Can you find cheap gifts for classmates in WDW?

[MooGooGai]

And I am CLEARLY not your dear, so please, do not insult me for several pages, and my children, and then then call me "my dear."

How did I insult you? By pointing out that it is rude that your children call anything that a classmate brings back from a trip from them is STUPID

Does that insult you that people inform you that act is rude

Most parents cringe when their children even use the word "stupid" And then for a child to say a gift is stupid

You just don't get it, dear. You just don't get it

 

[mamaLori05]

YIKES!!! Okay, after reading all of these posts I think I need to explain why in the beginning I thought some may not like it. With the economy the way it is, I COULD see how SOME parents may see it as a form of bragging. Maybe bragging isn't even the right word. With so many people having hard times right now with lost jobs, etc... I think it might be best not to advertise that you have the money to go on vacation. I don't know, it's probably just a silly reason. I do tend to tip toe around others so as not to hurt anyone, which goes along with why I wouldn't bring back any prizes for the whole class. As you can tell from my siggy we are going very soon, and I have already explained to my dd (5) that we are very fortunate to be able to go. Along with that explanation I explained that not everyone can afford to go to places like Disney, and that she should try not to talk about it too much at school. At home and with relatives...go ahead and talk away!!! She's done a good job with it too. When I sent in our "will be missing school" note the teacher made a comment on how she had no idea as my dd had not even mentioned it at school.

With that said, I would NOT be mad, hurt, jelous, whatever if your child brought my child a gift from vacation. We would be greatful and I KNOW my kids would love whatever you brought back. I'm sure they would come home from school all excited about it!!! We would not be jelous in any way, because we take our own family vacations.

Just wanted to clarify so that others didn't think I was along with the "this stuff is junk/stupid" crowd. THAT would absolutely not be tolerated in our house!!!

 

[MooGooGai]

.... and that you think it is ok your kids mock other people and call them stupid.

That is the saddest part. I feel badly for her children.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I don't care if someone brings in token gifts for the class. Actually I can see a younger child being excited about doing that for their class.

However, I wouldn't like it if the teacher took class time for the student to tell about the vacation and show their scrapbook/photos etc. like someone mentioned.

That was me that mentioned it, and we have never asked to do this, but a few teachers over the years have asked my kids to keep a journal with photos and such to bring back and share with the class in exchange for homework. I have by no means asked to do it, it has been asked of us.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

That was me that mentioned it, and we have never asked to do this, but a few teachers over the years have asked my kids to keep a journal with photos and such to bring back and share with the class in exchange for homework. I have by no means asked to do it, it has been asked of us.

I brought it up as well and it has always been the teacher that assigns it or asks for it. Years past it was a request, this year she has been assigned to journal it. I see it as a great opportunity to present to the class as my DD is shy sometimes

 

[maddiesmom0116]

That is the saddest part. I feel badly for her children.

I second that.

 

[melancholywings]

On our last trip we brought back a couple of bags of Goofy's taffy. They were prepackaged and cheap. I don't see anything wrong with kids bringing back things to share from their trip. Better to do something nice than not do anything out of fear of offending someone who's being overly sensitive, or silly.

 

[Ava]

I read through this whole thread, and wow you all are better than a soap opera!

All I can say is that if I had ever referred to a gift from anyone as "stupid" either in front of them or behind their back, I would've been in big trouble. I was taught to say thank you & accept a gift graciously, whether I liked the item or not.

OP, if your children want to give a gift to their classmates that's sweet & generous of them. I would see if your school allows candy or other food treats and if so go that route. If not, stickers or a Mickey head straw are both cute ideas.

A couple of my co-workers brought back small gifts (a keychain & a small photo frame) for our team from their vacations this year. It was unexpected & even though I don't need either of those items, I appreciate the thought behind it.

 

[Dizfan4life]

I don't care if someone brings in token gifts for the class. Actually I can see a younger child being excited about doing that for their class.

However, I wouldn't like it if the teacher took class time for the student to tell about the vacation and show their scrapbook/photos etc. like someone mentioned.

I mentioned it too and it was the teacher who made my DD do it and all the other kids who took vacation during the school year. It was part of her homework.... she had to take notes on things like the weather in FL compared to where we live, some things in EP, and at AK she had to report on and since we drove the last time the teacher made her do some math with the miles. I would never ask my DD's teacher to do something like that. I personally think it made my DD do "school work" while on vacation FUN !

 

[Accentuate+]

And why do you care if I'm grateful or not? Am I obligated to be appreciative? If so, then its an obligation. If I'm not, then what in the world is this conversation about?

And I am CLEARLY not your dear, so please, do not insult me for several pages, and my children, and then then call me "my dear."

I, I, I, I, I, I

No one in this thread has suggested their child bring a present for you or any other classmate's parent. They are talking about small gifts from one child to another. It's not about you.

While a sticker or candy might mean aggravation for some parents, that sticker or candy is a treat to a kid. Well, to a kid who hasn't been raised to look down on or be suspicious of a gift from another child.

