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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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.