Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Is this Tacky or am I just a Freak?

Short post today,folks, as I'm existing on very few hours of sleep because B came down with a cold and slept very little due to congestion and repeated coughing. Poor baby, he's home with Daddy today.

But anyway on to my point. I recently got an email from a friend. It was entitled "My Child's Birthday Wish List"

It went like this:

Greetings,

I have gotten several inquiries as to what my child would like for her birthday. We sat down together and she made this list:

1. Cash register (her daddy and I are buying this)

2. Barbie horse

3. Big plastic playhouse ( hey, a girl can dream!)

4. Leapster

5. Barbie Dad (Ken) and Barbie baby

6. Barbie house

7. Barbie clothes

8. T-ball stand and bat ( this was my addition because we need something fun in the back yard and she is just starting to get into baseball)

9. Swim lessons ( I added this too - it's great to receive something that betters you as a person and not just "stuff").

As you can see playing with Barbies has been the main past time in our house since I brought home some of my childhood toys from my recent trip back home. My child is having a pony theme party and is into ponies/horses,princesses, spiderman/superheroes among other things.

*Please NO:

backpacks, baby dolls, or clothes because she has way too many and she will only wear clothes that she picks out and tries on - she has so many cute outfits and REFUSES to wear them.

Love you all,


So here's the thing, I guess its nice that some of the guesswork is taken out of what to get for the child's birthday but isn't this quite presumptous ?
I didn't happen to be one of the "several" that asked for the list so why did I get included ?

Ok, so the letter might have been fine if it included just the list...but the * at the end is what sealed it. I'm officially turned off.
Am I crazy or just in a sleep deprived fog and making a bigger deal out of this then need be ?

11 comments:

Whiskeymarie said...

I think the mom meant well, but it just comes off as gross.
If someone ASKS for a list, fine.
But gift giving & RECIEVING should be gracious on both ends of the deal, I think.

Sugar Kane said...

That's insane! It's fine to give suggestions to family members, but I think that crosses the line.

Brillig said...

HOLY CRAP!!! That would make me so mad. I wouldn't go. Or if I did, I CERTAINLY wouldn't buy ANYTHING on the list. I'd buy anything BUT what's on the list!

There's a "party supplies" store here that advertises "children's birthday registry." So that all the pretty plastic people can take their children to register for their birthday. Apparently, it's popular among the ridiculously rich. I don't get it at all. Sigh.

Yeah, this one hit a nerve, I guess!

Anonymous said...

I guess it's no different than a bridal/baby registry if you think about it.

I wouldn't do that. But to each his/her own. (Tacky, yes...but whatever really)

What are you getting the kid now??? I'd buy her clothes...tee hee

Shauna Loves Chocolate said...

Tacky. Yes. It's one thing to ask for suggestions and get the list, but it's another thing to tell you what to buy for her kid.

If it were me, I'd give a gift card and tell her she'd better not be offended!

Anonymous said...

No, for real? I mean, for real? Buy her two small books and a Pez dispenser and call it a day. Here's my list, because my birthday is next month:

1) Gift certificates for 10 or 15 pedicures and/or manicures.

2) Someone to pull all the weeds in my yard.

3) NO bubble bath because I do NOT have time!

ttfn!

hahaha

Anonymous said...

Presumptous is right. I can't even imagine sending an email like that out. A friend of mine's daughter got invited to a birthday party and inside the invitation were registery cards(like for weddings and showers)! I think she purposely bought something off of the registry.

Stacey said...

Like Whiskeymarie said, I believe she did mean well but it came off very poorly.

As I mentioned the list itself would have been fine and yes its no different from a bridal or baby shower registry but the "* Please No" absolutely turned me the hell off.
Sure she asked politely but why on earth would you tell people (especially non family members and those that haven't asked in the first place) what not to get your child.

Provide a list of "wants" and leave it at that!

So what if the kid gets a toy or clothing item that she doesn't want or use.
That might be the perfect opportunity to teach her about charitable giving and donate it to a worthy organization.

So what will we get her ? Hmmm part of me wants to be spiteful - and by the way I love your idea and your birthday list Wackymommy I'll get right on that- - it depends on how far into the throws of PMS I am when I'm shopping.

Brillig - WTF!??? A children's birthday party registry. Ok, don't even get me started on how that is just wrong on so many levels.

Annie said...

That's just about as tacky as they come! Way to teach your child some values and manners?

Thanks for stopping by my blog today - it's great to find some new ones to visit (not great for the housework though!)

Butrfly Garden said...

Late to the party, but that would really irritate me! Not only is she telling you what to buy, but assuming you were going to buy anything in the first place! It's nice to do, but not necessarily required.

I think if she'd said something like, "She's having a Barbie Themed party - she's really into barbie right now." that would have been suggestion enough.

The NO's would have pissed me off to the point where I said something, but that's just me.

Benjamin Loewen said...

Am I the only one who's also dubious about letting kids sit down and give a whole list of wants? What kind of message does it send? I haven't even asked my kids to write letters to Santa yet. I like the idea of them sending out this letter and getting one back.... it's so traditional (if just a few decades counts as "so traditional) and familiar... but I can never seem to bring myself to do it because it's like saying to them, "I don't expect you to be grateful for what you have and what you get. So, you should just tell me what you want and then you'll get it. So, let your mind wander, which will inevitably lead to obsession, about all the things in the world you could possibly want and then write a list." Is that what these holidays should be about? Birthdays for us are about fun, fun, fun, and celebrating one more year with our child and all the growth that came with that. We do presents, sure. But our kids are taught to be happy with what they got and not expect anything. They know they'l have a great fun party and they look forward to that.

Okay, clearly, I should just blog about this. I really want to know: am I the only one who thinks like this?