First Birthday Party- requesting no gifts
Hi Everyone! I was hoping for a little bit of guidance as my husband and I plan our daughter's first birthday.
We would like to request that our guests make donations to a charitable cause instead of bringing gifts to the party. I don't want to be rude and assume that everyone is bringing a gift and I certainly don't want people to feel there is an expectation of gifts. Our daughter is very blessed and has more than she needs already! We really just want to celebrate and have a great time with our friends and family. However, a birthday party is typically considered a 'gift giving event' and I wasn't sure how to handle it most tactfully.
What would be the best solution in your opinion?
1.) include wording on the invitation that reads something like, "in lieu of gifts, DD requests any generosity be directed to xyz charity"
2.) Include a separate card in the invitation with the request and information
3.) Just tell people if they ask what we would prefer
4.) say nothing at all (I don't think my husband would go for this, he's pretty adamant, but I can try!)
Also, I know we cannot dictate what people do and if someone still decides to bring a gift, I will be gracious and grateful!
Thank you so much for your input/opinions! I really appreciate it!
Re: First Birthday Party- requesting no gifts
All I can say is "Good luck!!!!". We tried this w/ DS. Yeah... it doesn't work. People WANT to bring gifts to a kids birthday party.
I really am not a fan, though, of directing them to give a donation. That IS telling them how to spend their money. And at the age of 1, it really isn't your DD asking this. It's you.
I have a friend whose son, when he was only 6, really did request this. HE very much wanted people to give to a charity instead of giving him something. That I could totally get on board with - supporting the child's wish to give to charity. But at the age of 1? I'd just rather you say something to the effect of "no gifts" (I personally abide by this when asked because I totally get the problem w/ too many toys!!).
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
This, if they ask what to get her you could tell them she's set and that no gifts are needed or that YOU rather have them giving a donation to xyz on her behalf.
I think you should definitely tell people your intentions, whatever they are. I would suggest choosing a charity that takes children's toys and on the invitation say something like: We have been blessed with so many gifts this year, no gifts are necessary or expected. Any toys or clothes [CHILD] receives will be donated to [CHARITY].
Just a thought.
If you do anything at all, I would take this approach. I think it is better than asking guests to make donations to a charity at your DD's request, because we all know your one-yr-old is not requesting any such thing.
But, to be honest, I would probably not do anything at all and just graciously accept people's gifts. People want to shower your one-yr-old with presents and telling everyone not to be gifts, or that their gift will be donated, is just awkward for everyone.
And if you tell people to make a donation instead of gifts, I guarantee some will still bring a gift because that is what they want to do. That leaves the people who comply with your wishes feeling awkward.
I was once invited to a party where the mom requested no gifts. I knew she meant it, and instead I helped her with the party and made some food, etc. Well, I showed up at the party empty handed and the dining room was filled with gifts. So I felt like a complete jerk because it seemed like I was pretty much the only one who read that part of the invitation.
It was made even worse by the fact that she called me a few days later to ask what I had given her son because some cards had fallen off some of the gifts and she did not know who had given what (I think she was BSing a little but whatever). So then I had to say to her "Oh I didn't bring a present." So once again I felt like a complete jerk...
I wouldn't say anything in the invite, if I planned to bring a gift if you didn't want one I wouldn't want to give to a charity instead. Just me. I do like the idea of just waiting for people to ask. Then they start the conversation and you can pose the charity as an option.
We said on our invite "Please no presents, your presence is present enough". We know immediate family will bring gifts, no stopping it: kids are fun to shop for. But I didn't want friends to feel like they had to. LO has more than enough anyway.
GL!
Ditto.
Ok so we'll see how this goes - but we decided to put no gifts on the invite - then if people showed up with a gift we would take the gift to another room and open AFTER everyone left (and send thank yous) - I've been prepping family and friends and when they say SHaw we are getting her a gift - I say yeah - just be warned we won't be opening so if you want to see her open it - then lets plan another time.
My DH is with yours - he doesn't want the gifts.
We did a gender reveal party and asked for no gifts and only had like 2 - and we are trying to do the same type of party this time around - same people - same idea.. except instead of cutting the cake being the big reveal - she'll smash hers
People don't often bring gifts to a gender reveal party. It is not a shower, it is a gender reveal. It is usually done fairly early and obviously noone knows the gender. Assuming people would bring gifts and asking them not to us just as rude.
My almost two year old has more toys than any child should have because she gets tons of hand me down toys from cousins. We decided not to write anything on the invite, and if people asked what she wanted/needed, we told them she didn't need anything but if they wanted to still get something "a handful of pennies for her piggy bank". She loves putting money in her piggy banks...even at age one. In the end, everyone heard about the pennies thing (all 75 people), and everyone but my uncle brought a toy. My uncle was mortified and text me later that he was embarrassed because he thought everyone was giving her pennies. I told him not to worry about it because out of all of the toys she WASN'T playing with, she liked the pennies the best.
So I would just say nothing and donate the toys later or return the toys and put the money in her college fund or piggy bank.
If they give you a gift, then you can donate that gift however you want or take it back to the store and use the money from the return to donate to charity. Or sell it on ebay using Giving Works, and donate 100% of the profit to any charity you like.
Family and Friends,
We are looking forward to celebrating John's big ONE with our close family and friends. He has been so blessed with lots of toys, clothes, and love that his only wish for his birthday is to see your smiling face!
However, he would love it if you would bring an appetite as well as some wisdom to impart to him in his first year scrapbook!
depending on the charity (animal shelter, nicu, children's hospital, homeless shelter) - make a list of needs/ideas.
suggest that people bring a book only to add to child's library at home and the rest will be donated due to being given lots of generous items during the year, or something along those lines.
maybe have a box at the door with a paragraph above it, explaining your intentions to donate and welcome them to drop the present in the box.
Fwiw, we have big families, so end up with 50-70+ people.. imagine all the toys! Worked well for dds. . Triplets 1st is next Saturday. . Hope it works there too!
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Edited because i didnt realize this was a zombie thread. Oops, sorry for bringing it back up!