NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 8, 2015 12:09:01 GMT -5
My mom hasn't ever had to buy my dad socks/underwear or jeans. My grandmother buys them every year for Christmas. My mom confessed she doesn't even know my dad's waist size. We got new pajamas every year to open on Christmas Eve. Now that I think about it my mom stopped doing that for me awhile ago. . . . I miss my Christmas jammies. I get a new Christmas ornament every year since I am born in December. It's something I look forward to and doesn't cost much money. It's not hard to figure out a small inexpensive token gift for a child.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Dec 8, 2015 12:14:15 GMT -5
I do one angel tree gift for a child and one gift for a nursing home resident with no family. It's not much - just stuff they request such as toiletries, t-shirts, socks, etc. I hate seeing any child not enjoy that "magic" for one day. I hate seeing an older person not have anyone or anything on Christmas either. I'm so very blessed to have a lot of family. I remind myself of this when I get to the "they sure are a lot of work" pity party. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have them and so many people don't.
I'm also lucky in that the smaller people in my family are very grateful (or at least appear to be) for anything chosen for them. I request lists from their parents of their wants and stick with that list. This is one problem I have with the whole Santa thing. If a kid asks for a Play Station whatever and the parents can't afford it, does the little one think he/she just hasn't been good enough for Santa to grant their wish?
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flamingo
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Post by flamingo on Dec 8, 2015 12:15:26 GMT -5
As a kid, we got clothes for Christmas. We got fun stuff too, but my mom figured that we needed socks/underwear/jeans/etc and she may as well wrap them up to make the tree look more festive. My sibling hated clothes shopping, so this was a way for Mom to get sibling new clothes and make it somewhat fun. Even now, at 35, my mom still buys me socks and other clothes for Christmas. It's fun to have something to unwrap. There are lots of ways to do Christmas inexpensively, especially for kids. Dollar stores are one way. Fun foods (like the s'mores fixings a PP mentioned) are another way. One year I got my DH a case of soda because it was a kind we hadn't been able to find in our new city, and when I finally found some, I thought it'd make a good gift. It's all about setting expectations, too. I think it's fun to unwrap presents. I always have. Therefore, when the present contained socks or underwear or something equally "boring" I didn't care. I was just so excited to have a present that was MINE to unwrap. Again, my parents set the expectation that unwrapping gifts was fun and even if the gift was kinda boring, look how much the person cares about you! (This was probably due to the fact that I have terrible gift-giving family members. My aunt once gave me a fly swatter for Christmas. I sure had fun opening it though!)
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 8, 2015 12:19:24 GMT -5
This is one problem I have with the whole Santa thing. If a kid asks for a Play Station whatever and the parents can't afford it, does the little one think he/she just hasn't been good enough for Santa to grant their wish?
Think it depends on the kid. When we went to the North Pole in Colorado Springs we'd ask Santa for all sorts of stuff. I remember one year we tried to talk him into giving us a roller coaster. We knew we weren't going to get any of it, it was just fun to ask. Our parents made it pretty clear that they and Santa were not going to automatically bring us expensive stuff. We had to give "Santa" a range of prices. So we always got something we asked Santa for it just wasn't the most expensive item on the list.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2015 12:20:10 GMT -5
There's also clothing that isn't the norm and goes above and beyond just the functional aspect. Like the nice wool socks instead of a ten pack of Fruit of the Looms, matching hat and mittens in their favorite character, jeans that a teen may want, but cost more than the normal $25 ones they normally get, team jerseys, etc.
New pajamas on Christmas Eve are a tradition with us. Younger son is getting Minecraft ones and older son is getting an old school Star Trek Starfleet Academy tee shirt with pajama pants for his.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Dec 8, 2015 12:26:35 GMT -5
This is one problem I have with the whole Santa thing. If a kid asks for a Play Station whatever and the parents can't afford it, does the little one think he/she just hasn't been good enough for Santa to grant their wish?
Think it depends on the kid. When we went to the North Pole in Colorado Springs we'd ask Santa for all sorts of stuff. I remember one year we tried to talk him into giving us a roller coaster. We knew we weren't going to get any of it, it was just fun to ask. Our parents made it pretty clear that they and Santa were not going to automatically bring us expensive stuff. We had to give "Santa" a range of prices. So we always got something we asked Santa for it just wasn't the most expensive item on the list. I'm happy to know that. I'd hate to know a child felt he just wasn't good enough. And...a roller coaster? Way to shoot for the stars!!
