"No gifts" on party invitation

[Anonymous]

Bring a card, bring nothing, bring money, or bring a gift.

But the host is trying to say, gifts are not needed, don’t go out of your way to do something, the kid has enough, etc.

I only done this once on roughly 31 birthdays (collective between 3 kids).

I don’t regret doing to, but it made me feel worried others would read into it. As a third kid, he really doesn’t need more stuff. Actually, I’ll be honest, it was the only time I’ve put a note “it’s a fiver party. No gifts needed. If you you want, bring $5 for the birthday body.”

He had $50 or so and bought a huge dinosaur which was so fun compared to a bunch of random little toys. Honestly, he loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring a card, bring nothing, bring money, or bring a gift.

But the host is trying to say, gifts are not needed, don’t go out of your way to do something, the kid has enough, etc.

I only done this once on roughly 31 birthdays (collective between 3 kids).

I don’t regret doing to, but it made me feel worried others would read into it. As a third kid, he really doesn’t need more stuff. Actually, I’ll be honest, it was the only time I’ve put a note “it’s a fiver party. No gifts needed. If you you want, bring $5 for the birthday body.”

He had $50 or so and bought a huge dinosaur which was so fun compared to a bunch of random little toys. Honestly, he loved it.

And some people didn’t bring gifts. Just a card, or nothing. It was not noticeable. Of the dozen of friends there, I don’t remember who or what. He just enjoyed the party and then spending money afterward. He had also used money from both grandmas for a larger gift. He had received gifts from us.

I would rather this than what I did today which is hunt Walmart for 20 minutes looking for something that will probably irritate the mom, or maybe the kid won’t be excited about it.

Lately I do a $15/20 gift card and a $5-6 toy to go with it.

If it’s my party, I prefer $0 or $5 than a Walmart gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a parent but mentor a family. Through an activity I take one of the kids to, he has been invited to a birthday party. Birthday invite says "no gifts, please." Do we follow this? Bring a gift anyway (and if so, ideas? I had been thinking about a card game like uno or taco cat goat cheese pizza, plus some candy or Takis or something)? Still bring a card? Birthday kid is early elementary and is dcum middle class (lives in mostly gentrified DC neighborhood). I want the kid we mentor to fit in as much as possible!

This is a wild question!

It's obviously not, given that there were suggestions to bring a card, cash, gift card, nothing, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why WOULDN"T you follow it? So weird!

Because it’s awkward when most guests bring a gift anyway and you don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a parent but mentor a family. Through an activity I take one of the kids to, he has been invited to a birthday party. Birthday invite says "no gifts, please." Do we follow this? Bring a gift anyway (and if so, ideas? I had been thinking about a card game like uno or taco cat goat cheese pizza, plus some candy or Takis or something)? Still bring a card? Birthday kid is early elementary and is dcum middle class (lives in mostly gentrified DC neighborhood). I want the kid we mentor to fit in as much as possible!

This is a wild question!

It's obviously not, given that there were suggestions to bring a card, cash, gift card, nothing, etc.

Anything outside of a birthday card is a wild suggestion. Some people are just clueless. lol

[Anonymous]

Just a handmade card. No cash.

I’m often offended when people write no gifts. Sometimes it’s because they really have too much stuff. But often times is that they’re too brownnosed to accept your meager gift of what they think is junk. Even worse if they ask to donate to a charity. You invite me. I decide if I want to bring a gift and what I choose to gift. Besides it’s your child’s birthday, not the parents. Sometimes I feel bad for these kids who get no gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring a card, bring nothing, bring money, or bring a gift.

But the host is trying to say, gifts are not needed, don’t go out of your way to do something, the kid has enough, etc.

I only done this once on roughly 31 birthdays (collective between 3 kids).

I don’t regret doing to, but it made me feel worried others would read into it. As a third kid, he really doesn’t need more stuff. Actually, I’ll be honest, it was the only time I’ve put a note “it’s a fiver party. No gifts needed. If you you want, bring $5 for the birthday body.”

He had $50 or so and bought a huge dinosaur which was so fun compared to a bunch of random little toys. Honestly, he loved it.

