My son would like one gift this year for his birthday that is expensive. Instead of having all of the guests bring individual gifts to his upcoming party, I would like to ask everyone to put their money toward this gift. Is this appropriate, or will people be offended?

This is a tricky question because most people do not want to be directed toward purchasing a particular item or contribute money for a specific gift. However, if you have close friends and family who you know will not be offended and you feel comfortable asking them, it is acceptable. If you decide to do this, I would not designate an amount, but let them choose what they would like to contribute without any suggestions on your behalf. Also, be aware that if you do not ask all of the guests at your party for such a contribution and they find out, it may lead to some awkwardness as well. So, if you decide to only ask a few people, you may want to consider keeping it quiet and unwrapping gifts after the party is over so no one asks why presents may be missing.

This year my son turns three, and we aren’t having a party for him. How many presents should we give him?

Often, you may find that his grandparents, extended relatives, such as Aunts and Uncles, your friends, etc. will end up each giving a gift to your son. This will add up to a lot of presents even without throwing a party. So, keep this consideration in mind when thinking about the number of gifts he will receive from his family and your friends. I know families that don’t buy anything because this amount of gifts really adds up!

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I live far away from my niece who is about to turn 12 years old. We want to give her something for her birthday, but I cannot afford to send a big gift through the mail and we don’t have a lot of money to spend on the gift either. When I ask her parents what she would like, it is hard to get information from them. What to do?

Well, the perfect gift to send is a gift card…and it works for any age really. When you are talking about a 12 year old, it is really a great idea, as you are not just stuck giving a $5 or a $10 bill in the card. Put the amount of money you have allocated to spend on to a gift card to a popular store, like Target, Wal Mart, The Gap, etc. and let the tween decide what she wants. She can also take the gift card and put it toward a more expensive item if she chooses. Gift cards can also extend to a favorite arcade (if you can find out the place from the parents) or to the movies ~ these would be fun outings.

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