Do you still give when parents request"please no gifts" for a birthday party?

[Anonymous]

Recently, most of the birthday parties we have been invited to request that no presents be given to the birthday boy/girl. What does that mean? Does it means show up with nothing? Give a small token gift? Give a card? Give a card with money? I want to respect the parents wishes, but I also don't want to offend them if this request really has an alternate meaning.

[Anonymous]

We’ve done a card with $5/$6/$7 (the age of the birthday child.) I understand the reasoning, so I don’t want to give too much. This is enough for a little treat or a book.

[Anonymous]

No. I take them at their word.

[Anonymous]

We meant no gifts. We have plenty. A handwritten/handmade card was given by one attendee and that was sweet. 3-5 age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I take them at their word.

+1

[Anonymous]

My child is going to one next week. We usually get a musical card or something similar.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we bring a card with a small gift.

IME, a no gift party means that there's also no food and/or no cake. Although I can understand the selfish impulse behind it, we have lots of toys too, I'm not a fan of them.

[Anonymous]

This issue has never come up, but I would come with a card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we bring a card with a small gift.

IME, a no gift party means that there's also no food and/or no cake. Although I can understand the selfish impulse behind it, we have lots of toys too, I'm not a fan of them.

What on earth do you mean? All it means is that the parents have requested no gifts, probably because there is no place to put anything in their house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we bring a card with a small gift.

IME, a no gift party means that there's also no food and/or no cake. Although I can understand the selfish impulse behind it, we have lots of toys too, I'm not a fan of them.

Nope. We have "no gifts" parties and we provide food, drinks and cake (not to mention, the usually expensive venue).

We just don't want a bunch of crap from Target cluttering up the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we bring a card with a small gift.

IME, a no gift party means that there's also no food and/or no cake. Although I can understand the selfish impulse behind it, we have lots of toys too, I'm not a fan of them.

Nope. We have "no gifts" parties and we provide food, drinks and cake (not to mention, the usually expensive venue).

We just don't want a bunch of crap from Target cluttering up the house.

How gracious of you.

[Anonymous]

We always invite the entire class and frankly I really don’t think my uppper middle class kid needs another 20 presents, so, yeah, we request no gifts. But I realize that people like to bring something so we do puzzle, book and game exchanges. These become one of the party favors the guests take home with them.

[Anonymous]

We give either a musical card or one of those huge oversized cards, or a card with a few balloons, and a couple of sheets of stickers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we bring a card with a small gift.

IME, a no gift party means that there's also no food and/or no cake. Although I can understand the selfish impulse behind it, we have lots of toys too, I'm not a fan of them.

I have never been to a party that has no food and no cake. Why have a party at all? What selfish impulse are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

We’ve gone to many no gifts party for my second grade boy. I take them at their word- Kids have too much stuff. I take them at their word and my child makes a handmade card only.