No Toys Please.....?

mrbrightside842

mutley74 wrote: »

Mrbrightside842- you can actually buy reasonable clothing for under a fiver at places such as Asda. Note I was proposing just to ask parents no toys and not state any preference.

No need to take that tone, I hadn't wrote anything to cause you offence, in fact I agreed with you that my children also get too many toys. We don't have an Asda here, so I wouldn't know about that. You didn't state a preference, no, but if you wrote 'no toys' on an invite, I'd imagine you were angling for money or clothing, and around here a £5 limit would buy a pack of socks. What else would you expect people to bring if you weren't thinking of clothes or money? Would you be happy with a load of sweets?

Becles

mutley74 wrote: »

Mrcow – my son does not just sit there playing games or watching tv all day. I do restrict his time, if he is not doing these then he play with something silly like part of a toy such as a odd wheel!! Anyways thanks for your concern.

Do you play with him, or just leave him to play on his own?

Sometimes they need a bit of encouragement to play, so you need to get down on the floor and organise a car race/build a train set/set up figures for a battle/build lego stuff etc. It's good fun too :D

vikki_louise

Am i the only person who would be slightly tempted to take a gift out of a box and give it with the folded up box on the "no boxed gifts" invite

To the OP, what about asking for gifts (even unwanted gifts their child has been given in the past) and you andyour son go to www.postpals.co.uk and he gets to pick which seriously ill child he would like each gift to go to?

jennihen

I tend to ask the parents what the child is into and if they are at a loss I suggest money to go towards something bigger. Kids are generally into higher value 'toys' these days - My youngest would like a mobile phone now she's at secondary school!
She usually gets a good mix of cash,vouchers and gifts to unwrap -although she had a pool party one year and invited all of her class and they all gave her fivers so maybe the venue has something to do with it!!!
I don't mind putting a fiver in a n envelope because I'm rubbish at buying gifts and I find it much easier!!

Katinkka

I think it's rude to dictate to guests what they should bring to your sons party. Certainly if they ask you can tell them then but I would be irritated by anything being demanded of me.

My sons friends usually get £5 for parties. THey can spend it on what they wish and I usually wrap up some sweeties to go with it. If I know the children I'll get them what I know they want.

mutley74

thanks for all the ideas..some good ones here.

chinatown_2

How about instead of writing anything on the invitation why not have a quiet word with a couple of other mums (whos child has been invited) and tell them your son would love to save up towards something using his birthday money rather than get a load of boxed gifts.
My 7 year old asked all our relatives (not the same as friends, I know) for money as she wanted horse riding lessons and at £20 a time she knows we wont be paying for them every week. Shes saved her money and sorted it out so she can have x amount for the lessons and x amount left over to buy something at Toys R Us.

A good idea 2 of her friends parents had was putting their money together and buying a DS game between them which went down a treat.