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Dec 8, 2015 12:36:01 GMT -5
There's also clothing that isn't the norm and goes above and beyond just the functional aspect. Like the nice wool socks instead of a ten pack of Fruit of the Looms, matching hat and mittens in their favorite character, jeans that a teen may want, but cost more than the normal $25 ones they normally get, team jerseys, etc. New pajamas on Christmas Eve are a tradition with us. Younger son is getting Minecraft ones and older son is getting an old school Star Trek Starfleet Academy tee shirt with pajama pants for his. Definitely the jeans when I was a teen. And when I was in my 20s it was expensive leather jackets & such. I always wanted clothes for Christmas. We don't exchange gifts anymore, just for the children. We adopt a shelter family & buy them gifts. Our celebration is a delicious dinner.
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Dec 8, 2015 12:38:58 GMT -5
A christmas tree isn't a christmas tree without gifts underneath. We used to get together with DH's extended family and we brought something for everyone. Nothing big, but something. And always something for each kid. I usually brought a few extras in case we had extra people. I'm just that way and I think it's fun.
We still do the "christmas" surprise thing. A couple gifts will be under the tree but we put most of them out before he wakes up. He stays up later than I do anymore, so it's early morning not late at night that the gifts go out. It's just more fun... for me.
But we also buy things we need anyway and just put them under the tree. Two years ago, DS was going to go snow camping with the scouts so he got under armor and winter survival items and things like that under the tree. One year santa brought the family a new microwave.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Dec 8, 2015 12:44:52 GMT -5
OK, thanks guys.
We don't celebrate Christmas so I was wondering if it was the Christmas thing. We celebrate Hanukkah and my husband thinks that kids should get something every.freaking.night for 8 nights! We argue about it every year. I don't even care if it's a $1 toy car, I just don't think that giving them that much stuff is OK, especially since 1) they have too much already and 2) they don't take care of any of it. Even books!!
Growing up we didn't have any religious holidays or you could end up in jail. But we had a tree for New Years and if I remember correctly my parents gave me some gifts. I usually asked for clothes and books bc I didn't have a lot of clothes and I loved to read.
We haven't done "a present for each day thing" so I am hoping they don't start expecting it.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Dec 8, 2015 12:47:19 GMT -5
"does the little one think he/she just hasn't been good enough for Santa to grant their wish?"
This is the year that my son wants EVERYTHING that shows up on TV for Christmas. We've worked on setting expectations. Santa has never gone all out for him, so I think we've expectations fairly reasonable. He will get a lot of presents on the 26th. He'll even get some B-day presents that day as well. I know he's going to be disappointed at some point. That there is something he thinks he wants really bad that we didn't get him. But I think in the long run he'll be happy with his new toys. I pray eventually he'll outgrow his I want everything and realize just how lucky he has it.
