My friend is holding an 'Open day' for everyone to meet her newborn

"She's also demanded the rudest gift. Talk about having tickets on yourself."

Traditions around celebrating new babies are plentiful, so it can be refreshing when parents introduce new ideas. 

But not for this woman on the internet this week, whose friends have come up with a "crass" and "cheeky" welcoming party concept - which she's not welcoming, at all.

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An Open Day to welcome the new baby

The anonymous woman explained in a parenting forum:

"Close friend has recently had a baby. She’s asked for no visitors (fair) but has now announced an ‘open day’ - her words - in which her and her DP will invite all their family and friends to go to their house at the same time to see the baby.

"In the message invite (copied and pasted to all their friends/family), it states: Although your presence is a present, we kindly ask for a monetary gift as we have plenty of clothes and toys.

"It’s rubbed me up the wrong way. I understand the request for no clothes or toys, but I feel the blatant request for money is quite crass. I’ve already bought a personalised keepsake gift (not clothes or toys) which I will give so it’s not really a direct issue.

"We’re from different cultures which could play a part in my reaction.

"AIBU or is this crass?"

Image: iStock

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"They are cheeky feckers. Take a gift to make a point you won't going to be controlled."

The first response to the post was helpful and hilarious: "They are cheeky feckers. I wouldn’t give them money. I'd take a gift just to make a point that I wasn’t going to be controlled. It’s very grabby of them."

Others agreed, with this one writing, "Yeah that's crass! It's a big difference to the standard 'Your presence is the best present you could give. If you do want to bring a gift, what would be most useful to us is'..."

But many liked this perspective, which captured the vibe in the thread perfectly:

"Oh my gosh firstly it's absolutely absurd to have an "open day" to visit a baby. They aren't a flipping oracle.

"I don't think she realises that most people aren't that bothered that her and her husband procreated. She's acting like it's a sort of really big important event. I'd be so embarrassed to even do that."

Originally published as My friend is holding an 'Open day' for everyone to meet her newborn