Anonymous wrote:A card with cash is fine.

Disagree. We say no gifts and truly mean it. A homemade card is nice but not necessary. Please don’t add cash bc they said no gifts.

Just a homemade card. People write "no gifts" for all kinds of reasons: too much stuff at home, it's better for the environment, they don't have time to write or supervise 30 thank you cards if the whole class was invited, they want to make it easy to attend, etc. Just do what the invitation says, it's not a test when people write this.

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

This.

If appropriate, you can review these social lessons with your mentee:

1) People celebrate birthdays all kinds of ways.

2) Birthdays and celebrations do not have to involve gifts.

3) Hosts give information to help guests know what to do to enjoy the party. Look for these clues and use them.

4) Making a handmade card shows respect and appreciation and should take a reasonable amount of time (be nice instead of slapdash).

5) Remind the kid to thank the adult host before leaving the party.

No gifts means no gifts. The birthday kid probably lives in a small house and middle class kids in DC generally have more material toys and stuff (toys, games, etc) than they can use because all of those things have gotten (relatively) less expensive in the last 30 years.

It's real, it means no gifts. A homemade card is nice!

Bring a card only.
We make our own cards in our house so I’d have my kid make a card.

On a side note, I think no gift parties for kids are stupid but that’s just me. I’d still respect the request.

Why WOULDN"T you follow it? So weird!

Bring a card. Homemade by kid or bought and signed. Respect the notices request. We do that when we invite the whole class. I want people to come and celebrate but don't need more stuff.

No gifts means no gifts. Bring a card if you want, no money!! We say no gifts because 1. We don’t need more stuff and 2. We live in a mixed income community with a lot of immigrants, we don’t want kids to miss the party because they can’t get a gift.

I always bring a gift. No cash.

No gifts!!! Help the kid make or write in a card. Help him think of what he appreciates about the birthday kid and write that. Or draw something they think the birthday kid would like.

No gifts means no gifts.

Anonymous wrote:A card with cash is fine.

No. No cash. Why would you do that?

Bring a card. Nothing else. Don’t worry if other parents didn’t follow, the host will be glad you listened.

A card with cash is fine.

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

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!