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eport03
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Post by eport03 on Dec 8, 2015 12:53:12 GMT -5
I agree that it's the child and Christmas thing. At our school, clubs, etc. used to sponsor children at Christmas, spending about $100 total to buy gifts for elementary school kids. Then a few years ago (when the recession hit), this was changed to provide gifts for our high school students who were getting nothing. The thinking was that there were usually resources for younger kids to receive gifts but not for teenagers. I've heard from a teacher friend (inner city low income school) a similar thing about school supplies. People love to donate crayons and crafts but nothing that a high school really needed. Some is a bit of an attitude of, well, high schoolers can get a job. But not every student is 16 yet and can legally do so. Then when these same students apply to college and didn't get in or get less scholarships because they had no extra curricular activities/volunteer hours because they were working for school supplies/food it becomes-well they should have had better priorities. Some teens really are going through so much, they need a break/gifts too.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Dec 8, 2015 12:53:37 GMT -5
We stopped doing Christmas presents for our two teenaged boys at least 5 years ago. They don't seem to mind, I think the belief that everyone needs to have gifts to open on Christmas Day is due to the over commercialization of the holiday. Now with that being said, my kids get what they needs, and most of what they want throughout the year, shoes, sporting equipment, ect. so we don't give gifts due to a lack of funds. We have asked again this year, and neither one wants anything for Christmas, so they will get their wish. I am not a Scrooge, and often buy gifts for the Angel tree at work and church, but even then, I suspect some of those kids get way too much stuff when it's all done with. I am going to thank my sister that she started having kids before I was out of high school. When I was in college, I wanted to stay up to help my sister fill her kids stockings and my mom said no because then Santa wouldn't come for me. LOL. Seriously, I love playing Santa for my parents and stuffing candy and stuff on their stockings without them knowing it. We don't do adult gifts at Christmas any more with 7 kids to buy for in the family. But the kids all make something for the adults and the adults always give something to the kids. But I found a T-shirt that my dad needed so it is showing up anonymously for Christmas. I think my mom will put it in his stocking for me.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 8, 2015 12:54:12 GMT -5
Ugh Gwen has been in that phase too! She's slowly coming out of it as she realizes we are not in fact buying her everything she wants.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Dec 8, 2015 13:10:37 GMT -5
Why do you guys think that every child should have at least something for Christmas? Again, is it the "child" part or the Christmas part? It's the child part. Children think Christmas is magic. That's the whole point of being a kid is believing in magic. And in the scheme of things, it is just for such a short period of their lives.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Dec 8, 2015 13:35:35 GMT -5
this year DS is getting a Melissa & Doug firetruck puzzle, Aesop's Fables, a small kite, a reading game, an abacus, a 3-pack of bath toys, a Hot Wheels flatbed truck (used), and a bike (used). All that wasn't terribly expensive, but it's probably more than I should have spent given my situation. I guess I want him to have a good Christmas because it will be extremely lean for the next few years.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Dec 8, 2015 13:39:32 GMT -5
I find it difficult to believe that someone couldn't come up with a few $ to buy some toys at the Dollar Store. Sorry, but more and more, the same people who complain about lack of money always seem to have money for alcohol, cigs, tattoos and eating out.
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quince
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Post by quince on Dec 8, 2015 13:40:58 GMT -5
I don't think that all children should have gifts on Christmas...If it weren't for my parents, we probably wouldn't do it. We get gifts for him throughout the year, and he has everything he needs.
We don't even have a Christmas tree in our home. Lots of people don't celebrate Christmas- there's nothing wrong with them, or their lives.
I think no child should go without ever getting a gift, and no child should lack for necessities and a few wants, but not tied to any particular date. Christmas is widely celebrated in the US, so it is a good opportunity to make sure that most children have something- that's not bad. People are also more generous this time of year.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Dec 8, 2015 13:54:07 GMT -5
It would suck to be a kid, of any age, who wakes up to nothing under the tree.
A kid can likely stay hopeful and optimistic during difficult financial times at any other time during the year. But, if a family has a tradition of celebrating Christmas, then gifts are an expected part of that celebration (whether from Santa, or as we do, as a reflection of the three gifts given to the newborn Jesus by the Wise Men).
I fully acknowledge that life happens and money can be tight. But, it's not like Christmas sneaks up on us. We have a 365 day warning when the next one will arrive. A little planing and scrimping and watching sales all year means that most parents should be able to have something to put under the tree, especially if those parents raised their kids with the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas. Will every kid get the latest I-whatever and a top-of-the-line gaming system? No. But, that's not a true representation of Christmas anyway and we would ALL be better off if we turned down the dollar-value of the season. Honestly, the gifts my kids loved the most were often the ones that spoke to their individual spirit and often cost the least. Let's collectively choose to emphasize thoughtful gifts over expensive gifts and then everyone -- even those struggling financially -- would enjoy the spirit of Christmas.
JMHO. YMWV.
(Stepping off the soapbox. Next?)
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Dec 8, 2015 13:57:15 GMT -5
I enjoyed doing the adopt a family thru the College of Pharmacy when i worked there.
One year I picked a kid who wanted art/coloring supplies. I went down to Hobby Lobby and cleaned them out. I got the kid: markers, crayons, colored pencils and a ton of coloring books. It was a pretty impressive haul.
I did all that while not going above the $20 spending limit. If you know how/where to shop you can really stretch a dollar at Christmas.
