Steph Peters How many people are on your Christmas list? I was stressing out that our list was growing by 2 kids this year with our own child and my niece. Then I think of my mom who continues to buy gifts for all of us kids, our spouses, her grandkids, all of her siblings, neighbors, etc. and my grandma still gets gifts for all her children, grandchildren, AND great-grandchildren; I don’t know how they do it! I’m not talking gift cards here either. They shop, wrap, and ship these gifts to us and to all their family members.
While they give me motivation during the Christmas season, I did have to cut back on our gift giving list so we can buy more gifts for the kids. Now the next question with my husband was about our child who is still so young, not even 1 year old yet, how should we do gifts for him? We decided to each buy him a couple gifts, and not look at what each other bought so that it will also be a surprise for us while we help Bryce open his gifts. I have learned from other parents, that kids this age like the gift wrapping and boxes more than some of the actual gifts. As seen in this picture my sister just texted me tonight of my nephew. “Playing with one of his presents…a cardboard box:”
One tradition I did continue when it comes to gifts, is using ribbon and bows. Sure it takes longer, but it’s so pretty and fun. And yes I have to cover my gifts up at night so our cat doesn’t eat the ribbon, but I’m so use to wrapping this way. I actually thought to myself, “hmm maybe I shouldn’t use ribbon this year because of the cat,” and next thing I noticed, I wrapped 3 gifts in a row using ribbon.
What traditions do you continue even if they take some extra time or some extra money this time of year?
I have five siblings, and my mom has 16 grandchildren between us (I just had #16, my #4, 8 weeks ago). My husband and I just had a conversation (read: disagreement) last night about gift giving. He thinks at our family reunion each summer, we should draw names and have each family only buy gifts for one other family. I hate that idea! I don’t mind getting less gifts, but I love giving! Even if it is a gift card for frozen yogurt. It makes me happy for each of my siblings to get something in the mail from me that has the potential to make them and their family happy. Plus, I know my sisters. They like giving, too! So, even if we drew names, some of us would still get gifts for everyone, and it would make those who didn’t buy for everyone feel like they should reciprocate (at least that is how I would feel). Anyway…it is the season of GIVING, why would I want to give less! My husband doesn’t get it, and he still wants to propose it to my sisters. He should know better than to mess with the five of us! 🙂 Someday, I want to be the kind of grandma who shops for thoughtful gifts for each of my individual grandchildren/great grandchildren.
Oh, also…I wrapped pacifiers and a rubber teether toy for our new daughter (who will be 2 months old on Christmas Eve) to put in her stocking. I am not quite sure why. Haha.
I love the idea of you and your husband buying things for the baby without telling each other what they are. How fun!
Yea if it makes you and your sisters happy then I wouldn’t mess with the system 😉
Opening up our son’s gifts was something out of a comedy movie as of course I bought him 2 small gifts and my husband bought him 2 big gifts. Then he fell asleep in my arms right before he was going to open the biggest gift from his grandparents. Hope you had a great Christmas!