How hard is it to say "thank you" if even just for the thought as you decline the gift for whatever personal reason...or to let your kid have a rare treat?

As to the incredibly selfish question of why everyone doesn't conform to your preference, to paraphrase "why should I be grateful to save others feelings when people give me gifts against my wishes?" Basic manners would include teaching your child to be gracious when presented with a gift they may or may not like and other parties' teaching their children to be gracious when your child doesn't bring gifts back from vacation. It's just a stupid sticker for goodness sakes.

 

[MooGooGai]

It’s the lying that I find annoying.

Out of one side of her mouth she says:

A gift says "I'm thinking about you." It is more meaningful than "I brought a gift back for everyone in my class" - unless your child sincerely thought about each classmate as a unique individual and put that sort of thought into the gift. A gift has meaning. It has purpose. Its a BIG DEAL. You don't give gifts casually.

But on another thread she tells of her gift giving:

I was going to a lot of baby showers for a while - and my husband knew someone who worked for one of those fancy toy wholesalers - so we bought twelve high end baby toys for about a third of the price.

So, why is it ok for you to buy mass amounts of gifts, without putting thought into it? You didn’t even buy these for anyone specific. No love or thought about each individual you gave it to.

Yet a child’s gift to each classmate is called “stupid” and is against your culture because each classmate should be thought of as an unique individual.

There are many stories on here where you don’t stand for what you preach. Let's get real here.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm......speechless!

 

[ShesAPirate]

Wow is all I can say

I don't know about the rest of the world, or even anyone else on this thread, but I NEVER buy someone a present because I want something in return. That really takes away from the whole spirit of giving.

 

[keltic]

I only read a few pages of this thread and had to just skip to the end. I am just stunned.

To the OP:

When my daughter was 9, I went for a work conference to WDW (I know, I suffered horribly ). There were tons of pens with Walt Disney World on them. I asked and was told I could have enough for the kids in my daughter's class (17). When I was checking out, I mentioned how nice that was to the castmember there, and she gave me 17 Mickeyhead weights (the heavy weights to hold down a balloon) as well as enough Mickey stickers to even have a few left over!

My daughter felt happy that I thought of her and her friends while I was away. I have no idea if the parents were horribly inconvenienced by the little gifts, but my daughter's teacher said that the kids loved them. I suppose they may have just tossed them in the garbage, but if it brought even a small smile to those kids' faces, I would do it again and again.

 

[SalandJeff]

Wow - I haven't read this thread in a couple of days - it has gone wild!

...They are talking about small gifts from one child to another. It's not about you.

While a sticker or candy might mean aggravation for some parents, that sticker or candy is a treat to a kid...

...My daughter felt happy that I thought of her and her friends while I was away. I have no idea if the parents were horribly inconvenienced by the little gifts, but my daughter's teacher said that the kids loved them. I suppose they may have just tossed them in the garbage, but if it brought even a small smile to those kids' faces, I would do it again and again.

Thank you both for pointing out this is about kids giving a gift to kids. It is a small gesture that will make both the recipient and the giver happy - what is so wrong with that Several posters stated that they do not want the junk from my vacation....but no one is giving it to you...they are giving it to your kids! And I'm sorry, I volunteer at school a lot and I have never seen a child be unhappy about receiving a small gift. I can't understand all the anger and rudeness over this either. You can politely state your opinion and move on.

I may be wrong, but it seems that Crisi likes to argue...perhaps that is why her thread count is so high

 

[hambirg]

First to the the OP. . .I always like a double bang for my buck, so how about pressed pennies? Your kids could get the fun of finding the machine and pressing the pennies while having something to bring back to the kids in the class. I think they still only cost 51cents. . .no? So they are cheap, and they are just so unique and something a kid could hang on to for years.

Now on to the OT stuff:

Not the wrong thing to do at all I think it is very important to teach our children to be happy for others.

When I was in 5th grade, a classmate got to go to Hawaii I was jealous, as it was my dream trip and we could NEVER afford to do something like that.

My mom taught me the most beautiful lesson. She invited the girl over to our home a few weeks after she returned from her vacation. We had pizza and we let her tell us about her trip and show us pictures. The girl was so proud to share her stories with us

Looking back, it was a pivotal lesson to not be angry and jealous and sad that others get to do things that you can't do. It taught me to be happy for others.

Best post of this thread!!!! And kudos to your Mom for being a great parent. I'm 44 years old and have only been to Europe once. My kids have grandparents that live in Munich. My DD14 has been 3 times, DS10 twice and my DD8 is planning her first trip in Dec. . along with her big sister (her 4th trip!!!). Am I jealous?. . .H*ll no! And it's not because I wouldn't love to go, but I am thrilled for my kids that they get to have these experiences. Guess what? Life isn't always even Steven. Everybody and the opportunities that they get aren't going to be the same. That is just life! Seriously, what a boring world this would be if all of our lives were exactly the same. So to those posters that said that a kid passing out a small gift from their vacation may not be a good idea because somebody might feel bad. . .well nobody controls how you feel but you! My kids don't get to ride the school bus because we live too close to school. . .they really want to be able to ride a school bus! So are all the other kids suppose to not take the bus because my kids feel badly that they don't get to? Uh. .. that is just part of life! Plus I tell them that riding the bus isn't really all it's cracked up to be.

