boxed gifts." |
Me neither. |
I've never heard of this. |
I guess principle are for kids, adults can indulge themselves. |
I don't know what you are talking about. Try some subject-verb agreement and then try again. |
How is "no gifts" equivalent to "no boxed gifts"? It's not. No gifts means "Come, enjoy the party." No boxed gift means "I'm shaking you down for cash. and it better be enough to cover the cost of having you at the party." |
OK, this, THIS is why I despise "no gifts" on a child's birthday invited. So you put "no gifts" so people don't feel like they have to bring one, but are not opposed to people bringing them if they feel like it. What your mindset ends up creating is stress for the parent of the child who has been invited as we grapple with the do we or don't we on the gift front. I don't want to be the only parent who doesn't send their child with a gift if everyone else ignores your request, nor do I want to be the only parent who does send their child with a gift if everyone else abides. For the record, I'm also of the mindset that my kid doesn't need any more crap. But there's always the option of donating or regifting something your child won't use, or doesn't want. So don't put anything on the invite and let people decide for themselves if they want to bring a gift. Just because it's a birthday invitation without "no gifts" on it does not mean a gift is required. It may be considered proper etiquette, but we all know everyone has their own interpretation anyway. |