to not take a present for both children hosting a party

[Cocodrillo]

If your child had been invited to a jointly hosted party and you only knew one of the host children, and what's more so did your child (as they attend nursery on different days) would you still take a present for each child?

It's in an hour

sorry yes

Get shopping!

if both names are on the invitation, yes.

Message withdrawn

no

love your name, coco... and yes.

yabu i'm afraid, poor child who gets left out

yes am afraid, both sets of parents paying for party presumably

kitten!!! you ARE naughty!

We tend to avoid these purely because with 2 hosts there tends to be 40 odd children which is daft in the under 8's IMO.
So I would buy for neither and not go.

No. Not if you actually did not know the other child. In the past my children have been invited to parties that I didn't realise were joint until I got there. And they tend to be bigger as well - so more children = more presents.

Ok ok will raid my Xmas supplies.

I think Kitten's stirring!

Lucky DH mentioned that maybe she should take one for both kids, it hadn't crossed my mind .

Bit of a party virgin here.

Oh, but a sudden lack of consensus

No, not if you were invited by the child you knew. The other child won't miss out as they will have invited other children and get plenty of presents.

oh and 'token' gift for unknown host, do not be giving them something expensive/treasured etc!

No.

My DC got invited to a joint birthday party in a very similar situation but we were told by the adults just to buy a present for the child who had invited them.

The other child will have plenty of presents of the friends he has invited. I wouldn't buy a present for a child that my DC didn't even know.

I would probably take a token present for the child we don't know.

Why wouldn't you let your child go KatieDD? I think large parties are great, we've had and been to some brilliant ones.

Yanbu. If really feeling guilty take the cohost a choc of some sort or a bag of sweeties.

I would only buy for the child my dc knows.

I would say little token gift for the other child - some sweets perhaps. As others have said, the other child will be getting plenty of presents from their friends at the party. This way you won't be worrying that the other mum will be wondering why you didn't buy a gift for her dc - but I'd be willing to bet that she's NOT expecting you to and would be sorry to know you were worrying.

In the past, when we've had joint parties for our ds's, I've made it clear that I don't expect people to buy presents for the boy their child isn't a friend of - if you get what I mean!

sunnygirl.

I'd only take a present for both if my child knew both (which does happen quite a lot).

Don't see why 'both sets of parents are paying for the party' means I have to buy an extra present for an unknown child - they are sharing the costs so getting a better deal than I do! (Sadly none of ds's friends have birthdays within a month of his.)

Nope. The parents have clubbed together to make the party cheaper and won't expect the friends of the other child to have to give two presents. We've done this ourselves and would be mortified to receive a gift from someone our dc wasn't friends with. Let's face it, dc don't even notice the names attached to the mountains of presents they receive. I hate it when people spend too much on gifts as well!

Sunny I wish people would make that clear, I've always felt a bit put out by all this joint party business, of course it's to make the party cheaper but yet it costs twice as much for the guests to attend
We had a joint party once and it was rubbish, DD didn't get her moment in the sun so never again although I think we chose the wrong person to co host with, the little brat blew out my DD's candles

if i have a joint party I always put 'one present only please' and then divide them between the kids attending !

You're right Katie - but it's not completely easy, I have to say. I did feel a little bit uncomfortable telling people only to give one present (to the child their child was friends with) because I worried that people were thinking I might have been expecting two presents. That sentence is more than a little muddled, but I hope you understand what I was getting at.

If my dc knew both children but was only particularily friendly with one of them, I would buy both a present but in this case you and your child don't even know the other child. I really don't think it is expected or necessary to buy a present for a child you don't know.

not stirring for once!

Parties dd has been to where its shared we've always been told (in an embarrassed way) to only buy a gift for the child she knows. The party bags have been then handed out from the party children to the children they know iyswim.

Its also practical those parties can be big and if all the kids bought for both children they'd be getting forty or so presents!