Birthday party - no presents please?

[Somethingwitty2015]

We are having a 2nd birthday party for DS in a couple of months - about 8-10 children are coming.. Our house is already full to the brim of toddler stuff and I know that the GPs will spoil him rotten and buy him everything on the smallish list we have come up with of things he actually needs (art stuff, clothes etc - things we'd be buying anyway over the next few months) plus a load of other tat as well. So I'd much rather that kiddies just came and had fun - DS can do the present opening bit separately with family.

i assume that guests will think they should bring something, and ime sometimes people ignore the "we ask for your presence not presents" thing. What's a polite way of saying "no presents please, and I'm not just being polite here I really don't want you to bring anything"? Yes I know I could donate or regift unwanted gifts but that somehow seems unfair to the person who has gone out and spent time and money on DS. The guests are mainly new-ish "mummy friends" so while I like them we're not quite at the stage where I could just say "I do not want more stuff, however tasteful/fun/educational it is, in my house".

We only did family parties last year so I am new to this. Would you be relieved or offended if told not to bring anything?

No gifts makes a lot of sense.

How bizarre that anyone should think the OP is uptight or mean spirited to make this request. What on earth is wrong with a polite 'No presents please' and who in their right mind would think this is a covert request for money?? A child's birthday party is not a wedding and no sane parent would ask guests to give money (let's leave aside Mylene Klass' strange associates). It makes perfect sense: a 2 or 3 year child doesn't need a load of 'presents' they will play with once or twice before consigning to the unwanted box of toys gathering dust in the corner. DD has dozens of such toys. They are going to end up at Oxfam!

Hi everyone, an update on this. Party was yesterday and despite directly asking guests to please not bring anything (decided not to write on invites in the end), EVERYONE brought a gift. The more thoughtful ones brought disposable items like bubbles (DS's absolute favourite thing at the moment) or sticker books but as I feared we now have a shelf-full of very similar toys. MIL (who of course was always going to go mad) bought the things we'd asked for in multiple, e.g. 3 versions of essentially the same book, plus loads of other stuff he won't be ready for for six months by which time it'll be time for yet more xmas presents... Time for a toy cull methinks! Also, now I feel I have to buy presents for NCT friends with birthdays coming up even though they aren't doing parties - and because they were at ours and saw things being opened re gifting would be really obvious.

Oh well. Party was lovely though and great time had by all, which is the important thing.

Sorry it didn't work out very well but glad the party was a success.

We asked for no presents at DD's 1st and 2nd birthdays (mostly family/some close friends) as she spent a lot of time in hospital and we as a family marked her birthdays with a donation to the local children's ward. We mentioned that was what we were doing to those who asked for clarification and accepted a few donations to go with ours. No one seemed to have an issue with it at all (maybe I was oblivious!)

Sorry it didn't work out very well but glad the party was a success.

We asked for no presents at DD's 1st and 2nd birthdays (mostly family/some close friends) as she spent a lot of time in hospital and we as a family marked her birthdays with a donation to the local children's ward. We mentioned that was what we were doing to those who asked for clarification and accepted a few donations to go with ours. No one seemed to have an issue with it at all (maybe I was oblivious!)