Party invitation says "No need to bring a present"

[FrannyandZooey]

If you got an invitation with this on, what would you think about it? And would you take a present, or not?

I think harpsi's point is a very good one if it's open-ended. Actually my dd would be mortified if we turned up to a party without a present and anyone else had brought one. I do think open-ended has its own problems...

OK, last suggestion:

"Presents strictly optional"

with smiley

whaddyathink?

No presents please

Or...

Please,no presents

Then a smilie!

I would probably bring something small anyway

If they don't want presents then DON@T BLOODY BRING THEM.

BUT MOONDOG I HAVE NOT GOT A PROBLEM IF PEOPLE BRING PRESENTS AND I AM NOT SAYING NO PRESENTS

I am saying, don't bring a present if you don't want to bring a present

OPTIONAL

it means

you can

but you don't have to

why are people so determined that I am saying NO PRESENTS aaaaargh

it's all a bit of a minefield isn't it?

BUT I DON'T WANT THEM TO ALL BRING BOOK TOEKENS AAAAAAAAARGH

you have all totally misunderstood me

HC WHYOWHYOWHYOWHYOWHYOWHY?

I went to a party last weekend for a 4 year old and there were 30 GUESTS

lots of bin bags to take home for that mother, oh yes

dd1 had 8 for her birthday and LOVED LOVED LOVED opening up all the (admitted) plastic tat

I would give a card with a book token in it if you said no presents/presents optional/yadda yadda

how many invitees are you talking about?

well because people like to know what the Rules are
And not to be embarrassed
And not to look mean
And they like certainty

you are over analysing (as is the MN norm)

if you get tons of presents, give them away or hide them and recycle them

For a child I take something, but I might feel more able to be free and make something (photo frame, scrapbook kit etc), rather than stick with the traditional book-or-lego-at-six-quid formula the Mums here all apply.

yes, that's right
"sense of obligation"
when you go to a birthday party, you feel you should bring something
it feels awkward not to.
uncertainty about presents = awkwardness

Did anyone listen to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 today about childrens parties...this is just the tip of the iceberg!

One 7 year old had a 'catwalk model show' as the theme.

about 20 families

i would like to avoid tat but feel there is no polite way to do this

I think if you are going to have presents, specifying what the person buys unless they ask you is rude and killjoy-ish

the ONLY thing I am hoping to achieve with this is to explain to people that they are NOT obligated to bring a present unless they really want to

we won't care, we just want them to come

but even though I have explained this severaltimes on the thread people are interpreting it in many different ways:

I don't want any presents
OR
I don't want any tat
OR I only want book tokens
OR I only want small presents

I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY DO I JUST DON'T WANT ANYONE OBLIGATED TO BUY A PRESENT

am considering forgetting whole thing and having a lie down

OO I DON'T CARE IF WE GET LOADS OF PRESENTS

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH WILL ANYONE READ WHAT i AM SAYING INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY THINK i AM SAYING?????

Franny, you are geting your knickers in a twist about nothing hee

Just don't write anything! People will do what makes them feel comfortable, and then you can discreetly weed out out the shite pressies when they've gone.

Don't fuck with the formula!!

yes but people are obligated IMO to get a present when you go to a party

it's as normal as breathing

that's the best formula for cheering up the over wrought in this house