To think this is a widely understood unwritten rule?

[GiftTag]

At a birthday party and as I was dropping off the present with the others another mum noticed we hadn't written on the gift tag. She asked if I wanted a pen so I could write on it and I politely explained I never write on the gift tag so the bag can easily be reused (this one was actually already being reused probably from my own child's party).

She thought this was completely bizarre and genuinely didn't seem to be able to comprehend that this was quite normal behaviour.

She continued to repeat of course you write on the tag that's why its there and how would they know who the gifts was from (I did say the card was in the bag). She seemed stuck on a loop even asking others nearby if they had heard of people doing this before. It not me is it? This is not weird, most people don't write on the tags so the bags can be reused?

This is all so weird. Both you and her

Saving and reusing the bag = Not weird

Not writing on the gift tag so someone else can = A bit weird

You are both weird. And you know the gift tag is removable right? If it’s been written on you can just remove the tag and use the bag

I don't write on the tag if giving to family so they can reuse the bag. I think at a party where the gifts are all put on a table not handed to the recipient and opened one by one I would write on the tag.

Your choice, her choice

I think you’re the weird one. I don’t know anyone who does that

Yanbu. But also I just cut the tag off so I can reuse the bag. I'm pretty sure I've even had the same bag back before so everyone does it.

Engaging in back and forth and then starting a thread about it… also weird

Yes this!!

I'm with you, OP, and am always pleased to find an unwritten gift-bag tag. But I assumed I was in the minority.

I've done this many times but really only for friends when I pass the gift to them one to one, not where the receiver has lots of presents. The card could easily become separated from the gift when the child comes to open it

You can still reuse the bag
You dont write on the gift tsg anyway
Do just throw the tag away ?

You don't know anyone who reused gift bags?

I genuinely didn't engage much with her it was very much her talking at me.

I appreciate i can be considered odd to have started the thread.

I leave tags blank cos I can't be bothered with them, especially as I always put a card in the gift bag. I also re-use gift bags and if the tag's been written on, I remove it.

I believe it is a common practice.

A gift tag exists to be written on.

Yanbu, also never received a gift bag with the tag written on (and never written on one myself) but Id still reuse it.

How strange of her to make such a huge performance about it 🙄 I imagine everyone was cringing for her a bit.

I write on the tag, then if I receive one which is written on I take it off and use the bag ! If I’ve bought the bag new I use the tag !

There’s no unwritten rule
It is whatever you fancy doing
and the host wanted you to identify the gift so I’d have taken the pen and scribbled my child’s name on it and not thought about it again

In this situation where presents could easily get mixed up I’d write on the tag.

I often do re-use bags and very often people have written on the tag. You can easily remove the tag so it’s not a problem anyway.

So, no, I don’t think it’s an unwritten rule not to write on the tag OP 😅

Someone else could write their name on your bag tag and make out they gave the gift from you. Then what!

Write on the tag!

She wasn't the host? She was another parent.

Oh she didn’t. The Op is exaggerating because otherwise this may well win the award of most non-event mumsnet thread in history

Nope the 1st person to use the gift bag writes on the tag, the next person removes the tag and then reuses it and everyone from then on just use it without a tag

I don’t usually write on the tag, very often reuse bags, and DD has had several whole class parties now with each child bringing a gift. I’d say more than 50% of those that came in a bag, the tag wasn’t written on, so it’s definitely common, I’m not sure it’s quite ‘unwritten rule’ territory though.

We’re currently working through a massive stash of wrapping paper of various designs that MIL has dumped on passed on to us after clearing out her craft room, so won’t be an issue for the next 20 parties at least!

Beady eyes!