Am I overthinking this, or has RSVP courtesy completely disappeared?
My son’s 5th birthday is coming up on April 24th. To give everyone plenty of time, I sent out invites to 15 families about 10 days ago.
I’ve noticed a frustrating trend: I can see that almost everyone has viewed the invite, yet the vast majority haven’t responded. I don’t expect an immediate "yes" or "no" if people need to check their schedules, but is it too much to expect some acknowledgment?
When I receive an invite, if I’m unsure of my plans, I usually message the host to say, "Hey, I saw the invite! Checking our calendar and I’ll let you know by [date]." If I know I’m free, I RSVP immediately. I feel like if someone invited you to their home in person, you wouldn’t just stare at them in silence, you’d give an answer. Why is that courtesy not extended to virtual invites?
Even more confusingly, I’ve reached out to a few people personally via WhatsApp. They’ve seen the message, but haven't replied.
I feel like I’m constantly having to send "reminders" just to get a basic head count so I can plan food and goody bags. Am I being too sensitive or "old school" about this, or is this just the new norm for parents? How do you all handle the radio silence without feeling like you're pestering people?