Regifting At A Kid’s Birthday Party Is Not Tacky

shutterstock_143185990I can’t think of a time that I have regifted, but I am definitely not opposed to the idea. Now that I have kids who end up with piles of toys after any event, I’m even more likely to consider it.

I promise you that this isn’t a sad whine about my #firstworldproblems. I know that my kids are very, very fortunate with all of the gifts from friends and family that they receive at their birthday parties. We always thank guests profusely and provide some free beer to sweeten the deal. But I’ve also observed that most kids get an absurd amount of toys at birthday parties, especially if they have invited their class.

What are you supposed to do with toy duplicates or too many toys after a birthday party? A great idea is to donate, which I am absolutely behind. Another economical idea is to regift a brand-new toy as it saves you money at the next birthday party you attend.

The only issue that you may run into is toy-gifting etiquette:

I think re-gifting is tacky. I’d donate it or just give it to someone who needs it(not as a present).

diaperswappers.com

I do not see anything wrong with re-gifting unwanted items, as long as they are still in brand new condition and all that. But my wife thinks it’s tacky and also rude to the original gifter.

bogleheads.org

I understand regifting things if it doesn’t suit your child or you really are broke & still want to give something. But there are still limits to what & how I would regift. I would only regift something that is in as-new condition & I would certainly not give it back to whoever gave it to us! If I was not sure I would not just in case.

treasures.co.nz

Until now, I hadn’t put that much thought into regifting. I just figured that if my kids got duplicate toys at a birthday party, the extra, brand-new toys would go into the closet for later, with the possibility of regifting in the future. Or, since I have two boys 16 months apart, they could live the spoiled life and each have their own individual toys so that they won’t try to choke each other out over Mega Bloks anymore.

I still don’t think regifting is rude, in the right context. As an adult, regifting might be hairy since you have social expectations to deal with. Your friend might find out that you hated the beige vase she gave you after seeing it displayed in another friend’s house. (Sounds like perfect sitcom material.) But with small children”¦ All bets are off. They don’t really understand what’s going on anyway, and they certainly won’t miss an extra toy here and there.

Regift as you please””but heed the following advice from one smart forum user, ”I see nothing wrong with re-gifting, as long as: The item is brand new. You do not re-gift it to the person who gave it to you. The re-gifted item is appropriate for the recipient and the occasion.”

(Image: Oksana Kuzmina/Shutterstock)

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