No Toys Please.....?

maggied_2

Mutley74 - no offence but this isn't a wedding, it's an 8 year old's birthday party. If you don't want toys then I think you should ask for no presents - I don't know how much people tend to spend on children's birthdays in your neck of the woods but surely presents brought to a child's birthday party are just a token?
I think it's a bit precious to control what children get bought from friends. If a member of your family asks what they want for their birthday and you ask for clothes / vouchers that's one thing, but to ask for specific items from their friends is another - there would be a lot of eye rolling if SD brought home an invite stating what kind of present to take to a party!

mrbrightside842

My twins are late november babies, and by Xmas we're drowning in toys. This year, we're going to ask family for clothes for them, as our family always ask for ideas. But if they don't ask, we wouldn't say. For their party, if a present is brought then that's lovely, and we wouldn't specify what people had to buy. To be honest, if they were invited to a party for a child in their classroom, we'd only spend £5 but get a toy/something fun. £5 wouldn't go far in clothing, and I'd feel embarressed about putting a fiver in a card.

bestpud

I'd find it extremely cheeky of you to ask and I would not dream of asking such a thing myself!

The charity idea is ok, if it is anonymous donations, and I think I'd like to know where it was going and why. If my child were doing this, I'd get her to write a note saying why she'd like to donate to the charity instead of having presents.

To ask for clothing is a bit much!!

Many parents only spend a couple of pound on a present, if they buy wisely as I do. What are they going to buy for that - a pair of pants?

As said, this has been asked before, and I hope it isn't a sign of things to come...

mrcow

mutley74 wrote: »

Its my son birthday soon (8).....and as he does not play with toys anymore (DS, PC etc taken over) all his current toys are just siting there.

Why is this?

Is he just allowed to sit for hours on end playing with a DS and a PC? Is he not encouraged to do anything else?

My son is the same age as your and sure, if he was allowed/encouraged to would fester in front of a games screen. But that doesn't mean to say that he doesn't love playing with other stuff.

Why don't you limit his computer time (as should be done with any kid) and so he gets the opportunity to rediscover the other activities that there are to do.

pulliptears

My DS never played with toys. It was all very strange. he had all the baby learning stuff but just had no interest in it at all. The thing that kept him amused for longest was a screwdriver and a plug or electrical item to take apart. He had a PS1 when he was 10 or so, but didnt play with that much either!

Of course, birthdays were tricky, and by the time he was 10 he had a cupboard full of action men etc that he never touched, but I couldn't stipulate 'no toys'. Family members knew, but school friends always bought a toy.

He's at college now studying IT. Very clever child, and very very odd lol

Zazen999

bestpud wrote: »

What are they going to buy for that - a pair of pants?

Coffee

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> Screen

niklam

Hiya

We have just had a birthday invite for no 1 son. In it they basically said that if we were going to give a present, the birthday child is saving up for a swing or a new bike and would we mind contributing to that. I dont object to that at all - I am currently looking into my kids playroom and seeing all the under used toys!

A friend of mine sent her son to a school here all the parents in the class would club together to buy the birthday child a larger toy - which again I though was brilliant (small school though).

But if you asked for clothing - then you probably wouldnt get much (as other posters have pointed out).

How about if you just let them send toys and then ebay the unopened toys that have yet to be played with and buy clothes with the funds from that?

N

jellyhead

My eldest was never very interested in toys but I would have felt cheeky specifying anything else on his party invites, and some parents would have thought I was a bit mean! Mums often ask in the playground 'what's he into' and then I'd say he'd love a cinema voucher - it's around a fiver to buy - or one year I asked his very closest friends (only if they asked me what they should get him) if they would give him a couple of pounds towards a playstation game he wanted.

jellyhead

I think if you ask for clothing you're going to get a dozen GI joe t-shirts

clairehi

pulliptears wrote: »

My DS never played with toys. It was all very strange. he had all the baby learning stuff but just had no interest in it at all. The thing that kept him amused for longest was a screwdriver and a plug or electrical item to take apart. He had a PS1 when he was 10 or so, but didnt play with that much either!

Of course, birthdays were tricky, and by the time he was 10 he had a cupboard full of action men etc that he never touched, but I couldn't stipulate 'no toys'. Family members knew, but school friends always bought a toy.

He's at college now studying IT. Very clever child, and very very odd lol

My DS is like this, no interest in toys even as a baby. Sounds like yours turned ok so there is hope then!