"No boxed gifts please"

[Cernabbas]

My DD has been invited to a friends 3rd birthday. The invitation states "no boxed gifts please". I take this to mean "money/vouchers as gifts". Would you agree?
If so I am not sure I am happy with this - mainly explaining to DD why we don't appear to be taking a present.

What are your thoughts please?

Give them a stuff, not a voucher or money.

Get the kid a sticker book or two. Keeps said kid entertained and can be chucked when finished if mum doesn't want to add to piles of stuff.

Although I would be very tempted to go with the unwrapped moon sand...

What about a box, filled with a selection of small cheap tat, and shredded paper?
Like, the best Lucky Dip ever.

We need to think twice before being too offended, as you have confirmed the mum is Asian and this is perfectly reasonable in Asian culture...well at least for a wedding....not sure about a 3 year old birthday. I am a bit at that.

It sounds grabby to my British ears, but other cultures are worth understanding...

If it were me, I'd just take a card.

There's no way I'd be giving money for a three year old. Not a chance.

Card, Book People books and Playdoh. 3 year old will be happy with that whatever their culture.

I like MrsDeVere's suggestion.

"How about putting a MN AIBU T-shirt in a bag.....

.......for the MUM?!"

Yy love it!!

At first I thought it meant 'no gifts that come in lots of packaging and cardboard please'. Which really would be a good thing (with a birthday a week before xmas and the reduced recycling collections over the bank holiday period....).

But its not is it? I'd send a book or something else as cash is just ugh for a 3 years old.

We got an invitation to a 7 year olds birthday with request for amazon vouchers 'as we are buying pfb a kindle for her birthday as she is such an advanced reader'.

I bought a sort of craft kit with a ton of tiny beads and lots of glitter.....

£10?! No, it doesn't. I spend about a fiver.

PlayDoh or a book. Or just a card.

Giving vouchers only encourages grabby gits who dictate to guests what to give as a gift.

Deffo go for a massive tube of blue smarties.

I'm not offended by it, and if this was on a wedding invite I wouldn't have a problem with it as when most people already have a house together when try get married I think it is hard buying the "traditional gifts" for newlyweds. But a 3 year old?!? They love opening presents! If I gave money or vouchers to my DD she would probably draw on it.

Buy a voucher for Oxfam in her child's name or any other charity.

Isn't the cliche that at this age they just play with the box?

SaltySeaBird if a wedding invite says "no boxed gifts" that means cash or vouchers only, no champagne! There will be a box like a letterbox somewhere for people to pop their envelopes of cash into.

I would assume for a wedding that no boxed gifts meant they didn't want household stuff (and so would choose a different sort of gift). It really wouldn't occur to me the it was a way of asking for cash.

Grabby gits.

£10 for a child's birthday present?! Only if they are close family!

I grab bargains as and when I see them, and just raid the present cupboard when DS gets invited to a party. I never spend more than a fiver if I can help it but get nice things by shopping in sales etc.

Whoever suggested a sticker book is spot on, IMHO. Doesn't take up too much space, doesn't really matter if you have duplicates and most 3 year olds love them.

Or a recorder.

In that situation I'd open the champagne on the spot and drink it by the neck Vetta. I'm not posting cash through anybody's fecking letterbox.

Give them a ball - what child doesn't like a ball? They don't come in boxes

Hard to wrap though

A carrier bag. Or take the stuff out of its box and put it in a bag. Problem solved. No box.

I'd club together with some other parents and buy a kids karaoke machine!

I'd then just say that we assumed they wanted to collect money towards one big gift so we've all saved them the trouble

...don't forget to remove the box of course!

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I noticed a grievous oversight has been made. Why why WHY has no one suggested taking a puppy?

My lovely ex dh to whom I was married for 18yrs is Asian. I lived with him in his country for the first 5 and can confirm that money is the normal present at all celebrations.(parties tend to be huge and this goes towards the cost )..birthday parties for young children are very rare for normal working/middle class and remain the domain of the wealthy. My ex didn't even know when his birthday was...!. That said, when we moved back to the UK we adapted our behaviour to compliment the people we were socializing with. To excuse this type of behaviour as culturally sensitive makes me really pissed off. If newly moved here, then make an effort to appreciate the culture of the country you have moved to and act accordingly when interacting with the natives just as we do when overseas.. cultural sensativity cuts both ways ! If born and bred in UK then should know better. Having been part of the Asian community in UK for many years, I can guarantee that being Asian is no guard against being an entitled twat ..'twatism' being no respector of race, colour, sex or creed....I would definitely buy 'moon sand' take it out of the box put in bag, wrap in nice paper and hand it over with suitably 'culturally confused' look on face not forgetting to ask host why no boxes, thus confronting issue head on, and making it obvious that is not acceptable behaviour. (with your best polite smile of course)..