I always thought that RSVP had a very specific meaning.
My definition: You will phone to let me know your child will be attending Firecracker's birthday party, and you will also phone to let me know if your child will not be attending.
The definitions I'm assuming other people are using:
Option 1: I will phone you only if I know for sure we won't be there. But I don't know for sure. My kid might be bored that day.
Option 2: If I don't phone it means we'll be there. Maybe.
Option 3: If I don't phone it means we won't be coming. Probably.
Option 4: I will call you the day of the party and ask if it's too late to RSVP.
Option 5: haven't met you so I don't have to RSVP.
Option 6: Huh?
I hope someone of the 20 or so people I invited actually show up.
Update:
Well, exactly one child showed up. Luckily, Firecracker didn't seem to care. And it was just McDonald's.
The suggestions to call would be great, except that schools don't release phone numbers. And of course I have never met any of these parents. When would I? I work. So do they, I imagine. And there aren't many (make that any) after hours events. DramaQueen's teacher had the foresight to get permission from all the parents during orientation and gave us each a sheet of names and numbers. Of course, all DramaQueen's classmates RSVP'd to her party.
But it didn't much matter. Firecracker had a great time climbing through the McDonald's playground with her friend.
Hi Bad Alice. As far as I 've been trained an RSVP means the invited guest is to let the host know if they will or will not be attending the function. I hope it all works out okay for Firecrackers party. Bless her heart.
ReplyDeletethis happenes all the time!
ReplyDeleteI think you should get on the phone and call those 20 rude parents and ask them point blank if they are coming.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I am going straight to my kids backpacks and pulling out the 2 or 3 invitations that I have yet to respond to! LOL.
Love+
Rachel
It's not just children's birthday parties.
ReplyDeleteRecently I was shopping with my daughter for invitations for her wedding. We were advised by the saleswoman that most families find they have to call guests who didn't rsvp close to the wedding in order to get an accurate count for the reception caterers. How depressing!
RSVP...repondez s'il vous plait...please reply. So simple. Too bad we're not French. (Now I need to ask my French friend if people still RSPV in France). I'm sure you'll have a pile of kids. But it is nerve-wracking, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYeah, we've found the same thing -- people don't seem to RSVP any more. So now instead of sending out invitations, I make phone calls. That way I get an answer right away.
ReplyDeleteAs they get older, the more comfortable parents will be in letting their children go to parties where they don't know the parents. I am glad Firecracker had fun.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to Firecracker. I was the oldest of 4 other brothers, and I was very different. I never had many friends at all growing up and came to my party. Actually, that is true also in my adult life. I don't think I cared so much about who do come or didn't come to my parties or activities but that those that did come --- to bless them.
ReplyDeleteI am an optimist and look at life most of the time being really strange.
Being Firecracker's Dad, this is my thought about yesterdays event:
1. The parents should have called but they didn't - they missed out on Ronald McDonald.
2. G-d put on this one parents heart to come to Firecrackers birthday party - I sensed G-d had a purpose.
3. It was the best $60 meal I ever had at McDonalds. Yum! Yum!
RSVP never work from where i am. it's so frustrating! they just never call.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post!
ReplyDeleteI got married about a year and a half ago, and about 1/3 of the people didn't RSVP (hello people, I paid for the stamp and everything! Would it be that hard to check the box and put it in the mail???)
But even better then not responding was the one I got from my grandparents saying, "We haven't decided yet" SERIOUSLY??? Does that classify as an RSVP, technically they responed, but they didn't tell me anything! lol
Glad to hear the party went well anyway.
Perhaps the term means:
ReplyDeleteResponding
Shows
Veiled
Purpose
or
Replying
Symptomizes
Venereal
Problem
or
Reingaging
Shows
Values (of)
People
The term R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".
I guess that's what we get for eating Freedom Fries.
I preached an entire sermon last year ranting about how it is faithful to make it known that you are going to show up- namely RSVPing. For parties. For church. For pledging. And I don't think that it even made a dent.
ReplyDeleteI remember when wedding invitations didn't even need to say RSVP or include cards- you just knew that you were to write a proper note in response. In the last year we, too, have gotten "we're not sure yet- we'll let you know the day of the party" responses as well as "we know we said we would be there but now that it's the day of the party we've realized we need to be somewhere else." Wow.
God Bless Firecracker and her fun day- it sounds like you handled it beautifully. May I have that much grace when faced with the same thing...
Here's a good thing about kids getting older: you don't feel compelled to invite every bloody kid to your parties. We did it for about 2 years and then went back to the time honored sleep-over with a couple of special friends. Much more fun anyway. I'm glad Firecracker had fun.
ReplyDeleteI think it's plain rude not to decide if you will / won't attend.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad firecracker had a great time with her friend.
yea, i hate that people are so rude when it comes to rsvp'ing!!!!
ReplyDeletevisitng you from barb's blog...
It is definitely a world-wide epedemic--this not responding. And it is very frustrating. Just had a Southern Living party for my D-I-L and she e-mailed invitations and all they had to do was respond by clicking a button. Only about 2% responded. **sigh**
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my site and leaving a comment!! I love it!!!