On my son's birthday invite a few months back I requested "no gifts please". A couple days ago I came across an article in Cookie Magazine called The Party Police. The tag line was ..."No gifts. No Siblings. No Sugar. The ever growing demands on birthday guests translate to...no fun." It's a pretty funny article but this one part in particular I found pretty hilarious:
"Nor is there real concern (I'll go out on a limb here) for what the child wants - what kid doesn't want presents? "We already have so much crap," the mother will moan, playing the Buddhist who eschews all earthly matter. When the fact is, she has no problem spending $45 on belly butter and, $50 on a reclaimed teak rattle or dharma-knows-what on eco-camp in Costa Rica. But wave a Little People bus by her and she faints from overconsumption."
I love when biting criticism hits a little too close to home...though for the record I have never spent more then eight bucks on belly butter. Still with another child's birthday just a month away I'm gonna have to stick to my guns on this one: no gifts please.
2 comments:
That's hilarious and so true! I can understand the no gift policy but if you go to a party when you're 5 years old and there's no gifts AND no treats - you gotta wonder if it's a party at all.
That's how I feel about weddings. If I'm gonna buy a gift and take time out of my busy schedule to watch another cookie-cutter, cheesy, boring wedding, I better darn-well get a piece of cake, at least! I guess for me, it's all about treats!
Very funny!
I am guilty of this...but only the no presents rule. I can't leave out siblings even when I want to...and sweets - that's the reward of birthdays!
However, I have done a couple of the "in lieu of gifts, please bring a pair of shoes or socks for Shoes for Orphan Souls". This has gone over really well. You might want to offer some kind of alternative. People like to bring things to a party...I know I do. Just a thought :o)
Amy
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