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quince
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Post by quince on Dec 8, 2015 13:59:02 GMT -5
People who can't get their kid a gift should probably not have a tree. Make a felt or paper tree, and spend the money on small gifts!
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Dec 8, 2015 14:05:36 GMT -5
poor people know how to go to a store and stuff small items down their pants. Their kids will have gifts.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Dec 8, 2015 14:07:12 GMT -5
There's a really good book on this topic called "Longing and Belonging" and how kids want to purchase certain items so they join in and feel normal on the playground. The author points out that poorer parents engage in "symbolic indulgence" where they will buy something really expensive for their kids like a PlayStation whereas affluent parents engage in "symbolic deprivation," making kids save $10 for a toy while spending far more on them in general. www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520258440 Human beings are, by nature, social animals. Advertisers and mass-merchandisers play on our need to belong. It's really sad that we allow consumer goods to be our social currency. Maybe because "things" aren't fraught with the innate tension that social groupings (political parties, religions, etc.) are? It might also be because the only thing blocking admission into a society based upon tangible goods is the price of the goods -- race, creed, sexual orientation, etc. aren't formal criteria (yes, they impact access to the funds to buy the goods but that is a whole 'nother thread, LOL).
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Dec 8, 2015 14:26:28 GMT -5
"does the little one think he/she just hasn't been good enough for Santa to grant their wish?" This is the year that my son wants EVERYTHING that shows up on TV for Christmas. We've worked on setting expectations. Santa has never gone all out for him, so I think we've expectations fairly reasonable. He will get a lot of presents on the 26th. He'll even get some B-day presents that day as well. I know he's going to be disappointed at some point. That there is something he thinks he wants really bad that we didn't get him. But I think in the long run he'll be happy with his new toys. I pray eventually he'll outgrow his I want everything and realize just how lucky he has it. Netflix. We don't have cable, and the kids really don't watch network tv beyond PBS kids. So we escaped the whole tv thing. Though, we have this issue now with DD2 wanting everything DD1 has. I'm off to look at a 2nd hand AG girl tonight, to keep a little peace in the house...
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Dec 8, 2015 14:31:49 GMT -5
I knit this for DS for Christmas last year. I think it cost less than $10 for the yarn. I knit my kids wash cloths for St. Nicks and the Easter Bunny. They run me like $.50 a piece if I use a coupon. DS hasn't gotten one for a while, because I thought he didn't care. Turns out he does. I have two more to crank out between now and Christmas. I've gotten yarn and DMC floss at goodwill for a steal.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Dec 8, 2015 14:38:43 GMT -5
It would suck to be a kid, of any age, who wakes up to nothing under the tree. A kid can likely stay hopeful and optimistic during difficult financial times at any other time during the year. But, if a family has a tradition of celebrating Christmas, then gifts are an expected part of that celebration (whether from Santa, or as we do, as a reflection of the three gifts given to the newborn Jesus by the Wise Men). I fully acknowledge that life happens and money can be tight. But, it's not like Christmas sneaks up on us. We have a 365 day warning when the next one will arrive. A little planing and scrimping and watching sales all year means that most parents should be able to have something to put under the tree, especially if those parents raised their kids with the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas. Will every kid get the latest I-whatever and a top-of-the-line gaming system? No. But, that's not a true representation of Christmas anyway and we would ALL be better off if we turned down the dollar-value of the season. Honestly, the gifts my kids loved the most were often the ones that spoke to their individual spirit and often cost the least. Let's collectively choose to emphasize thoughtful gifts over expensive gifts and then everyone -- even those struggling financially -- would enjoy the spirit of Christmas. JMHO. YMWV. (Stepping off the soapbox. Next?) About a quarter of our Christmas gift budget came from selling some items. We sold them in September and I put the cash aside and then took out $20 in cash every payday since then. We aren't struggling, but we screwed up this year and money is tighter than I had planned and I didn't want to make it worse by overspending on Christmas.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Dec 8, 2015 14:52:54 GMT -5
