Controversial?

So i've made up the invitations for the soon-to-be 5yr old and have requested no presents.


What do you think ?

I'm a bit nervous - will it cause confusion ?
Will people be able to come to a party for a child empty-handed?


I mean, it's at a bike-park ( BYO bike/trike/scooter ) and the
idea of the day is to have fun with your friends.
Parents: welcome. Siblings: welcome.
There will still be cake, and balloons and party food and fun. There will still be presents at home from parents and grandparents.


I've been to parties before at Playcentres etc, and basically, the child involved doesn't even care you are there. They just want to go at a million miles an hr. Presents are piled under a table somewhere and then later into the back of a car, and you never see them again. Not ever.


I can't tell you the amount of ( good! ) gifts i've given that i've wondered about ( what happened to it, I want to ask -was it crap?, did it break?, did said child like it? ).

I have one friend, who, when I confided my plans, told me how she often goes out to the recycling bin to pop in an empty bottle, to find it loaded with toys. She has 3kids and a husband who cleans up by throwing everything in the bin.

Ok then.



These days there's so much STUFF. I never dreamed of so much stuff as a kid. And when you get it all en-masse on the one day, I just don't think it's appreciated. It's like 'wow, this is cool, what's next?'. There's so much stuff, nothing is *treasured*. Well, it is, but it isn't. Are you following me ? Am I making sense ?


I'd prefer less toys, and more appreciation. Less is more.

I'm not mean either. My boys? Want for nothing.

Life's pretty good for them. I hope we're not spoiling them, but it's different now to when we were kids. That's pretty universal from what I can gather.


So yeah, no gifts, just kids having fun. I hope it works out.
And perhaps ?
We might set a precedent.


Because i'd like to go to more parties where we're there to have fun with the guest, and not add to his/her blasé collection of things destined for the bin.



Less crap for kids.

I'm on it.




* photo totally unrelated, but how cute is he in his new Auskick gear ?! :D