The school year has begun, and I cringe at the thought of all the last minute birthday invites that will come home in kids school bags. I feel 2 weeks, is the minimum a family should give that's considered appropriate. What do you feel is appropriate?
18 Replies
When people send out last minute invites they usually get that some people won’t be able to make it.
Yes two-three weeks notice would be awesome, but if your kids birthday is in the first week of February that can be challenging.
If you’ve got something else on or can’t make it, that’s just life and ok. It’s not rude to decline.
My daughter's birthday is in mid January, I'm having her party mid Feb, all invites handed out first day of school, or via fb.
I need at least a weeks notice (a full week too, not receiving the invite on a Monday for a Saturday party). I think anything less is a little inconsiderate and possibly setting the birthday kid up for disappointment because a lot of people can't make parties on short notice.
I need to factor a gift into my budget (and I know everyone says it's not about the gift but let's be real, gifts are somewhat of an expectation).
And I need to work around time constraints, work, babysitters for other siblings etc.
I think 2 weeks is fair. I would be ok with 1 week minimum, but I always make sure to give 2 weeks for my kids.
I dont care, relax it's just a kids party. RSVP yes no and send it back, easy as.
I tend to agree.. I don’t mind how much notice we get. If we can go we go if we can’t we can’t...
I find people’s failure to RSVP at all more annoying
It depends on what kind of party. If it involves travel and costs then I think they would be crazy to not give notice but if it's just a laid back party at the park or home then who cares how much notice they give. If you make it you make it, if you don't you don't.
Wow I’m shocked by this bitterness!
I would be so excited for my kids to receive an invite regardless of the notice given. I have a cupboard for gifts appropriate for the age of my kids so I always have something to give last minute too. My life isn’t THAT busy I can’t put something on hold to make a child’s day!
Agree, sounds more like a You issue if you're preworrying about kids receiving party invites and they cause you that much stress.
Yup. This post seems judgemental and difficult. Especially during a global pandemic. Regulations keep changing. If the notice isn't enough for you, RSVP no if you're not available. Honestly, I'm so busy with regular things, 1 days vs 1 months notice won't make any difference.
Could be worse, he might not get any at all.
There are kids out there who get no invites at all... A few days notice, even a week, is fine. Worse things in life 🤷
I agree. I don't find this post judgmental, i find it annoying too, and upsetting for my kids, if given short notice. I will work around the invite so my child isn't excluded. I HATE telling my child they can't go as we can't afford a gifting with such short notice, or already had plans. IF we can't go due to short notice, I will still get a little something on pay day for the birthday child, as parents can get catty and wont let their own kids go to those who couldn't go to theirs. I think it's polite to give more then a few days notice. I try to give a min of 2 weeks for kids who's birthday falls in Xmas holidays, as their party will be in Feb, but where I can, I'll give up to a months notice. I'm a planner by compoltion, and iv seen kids faces when no one can come due to short notice. I'd rather give parent time to plan around the invite, put gifts into their budgets as some families live week to week, so kids don't feel disliked or left out.
And i’m currently sitting here with a kid whining that she wasn't invited to a birthday party.
OMG who whinges about how much time is too little when it comes to birthday invites.
Im a planner and I am the mum that gives a months notice. My son has his birthday most years around easter so i give lots of notice.
My daughter's birthday is during the end of the Xmas holidays, so we do her party mid Feb. We hand out invites first week of school. Its a time of year where parents r broke from Xmas, back to school and Easter coming up. I feel a few weeks is polite. People very on about kids not getting invited at all, well yes, that's a hard thing to cope with but I don't find the post judgmental
I find it more annoying when people don’t rsvp if they can come or not. It’s happened so much with my oldest every party we gave her I probably only heard from 2 or 3 and that’s with plenty of notice because hers is in the school holidays. So please if you can’t go at least inform the parents that you’re child/ren won’t be attending the party.
I’m grateful to any invites my daughter gets. This is the first year that she has had more than one and I’m genuinely so happy that she is making friends in her grade. I would be happy if the invite came the day before. I could imagine having a child who’s birthday at the beginning of the year is not easy and as a full time working parent I fully understand that sometimes things get away from you and you forget!!