Update and question. Birthday party - WWYD

[DietCokeLover]

Update: thanks for your suggestions. Sounds like it would be better to have two invitations.

Can I throw a curve ball? I was going to have a theme of Thing1 and Thing 2. Do you think it will still work with 2 invitations?

I guess it could say. "Thing 1 would like to invite you to her's and Thing 2's birthday party" or something like that?

----------------------------------------------------------------


DD's bday is in early Dec and DS's bday is in mid Nov. We are thinking of having a combined bday party for the two of them in between their days. They are only 11 mos apart, so mostly have the same friends at preschool because their two classes often combine.

I dont want to do a no-gift party, because I think that is great fun for the kids. But, does an invitation need to state that they should only bring a gift for their classmate - or do I just not say anything and let parents choose what they want to do regarding a gift?

I know I have some time, but it's on my mind so I figured I'd go ahead and try to figure this out.

[SnuggleBuggles]

That is tricky. I'd probably leave it off it were me. People will figure it out :) and do what works for them.

Beth

[nrp]

We just received an invite for a joint birthday (not siblings) and it said something like "please bring a gift only for your birthday friend.". I get the point, but frankly, I thought it was kind of strange and came off like it was asking for a gift. In the past i've only brought a gift for the child I know, and I think most people would assume that, too.

[MMMommy]

I would probably do what Beth (Snugglebuggles) said and just say nothing at all about it. Or I would send out two separate invitations, one for DD's class mentioning DD's birthday only, one for DS's class mentioning DS's birthday only. When they show up, it will of course be a joint party. But they would have just brought a gift for the one child.

[bubbaray]

Corie is doing a combined party for her kids. I wonder what Corie did??

I'd probably leave it off just b/c I wouldn't have the energy to put into figuring out politically correct wording. FWIW, DD#2 went to a joint party in the summer -- was invited by the younger child. We took a gift only for the younger child. In that case, DD#1 knows the older child and wasn't invited (no biggie), so I didn't feel obliged to take two gifts.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I would probably do what Beth (Snugglebuggles) said and just say nothing at all about it. Or I would send out two separate invitations, one for DD's class mentioning DD's birthday only, one for DS's class mentioning DS's birthday only. When they show up, it will of course be a joint party. But they would have just brought a gift for the one child.


Ohh, I like the separate invite idea. I wonder if that would work or people would show up super confused that it was a joint party? I could see it going either way.

Beth

[KpbS]

Or I would send out two separate invitations, one for DD's class mentioning DD's birthday only, one for DS's class mentioning DS's birthday only. When they show up, it will of course be a joint party. But they would have just brought a gift for the one child.

I like this approach. GL with your party planning!

[JustMe]

That is tricky! Ideally something would be on there about only bringing for one child, as I have seen other BBBers wonder about this when they receive an invitation to a joint party...on the other hand, it does seem to hard to know how to state that tactfully. Well, what I did for my kids joint party was to not say anything about it being a joint party and just put my child's name on it who was most connected to the invitee (pretty much what MMMommy suggested). We had some family friends and I did put both dcs names on there and let them decide what to do. Some people were surprised to find it was a joint party when they arrived, but I dont think it bothered anyone

[bubbaray]

Ohh, I like the separate invite idea. I wonder if that would work or people would show up super confused that it was a joint party? I could see it going either way.

Beth


IIRC, this is how it was done at the party we went to this summer. Separate invitations. I was surprised that it was a joint party when we got there, so I'm 99% sure the invite didn't say anythiing about that. It wasn't a big deal as I wouldn't have purchased 2 gifts b/c my DD#2 doesn't really know the older child (DD#1 does and she wasn't invited).

[kdeunc]

My boys have always had joint parties. The invitations say R & O are having a party...Each kid's friend has always brought just one gift, our family friends bring one for each kid. I have never mentioned anything about gifts on the invites. I would take a gift for the child that was in my kid's class if I got a joint party invite.

