Birthday Registry?

Question

I just got an e-mail for a Target registry for a my friend son's 1st birthday party. Is this normal? I feel it is rude to tell me what to buy for a kid's birthday. I have not even got the invitation yet! I already bought a gift from Toy R Us, which was more than I wanted to spend because it is at a restuarant that is costing $20/person. Most of the stuff on the registry is over $30 for each item.

Answer 1

rude

Answer 2

Don't view the registry as a "gimme gimme gimme" list but rather a "hey, my son does not have this, this, and this in case you need an idea for a gift."  The stuff at Target is overpriced anyway.  If you see the gift you bought on the list, just get a clerk to mark it off.  Why are they having a 1 year old's birthday party at such an expensive restaurant anyway?  He's not going to remember it. :p

Answer 3

Rude. You don't have to follow the registry.

Answer 4

i think it is rude because what if you don't have enough money to buy him what the people want you to buy him!!

Answer 5

Ugh, that's rude.This whole registry thing is getting out of hand. I understand wedding registries, and maybe even "new baby" registries... both times you'll be getting a lot of stuff that you're going to need, some of which can be pretty expensive. But birthday registries? Birthdays are supposed to be fun, plus they aren't once (or two or three times, in the case of babies) in a lifetime events! If you're lucky you'll get a whole mess of them. Not to mention, the kid is one, he's probably going to be more interested in the box the toy came in than the toy itself.

Get the kid whatever you can afford and if the mother says something, then she is just tacky.

Answer 6

I have never heard of this before!

What a cheek!

Things are getting out of hand aren't they?

Answer 7

Very rude.  You dont tell someone what their gift to you or your kid should be. Bleck.

Answer 8

I think it is perfectly acceptable to stray away from the Target registry and come up with your own original gift. People typically do a registry if they are into everything cutesy and usually just make a mockery out of gift giving. It isn't really typical to do for a first birthday but rather  a baby shower. If the mother/father give you a hard time about not buying anything from the registry tell them that you looked at it but thought that their son would enjoy something different. Don't forget to put in the gift receipt for possibly cranky parents.

Answer 9

It's not normal. A one-year-old child has no idea what's going on with respect to his birthday. This is all about the mom/parents and not about the child - and that's really a pity.

Back to the point: give the gift you already bought, or return it and get something that doesn't cost as much since the mom is making you pay to attend the party (also extremely rude).

But yes, you are right - it is very rude to tell people what to buy and it's rude to make invited guests pay to attend. Feel free to skip this extortion if you wish.

Answer 10

That is a little tacky, unless they are trying to avoid certain toys, such as those made in China. I have heard of people registering for organic or made in the USA toys instead of just writing it on the invitation because people might not know where to look.

If it is just for regular toys, maybe she is thinking it will save her time returning duplicates?

It sounds like she is expecting a lot if everything is over $30. Since the baby is only turning 1, I can't imagine what he even would need. I say you get him something small, like a book, and then a donation to a children's charity in his name. That way he gets something out of it but so does a child who actually needs something.

Good luck!