A 'no gifts' edict for a child's birthday party would seem to be a juggler's dream, on both sides of the invitation. Parents of guests have one fewer chore to fit into the schedule, while the honoree's parents don't have to lug gifts home from a party venue and find space for them in an already-bursting playroom. Yet having a truly no-gift party is often easier said than done.
On the Offsprung parenting site, poster 'sabine louise' led a discussion on the topic last week. 'We have a party this month for a 4 yr old's b-day,' she wrote. 'No plan for donations to a charity, just no gifts. And an awesome party by the looks of it. I fear being the only one to heed the no-gift clause on the invite and looking like an empty-handed shmuck.'
Many people responding suggested that she bring a book or a bookstore gift certificate, or just a greeting card, if she must bring something, while others said to stick to the parents' request and not bring anything at all. One poster said it depends on how well she knows the parents and child: 'I've brought presents to no presents parties in the past, but only when I knew the family well enough to bring a non-toy present. Like, I've taken berry plants to a gardening family with a berry loving toddler. I knew what they really wanted was no more heaps of toys, so I figured it would be fine. We're still friends, so I assume it worked!'
You do sometimes end up with heaps of toys anyway. Last year around this time, my wife and I had a joint birthday party at a children's museum for our daughter and son, who were turning 6 and 3 in the same month. A lot of the guests must have missed the no-gifts request on our Evite, because we ended up having to make two trips to the car with a large wheeled bin to get all the stuff packed up. This year, in part to save money and in part to avoid another wave of kind but unneeded gifts, we're having just a small family birthday party.
Readers, what's been your experience as either host of or guest at a no-gifts party？
对孩子生日聚会的主、客双方来说，"不带礼物"的通知看上去都应该是最美不过的事了。客人一方的家长不必伤脑筋准备礼物，而主人方的家长更是不必费力将礼物从聚会场所拖回家、然后在已经挤爆了的游戏室里找地方塞进去。不过，办一次真正的"不带礼物"聚会常常是说起来容易做起来难。
在Offsprung家长网站上，一位名为"sabine louise"的用户上周发起了一场有关这个话题的讨论。她写到：我们这个月要为一个4岁的孩子举办生日聚会，因为没有慈善捐赠计划，所以要求不带礼物。聚会看上去应该很不错。但我担心我是唯一一个注意到请柬上"不带礼物"这句话的人，不想到时候看上去像一个两手空空的傻瓜。
许多人在回贴中建议，如果她一定要带点什么的话，可以带本书或书店的购物礼券，或者索性就带一张贺卡，其他人则认为可以按照孩子父母的要求，什么都不带。一位回贴的人说，应该根据她跟孩子和父母的熟悉程度而定：过去我参加"不带礼物"聚会的时候也曾带过礼物，不过都是在跟主人家非常熟悉的情况下，我带了非玩具性质的礼物。比如，我曾给一个喜爱园艺的家庭带过浆果苗，他们家里有一个喜欢吃浆果的孩子。我知道他们真正喜欢的不是成堆的玩具，所以我想那么做应该是恰当的。我们现在还是朋友，所以我猜这办法没错。"
不过，结果往往还是会收到一大堆玩具。去年大约也是这个时候，妻子和我在一个儿童乐园里给我们的女儿和儿子举办了一场联合生日会，那个月他们一个满6岁，一个满3岁。想来许多客人肯定都没注意到电子请柬上的"不带礼物"标注──因为聚会结束后，我们用一只带轮子的大箱子运了两趟才把礼物装到车上。
今年，为了节约资金、也为了避免收到大量出于好意但我们并不需要的礼物，我们只办了个小型的家庭生日会。
诸位读者，你们自己在"不带礼物"聚会这方面都有些什么样的经历（不论是作为主人还是客人）可以跟我们分享呢？
关键字:双语新闻
生词表:
On the Offsprung parenting site, poster 'sabine louise' led a discussion on the topic last week. 'We have a party this month for a 4 yr old's b-day,' she wrote. 'No plan for donations to a charity, just no gifts. And an awesome party by the looks of it. I fear being the only one to heed the no-gift clause on the invite and looking like an empty-handed shmuck.'
Many people responding suggested that she bring a book or a bookstore gift certificate, or just a greeting card, if she must bring something, while others said to stick to the parents' request and not bring anything at all. One poster said it depends on how well she knows the parents and child: 'I've brought presents to no presents parties in the past, but only when I knew the family well enough to bring a non-toy present. Like, I've taken berry plants to a gardening family with a berry loving toddler. I knew what they really wanted was no more heaps of toys, so I figured it would be fine. We're still friends, so I assume it worked!'
You do sometimes end up with heaps of toys anyway. Last year around this time, my wife and I had a joint birthday party at a children's museum for our daughter and son, who were turning 6 and 3 in the same month. A lot of the guests must have missed the no-gifts request on our Evite, because we ended up having to make two trips to the car with a large wheeled bin to get all the stuff packed up. This year, in part to save money and in part to avoid another wave of kind but unneeded gifts, we're having just a small family birthday party.
Readers, what's been your experience as either host of or guest at a no-gifts party？
对孩子生日聚会的主、客双方来说，"不带礼物"的通知看上去都应该是最美不过的事了。客人一方的家长不必伤脑筋准备礼物，而主人方的家长更是不必费力将礼物从聚会场所拖回家、然后在已经挤爆了的游戏室里找地方塞进去。不过，办一次真正的"不带礼物"聚会常常是说起来容易做起来难。
在Offsprung家长网站上，一位名为"sabine louise"的用户上周发起了一场有关这个话题的讨论。她写到：我们这个月要为一个4岁的孩子举办生日聚会，因为没有慈善捐赠计划，所以要求不带礼物。聚会看上去应该很不错。但我担心我是唯一一个注意到请柬上"不带礼物"这句话的人，不想到时候看上去像一个两手空空的傻瓜。
许多人在回贴中建议，如果她一定要带点什么的话，可以带本书或书店的购物礼券，或者索性就带一张贺卡，其他人则认为可以按照孩子父母的要求，什么都不带。一位回贴的人说，应该根据她跟孩子和父母的熟悉程度而定：过去我参加"不带礼物"聚会的时候也曾带过礼物，不过都是在跟主人家非常熟悉的情况下，我带了非玩具性质的礼物。比如，我曾给一个喜爱园艺的家庭带过浆果苗，他们家里有一个喜欢吃浆果的孩子。我知道他们真正喜欢的不是成堆的玩具，所以我想那么做应该是恰当的。我们现在还是朋友，所以我猜这办法没错。"
不过，结果往往还是会收到一大堆玩具。去年大约也是这个时候，妻子和我在一个儿童乐园里给我们的女儿和儿子举办了一场联合生日会，那个月他们一个满6岁，一个满3岁。想来许多客人肯定都没注意到电子请柬上的"不带礼物"标注──因为聚会结束后，我们用一只带轮子的大箱子运了两趟才把礼物装到车上。
今年，为了节约资金、也为了避免收到大量出于好意但我们并不需要的礼物，我们只办了个小型的家庭生日会。
诸位读者，你们自己在"不带礼物"聚会这方面都有些什么样的经历（不论是作为主人还是客人）可以跟我们分享呢？
关键字:双语新闻
生词表:
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