Gulit trip to the max....

I agree with those who said you can politely decline. You don't have to go into a reason for it, or if you feel like it you can just add "...it won't work, sorry" or "I have some prior appointments that day, sorry". You don't have to say that your appointment is with your bathtub, some bubble bath, and a nice long book.

My spouse and I sometimes put in appearances at family birthday parties for nieces and nephews. We don't get many presents, as unfortunately only a minority of them are polite and grateful when given gifts. The others are greedy and hyper. We give cards instead of gifts 90 percent of the time. We also set time limits & agree in advance that we'll check in with each other at that time, and if one of us wants to go, we hit the road. Works great.

I also tend to give cards as gifts, unless its someone I am close to.

Here's the update.
If we do buy a present, it comes out of DH's money as they're his friends, and I don't expect him to contribute to presents for my friends. We've gone for the past 3 years without ever buying a present, and still get invited, so I'm guessing that won't be happening this year either. However, if a present is purchased, it will totally be a book as that will irritate the parents to no end. They both think "reading is for nerds", how they got through college is beyond me. Remember, this is for the video gaming, couch slouching, mouth breathing 4 year old who (as I discovered during vacation) everyone, but the parents, thinks is "slow". He's not potty trained yet, and I can't understand a word he says.

I will go at least to see DH play some music, engorge myself on food and adult beverages and possibly experience glorious mayhem when the hostess drops her newest (she's due in 10 days...the party's in 5). If she doesn't provide the sufficient excitement in a timely manner, I will "regretfully" make my leave as there are any number of reasons why I would be unable to stay.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

Feh, I always give books as kid gifts because I've pleasantly found that the gift of books really *DOES* piss off a lot of parents.

I would just go, as you said before, there will be some really good grub and why pass that up? LOL And free alcohol.

Plus, if you don't go, since hubby will be there without you, you don't need rumors starting about "trouble in paradise," or any of that other narrow-minded bullshit.

Feh, congratulations on your recent nuptials! I wish you and your DH many years of CF bliss.
As far as this chick, her invite, IMO, was veiled as passive-aggressive BS AND there was a bingo in there to boot.

KidFreeLuvnLife Wrote:
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> Feh, I always give books as kid gifts because I've
> pleasantly found that the gift of books really
> *DOES* piss off a lot of parents.

That's just sad. When I was a kid, I loved to read books and enjoyed receiving them as gifts.

I guess these days, all the kids have dyslexia or ADD, and parents know their child won't have the attention span to read anything. Or worse - they know their school-aged kid can't even read. Hence, they get pissed off when you give the child a book.

Books are the perfect gifts for children.

Oooh...I totally missed the bingo...and still can't find it. Help!

In this new computer age, no one HAS to know how to read...or at least this is what that particular couple believes. The problem with kids is that they get sat in front of a screen filled with bright lights and pretty colors at some insanely early age. They gave up on limiting the boy's access to tv by the time he was 2, now he's 4 with no imagination, and few social skills. Paper, with it's boring static pictures, will never be able to compete as long as parents continue to believe things like Teletubbies, and other toddler programming, has any value.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

Feh Wrote:
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> Paper, with it's boring static pictures, will never be
> able to compete as long as parents continue to
> believe things like Teletubbies, and other toddler
> programming, has any value.

My CAT loved watching the Tubbies when she was 2 or 3, I swear. So they were at least good for that. More TV for cats instead of brats, I say!

Just wanted to weigh in and say I give books too, or gift cards because it keeps me out of family oriented places. Here kid, have $50 on Amex courtesy of your mean old aunt.