[Corie]

Corie is doing a combined party for her kids. I wonder what Corie did??




I am doing a different set of invitations for each child and I'm
not calling it a "combo" party on the invitations. The guests won't
even know that they are going to a combo party until they arrive.

I'm doing roller-blade birthday party invitations for my son's friends.
His invitation will say "DS is turning 7! Have some cake, grab some skates, it is time to celebrate!"

I'm doing roller-skate birthday party invitations for my daughter's friends.
Her invitation will say "DD is turning 10! Have some cake, grab some
skates, it is time to celebrate!"

[inmypjs]

Last year I did a combined birthday party for my 2, and on the invitiations I wrote either DS's name, DD's name, or both of their names if the person being invited was friends with both of them. It worked very well and there didn't seem to be any confusion.

[ellies mom]

I would do the separate invites and if someone asks about it at the party, I would just say something about not wanting people to stress about the gift aspect.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lmwbasye]

I have the same dilemma coming up so am watching this thread.

After reading initial responses, I think I'll do separate invites.

[spunkybaby]

I would probably do what Beth (Snugglebuggles) said and just say nothing at all about it. Or I would send out two separate invitations, one for DD's class mentioning DD's birthday only, one for DS's class mentioning DS's birthday only. When they show up, it will of course be a joint party. But they would have just brought a gift for the one child.

DD2 was invited to a birthday party last year. When we showed up, we realized that it was actually a joint birthday party for the two sisters. We had only brought one present (obviously) and that was just fine.

I vote for 2 separate invitations as well.

[fivi2]

Not to hijack, but would you do separate invites for twins who are in different classes? Everyone knows they are twins and share the same birthday... But I certainly don't expect kids in the one class to get a gift for the twin in the other class. ugh.

[traciann]

if I received an invitation for a joint birthday party, I would only buy a gift for the child my dd knows. I think doing seperate invitations is the best way to make sure there is no confusion or obligation to both.

[jenstring95]

Last year I did a combined birthday party for my 2, and on the invitiations I wrote either DS's name, DD's name, or both of their names if the person being invited was friends with both of them. It worked very well and there didn't seem to be any confusion.

This is what we have done in the past and will do this year for my kids' combined party. Also, we don't generally end up opening gifts at the party (too much time with 2 kids), so no one has to feel like maybe they should have known it was a joint party and should have brought 2 gifts.

[mjs64]

What if you made only slightly different invites, the difference being the heading--either "DC1 invites you to" or "DC2 invites you to" a "Double Birthday Bash at the Jones'" or something like that? So then people would know it's a joint party but that they were being "invited" by (and therefore would only probably gift) one child?

ETA: I think this resembles but is slightly different than what's been suggested just above.

[DietCokeLover]

Bumping for update

[SnuggleBuggles]

Would a lot of your creative vibe be lost if you couldn't do Thing 1 and Thing 2 invites? Does what you have planned for the party (cake, decoration, favors...other potentially themed stuff) work for you? I would pick another Seuss thing instead of an invite from Thing 1 and one from Thing 2 when people won't get that they go together for a joint party.

Beth

[crl]

Can you do more generic Dr. Suess invitations and then have the Thing 1 and Thing 2 stuff at the party?

Catherine

[MMMommy]

I think I am in the minority where if two names were on the invite and it was clearly a joint party (assuming we only knew one child), I would feel obligated to bring two gifts. Just the fact that the invite mentioned two birthdays would make me feel like I should bring two gifts, even if i do not know the second child. Which is why I still like separate invites with no mention of it being a joint party and no reference to the second child. That way, you wouldn't be faulted for not bringing the child you don't know a gift.

[DietCokeLover]

Can you do more generic Dr. Suess invitations and then have the Thing 1 and Thing 2 stuff at the party?

Catherine

I may have to go this route. We call our kids Thing 1 and Thing 2 (lovingly) so I am really wanting this theme, but I could make a generic Seuss-like invite possibly to avoid confusion.