Presence Is Present Enough

I am uncomfortable with these requests. I like buying gifts.

That said, a really good option is a book exchange, where each person brings a wrapped book and every kid goes home with a book. I think this is a lot of fun, and it works!

I believe that people need it to be told straight. (big surprise, eh?)
I also feel that society places too much importance on materialism and when they receive an invite like that, they find it unfathomable that uh....duh....they.....don't want gifts.
I'll bet you'd have better response with this line "please bring two non-perishable food bank items in lieu of a gift."

After a few crazy years, we started putting "no gifts please" followed by the same play on words your friend used. Somehow "no gifts please" DOES sink in but word play alone does not.

We still get a few gifts, but they are more low key. We set them aside and open them after the party. We won't open gifts during the party - because that would make the kids who honored our request feel like we didn't mean it. We get LOTS of kid-made birthday cards now, which my kids don't love yet, but I think one day they'll appreciate it.

p.s. We make an exception for family - and let them know that, if they'd like to see their gifts opened, they may wish to come a bit later as we will be opening them after all of the kid guest have gone home. We DO have gifts for our kids to open on party day that they may open AFTER the party. It is a GREAT way to close out the event and ease a child's "let down" after all of his friends have gone home.

I wouldn't worry about it. As parents the 'no gifts' please works for us, but there is a time at every birthday where the birthday kid and the guests want to see boxes ripped and paper flying. When I tried that at my son's birthday, my inlaws' response was 'we'll do what we want.'

I think how you handled it is fine. As for other guests, that's going to be between the them and the host.

A party I know of before Christmas, they had everyone bring a toy that was going to be donated to Toys-for-tots.

M.

I typically put that on our invites too, but usually everyone brings them anyway as well. I think from now on I will try the bring food bank items or just not open the gifts at the party. Really I want the party to be about the memories and have as many people there as possible, and if they bring a gift ok, if not ok too. We provide everything our kids need or want and I would rather their parties be about friends than about material things. ( and my kids would have been thrilled with a box of fruit snacks) ;)

For me, the saying means please don't NOT attend simply because you cannot afford to purchase a gift. There have been birthday parties my children didn't attend because we couldn't afford a gift, and if a gift is expected it's kind of embarrassing to be the only one showing up without one.
I have also seen 'no gifts' on invites, and figure those are the people who absolutely don't want you to buy one.

Yeah I fell for that one too... the last invitation we got had "No Presents Please!" written on it. It was pretty clear and you know what... we were the only ones who did not bring a present - awkward!
In the future I will always pack a little gift and bring it, even if no presents are requested...

I agree that even though the phrase is "cutesie", you need to just say No gifts please. Your Presence is enough or something like that. Bottom line is, I would honor their request on the invitation. Some people think bringing a Birthday gift is appropriate no matter what the invitation says. The mom could have done some follow up calls or had an RSVP phone number so she could kindly remind everyone of the request. My kids went to a party like this once and they still talk about it because it was an interactive "cooking" party and all the kids 'got a gift' so to speak. We took a card that my kids decorated and made and that was it. Most of the parents honored the wishes of not bringing any gifts and that made it easier and not so awkward.