What does being a third kid have to do with it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not a parent but mentor a family. Through an activity I take one of the kids to, he has been invited to a birthday party. Birthday invite says "no gifts, please." Do we follow this? Bring a gift anyway (and if so, ideas? I had been thinking about a card game like uno or taco cat goat cheese pizza, plus some candy or Takis or something)? Still bring a card? Birthday kid is early elementary and is dcum middle class (lives in mostly gentrified DC neighborhood). I want the kid we mentor to fit in as much as possible!

Amazon gift card. Always that and no other gift card. even Amazon-e card is great. Else, a check.

[Anonymous]

Do you guys live in a cave? Does this need to be crowd sourced?

Give a birthday card and enclose a gift card in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bring a card, bring nothing, bring money, or bring a gift.

But the host is trying to say, gifts are not needed, don’t go out of your way to do something, the kid has enough, etc.

I only done this once on roughly 31 birthdays (collective between 3 kids).

I don’t regret doing to, but it made me feel worried others would read into it. As a third kid, he really doesn’t need more stuff. Actually, I’ll be honest, it was the only time I’ve put a note “it’s a fiver party. No gifts needed. If you you want, bring $5 for the birthday body.”

He had $50 or so and bought a huge dinosaur which was so fun compared to a bunch of random little toys. Honestly, he loved it.

And some people didn’t bring gifts. Just a card, or nothing. It was not noticeable. Of the dozen of friends there, I don’t remember who or what. He just enjoyed the party and then spending money afterward. He had also used money from both grandmas for a larger gift. He had received gifts from us.

I would rather this than what I did today which is hunt Walmart for 20 minutes looking for something that will probably irritate the mom, or maybe the kid won’t be excited about it.

Lately I do a $15/20 gift card and a $5-6 toy to go with it.

If it’s my party, I prefer $0 or $5 than a Walmart gift.

Instead of spending 20 mins hunting at Walmart why didn’t tou ask his parent for suggestions or ideas when you rsvped?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just bring a card or nothing. That’s what we do and what most people seem to do at these things.

This. I have 2 kids in elementary school in DC and most parties are no gift parties. Parents respect it. I’ve even seen a parent apologize for missing the no gift notice and bringing a gift.

Most kids make cards for the birthday kid. I haven’t seen a purchased card at a party yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring a card, bring nothing, bring money, or bring a gift.

But the host is trying to say, gifts are not needed, don’t go out of your way to do something, the kid has enough, etc.

I only done this once on roughly 31 birthdays (collective between 3 kids).

I don’t regret doing to, but it made me feel worried others would read into it. As a third kid, he really doesn’t need more stuff. Actually, I’ll be honest, it was the only time I’ve put a note “it’s a fiver party. No gifts needed. If you you want, bring $5 for the birthday body.”

He had $50 or so and bought a huge dinosaur which was so fun compared to a bunch of random little toys. Honestly, he loved it.

Sorry but I think this is rude. Please only give cash. We do not want your crappy gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should respect what's on the invite. A homemade card would be nice.

This. We have a small house. DC does not have room for more toys. We always write "no gifts" and we mean what we write. We are fine with nothing or a homemade / handwritten card wishing Happy Birthday, but it is not expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a handmade card. No cash.

I’m often offended when people write no gifts. Sometimes it’s because they really have too much stuff. But often times is that they’re too brownnosed to accept your meager gift of what they think is junk. Even worse if they ask to donate to a charity. You invite me. I decide if I want to bring a gift and what I choose to gift. Besides it’s your child’s birthday, not the parents. Sometimes I feel bad for these kids who get no gifts.

I have a relative who told me they do no gifts because they only like their kids to have certain types of toys. OK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I truly hate how this topic comes up so frequently. Why are people so incompetent that they cannot follow an extremely simple, easy to understand, direct instruction?

“No gifts” means do not bring a gift. It’s not some secret code.

I saw one invitation recently that said something like - “no gifts. Seriously, no gifts” and then went on to say something about if you bring a gift your kid has to pick two toys to take home with them when they leave.