It would suck to be a kid, of any age, who wakes up to nothing under the tree. A kid can likely stay hopeful and optimistic during difficult financial times at any other time during the year. But, if a family has a tradition of celebrating Christmas, then gifts are an expected part of that celebration (whether from Santa, or as we do, as a reflection of the three gifts given to the newborn Jesus by the Wise Men). I fully acknowledge that life happens and money can be tight. But, it's not like Christmas sneaks up on us. We have a 365 day warning when the next one will arrive. A little planing and scrimping and watching sales all year means that most parents should be able to have something to put under the tree, especially if those parents raised their kids with the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas. Will every kid get the latest I-whatever and a top-of-the-line gaming system? No. But, that's not a true representation of Christmas anyway and we would ALL be better off if we turned down the dollar-value of the season. Honestly, the gifts my kids loved the most were often the ones that spoke to their individual spirit and often cost the least. Let's collectively choose to emphasize thoughtful gifts over expensive gifts and then everyone -- even those struggling financially -- would enjoy the spirit of Christmas. JMHO. YMWV. (Stepping off the soapbox. Next?) About a quarter of our Christmas gift budget came from selling some items. We sold them in September and I put the cash aside and then took out $20 in cash every payday since then. We aren't struggling, but we screwed up this year and money is tighter than I had planned and I didn't want to make it worse by overspending on Christmas. My town has a virtual yard sale on Facebook. The volume of available items has definitely increased since the Summer. It's an awesome resource -- unload stuff, get cash OR find some really neat gifts at yard sale prices. There are also some neat gift ideas on Craigslist. As a service to folks who are leery about doing transactions with strangers, our Police Station has a dedicated parking spot right outside the front door and in full view of the security cameras for such encounters. So, just as you are doing, it IS possible to find something for under the tree IF you make the effort.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2015 15:09:38 GMT -5
About a quarter of our Christmas gift budget came from selling some items. We sold them in September and I put the cash aside and then took out $20 in cash every payday since then. We aren't struggling, but we screwed up this year and money is tighter than I had planned and I didn't want to make it worse by overspending on Christmas. My town has a virtual yard sale on Facebook. The volume of available items has definitely increased since the Summer. It's an awesome resource -- unload stuff, get cash OR find some really neat gifts at yard sale prices. There are also some neat gift ideas on Craigslist. As a service to folks who are leery about doing transactions with strangers, our Police Station has a dedicated parking spot right outside the front door and in full view of the security cameras for such encounters. So, just as you are doing, it IS possible to find something for under the tree IF you make the effort. My kids have all kinds of used gifts. Tons actually. Even now that I can afford new, I check Craigslist first. I got older son a Fitbit off of there last week for $25, normally $80 or so. They have all the game consoles which were bought for a third of the cost of new and usually with a bunch of games thrown in.
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techguy
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Post by techguy on Dec 8, 2015 15:25:09 GMT -5
Am I the only one that would be ashamed that I would need the help of friends/strangers on Facebook to donate $$ to buy my kids a Christmas present?
That's the problem with society nowadays, people are OK with handouts for optional things such as gifts!
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techguy
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Post by techguy on Dec 8, 2015 15:27:22 GMT -5
It's the child part. Children think Christmas is magic. That's the whole point of being a kid is believing in magic. +1 Million points
They have plenty of years to worry about SATs, competing with Asia and the 4% safe withdrawal rate. they have precious few years to believe in magic.
I doubt any of those items are on their minds when they can't afford gifts for their kids. More like how to pay for rent, food, supplies, etc and make it to the next month. Sad, really.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Dec 8, 2015 15:31:04 GMT -5
About a quarter of our Christmas gift budget came from selling some items. We sold them in September and I put the cash aside and then took out $20 in cash every payday since then. We aren't struggling, but we screwed up this year and money is tighter than I had planned and I didn't want to make it worse by overspending on Christmas. My town has a virtual yard sale on Facebook. The volume of available items has definitely increased since the Summer. It's an awesome resource -- unload stuff, get cash OR find some really neat gifts at yard sale prices. There are also some neat gift ideas on Craigslist. As a service to folks who are leery about doing transactions with strangers, our Police Station has a dedicated parking spot right outside the front door and in full view of the security cameras for such encounters. So, just as you are doing, it IS possible to find something for under the tree IF you make the effort. Yep. Just the limited items we sold would pay for my kids Christmas under the tree and I could have sold more but chose to pass those items down to friends instead. I also have purchased used in the past. DS didn't care that his bike last year was $25 at a consignment sale. He cared that he had a bike.
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