Comments | pfc_rat: New babies

pfc_rat

New babies

Mar 23, 2009 12:19

OK, most of you should know my childfree status at this point. But I know some of you guys have kids, and I'm kind of wondering about an etiquette thing. Lately it seems like tons of people are having babies. So, when you have a baby, some people send out birth announcements, I suppose. A cutesy card with a picture of the baby and vital statistics ( Read more... )

Comments 7

twfarlan March 23 2009, 20:06:26 UTC

My understanding is that it's not so much a "send me a gift!" thing as a "I have contributed to the miraculous process of childbirth; worship my child and through it, me" thing.

Ignore them or respond with some polite congratulatory tone as you will.

coanteen March 23 2009, 20:10:13 UTC

Yeah, I think it's just the "lookie my kid" thing. I don't even send gifts to close relatives for those, only a nice email note. If it was people I didn't know, I'd ignore it completely.

raxxius March 23 2009, 20:12:46 UTC

While I'm childfree as well, I can tell you I've been told it's just a "Hey look - new chillun!" thing. Baby shower = gifts, card = "Look what I did!"

uncacreamy March 23 2009, 20:59:11 UTC

Uhh. I pressed the 'friends' link while on someone else's journal, and saw this post! The deal is the same with Weddings. "These people are vaguely related to me, here is an announcement of a major life change". Some people feel that they need to update ALL their relatives, and so will send these out. I think the response most people are looking for (if at all, since you're a really distant relative), is a card saying 'Congrats!'. If they wanted gifts out of you, they'd have invited you to a baby shower.

eva_prawn March 23 2009, 21:21:37 UTC

I wouldn't send a gift if you barely know them.

From the pregnant side of the fence- I am really trying to avoid this kind of thing. My mom wants to invite everyone I've ever met since I was 5 to my baby shower, for instance. I have had to tell her no and put my foot down, it is not fair for someone I haven't seen in 15 years to have to buy me a present, period. I'm really trying to keep things to people who are actively in my life or relatives I actually see. I don't even know if we will send out birth announcements, I figure the people who should know about it will. Otherwise they'll know when they see the kid. Ha. Maybe I am uncouth.