first toddler party invitation - and it's joint with another boy

[moonbells]

Help!

DS has just got his first invitation to a party; his nursery friend is going to be 3 and is having a party at a local soft play. So far, so good.

General advice I have found on MN seems to be buy a pressie (a book is good) costing 5-10 pounds. But the party is joint with another boy who we don't know and have never met.

What should we do? Buy him a pressie too, even though no chance of finding out from his mum what he likes, ignore him and just get one for the boy DS does know, or what?

aaagh - minefield!

If it was my ds that had been invited I would only buy for the boy he knows. Maybe just get a card for the other boy?

If it were the other way round and my son was having a joint party I wouldn't expect the parents of the children he didn't know to buy him a gift. Hth

I see what you mean though it is a bit of a minefield.

Check with the party boy's mum that you know what the protocol is.

We've been to joint parties before where we knew one child well and the other not very well - bought presents for both (but more of a token one for the child we didnt know). Something like one of those Ben 10 sweeties with a Ben 10 figure on top type thing.

I think you should aim for nearer 5 pounds than 10 and get them both the same - or different versions of the same. That way, it's all very fair and no-one will feel hard done by.

Presents at parties are more a token towards the celebration and no-one will be expecting anything too huge. And your friend will appreciate the fact that you've thought of the other child too. That's what I'd do, anyway - good luck!

Get something small for both - just a book or crayons.

Normally (IME both holding and attending joint parties) just buy for the child you know. If you know both, you buy for both. The trickier position is where you know one child well and do know the other, but not as well -- then it's all a bit more nebulous.

Thankyou all, I shall be on the lookout for stuff when I next get the chance to go shopping!

If you don't know the child - don't buy anything! Is the invite from both children? If so, bit more tricky but I'd still only get for the child you know.