Who invites family and friends to their baby’s first birthday celebration just for quality time with loved ones? Not these parents, apparently. It’s all about the gifts – or at least that’s how it comes across.
Reddit user razz32 originally posted a photo of an email invite (really, a specific gift list) their co-worker received. Razz32 titled the photo, “Most demanding 1st birthday invite ever,” which is spot on.
It starts: “With (baby)’s birthday coming up, we thought we’d ask 4 items that he will really get a lot of use out of in the coming months. I provided my mom and sister-in-law (name) with a list of 4 other items that (baby) would like for his birthday so they can buy from their list and avoid duplication.”
It goes on to say, “We’re asking for gifts only from grandparents and the direct aunt/uncle for (baby)’s birthday party, and similar to Christmas, would like to restrict it to 2 items per household.”
OK, not too terrible … yet. Throughout, the parents specify some pretty precise rules for buying gifts to bring to this shindig. For example, providing a list of items (with links!) for an identified side of the family to purchase.
“If you are unable to get these items, please let us know so that we can buy them right away for him,” write mom and dad.
Other tidbits of demanding details are peppered throughout, like the note for invitees who decide to buy something not on the list (uh-oh!). “If you choose to get (baby) something that isn’t on the list, anytime regardless of birthdays or holidays, please be sure to always include a receipt going forward. When we return the items without receipts, we only get about 50% of the value, so it’s like throwing away money …”
Wow. And forget buying books for this little one (aside from the one very precisely listed). “Right now, (baby) has 32 board books on his shelf, and 25 additional books waiting for him in storage once he is 3+ years of age.”
(You can read and see the full email on Mashable).
This letter has made its rounds, being covered by Huffington Post, Mashable, AOL and others.
On a final note, mom and dad write, “By the way, a formal invite from (baby) will be arriving in your mailboxes soon…”
Oh, I’m sure it will be. Great. Juuust great. If you ask me, I would be nervous to attend this birthday party for fear of screwing up, because it seems like it would be pretty easy to disobey the rules here.
As a decently organized person who tends to have more of a type-A personality, I can appreciate that mom and dad wrote out and communicated a few presents they were hoping baby would receive. But this might be a little too detailed – and comes across kind of bossy, in my opinion.
What do you think? Just an organized invite, or does it come across as demanding and all about the gifts? Comment below with your thoughts!
Photo courtesy Huffington Post, Reddit user razz32