Mine are now old enough that anything you bring back is "stupid." 11 and 12. And we had many such discussions. They never put the sticker in the same "wrong" place twice!

But, why should I have to deal with either the discussion or the sticker so you can bring something back we don't want? Why does that sticker end up in my trash as my burden on the world's waste load? Why do I have to deal with it in my life at all? I didn't want it. My kids didn't particularly want it - they wouldn't have cared if it had never come into their lives. Neither of us needed it. Yes, its just a sticker, but this need to give gifts is such a weird cultural burden that really should be nipped. It encourages consumerism we don't need.

I'm sorry that a sticker is such a burden for you. I'm curious as to how you even get out of bed in the morning and function in the real world. So you've never had a job where you have gotten a crappy company Christmas card? Surely you marched right into your boss and told them that their token card is a burden for you. . .right? You've never gotten a piece of junk mail? How about spam in your e-mail inbox? The world must be a terrible place for you! The horror of those solicitations in your credit card statement! You surely must be paralyzed under of the weight of all those things you never asked for. I'm not sure how you can possibly function. . .seeing as everyone burdens you. The truth is that it's a part of life. . .and if you can't handle it then I suggest you find a nice padded cell somewhere and get out of everyone else's way. It's sad that you pass on this twisted mentality to your kids. How does that even remotely prepare them for the real world? You do them a HUGE disservice! I'm sorry but as a teacher this is a big pet peeve of mine. . .parents that pass on their own narrow mindedness instead of preparing their children to be able to function in the real world they will encounter as adults. . .teaching them how to be adaptable and gracious in the multi-cultural world they are sure to encounter. Why on earth would you not want to prepare your children for life. . .making mountains out of molehills?!

They are, thank you! But they are not encouraged to tolerate fools gladly. We don't believe in that in our house.

Well that's lovely. Too bad the world is full of "fools" and they will surely have to know how to deal with them at some point. But you can continue to teach them that they are superior to anybody that doesn't see the world the same way they do. . .oh yeah. . .and how to say, "Would you like fries with that?" Because they won't get far with that mindset. . .just sayin.

It is fascinating that you all expect me to be respectful of the idea of giving classroom gifts, but are unwilling to respect the fact that I DON'T WANT them.

Interesting mirror. Must be one way.

Hey. . .here's a clue. . .IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU OR WHAT YOU WANT!!!! It's about a child that wants to give her classmates a small token. It is in the spirit of giving. Get over yourself.

But the "thought" I get from this is that you find me only worth a "token" gift. That you didn't bother to choose a gift for me that values me as a person. What sort of "thought" goes into "stickers or suckers or pencils for an entire classroom." Is that really a thought worth counting? I'd rather my children receive real friendship.

So we should do away with Salvation Army Giving Trees. . .and Toys for Tots? After all, those gifts aren't specifically picked out for the recipient. Apparently those nice people that give to those types of things are thoughtless? Shame on them! Giving just for the joy of giving is apparently a horrible thing. . .well according to you.

Nope, it doesn't. But isn't the idea of you giving me a gift supposed to be about me?

Nope. . not at all!

 

[vgrandy]

That's OK. Not everybody can understand graciousness.

It's about the entire class, not just the spoiled, rude parts of it.

Yes. And I guess yours is money.

Afterall, a stupid sticker or pencil that a family can afford to give your children isn't as awesome as a "few hundred dollars".

So, in your culture, gifts can be given as long as it costs a "few hundred dollars".

Gotcha

I do wish you would share this secret culture that teaches children such greed, so I can stay far away from anyone that practices it

And I might add, I do question the ethics of any teacher that would accept a gift from a single student that is in the price range of a "few hundred dollars"

I care because you are raising ungrateful children that use the word “stupid” for “anything someone brings back” for them.

I care that you are turning these ungrateful children into my world, claiming it is your “culture” to do so. I find it disgusting that anyone would actually aim to do this.

MooGooGai-- you might be the most mean-spirited person I have ever come across on these boards. You have insulted this person's children for pages and pages. You have blown every little sentence she said out of proportion. AND you are saying her culture isn't real. To the point that I, who rarely posts, feel I need to defend her.

I am SURE (and I've never met them) that her kids are not coming home saying "Timmy gave me a sticker isn't that Stupid." Have you ever met a tween/teen? Have you seen one on tv? They are know for having an "attitude" about everything. So when she says her 12 yr old thinks everything is stupid I know what she means. Think of it as a developmental stage kids go through. They think things are babyish or they don't want to be seen with "that." It is so very typical of the age. YOU have turned them into "spoiled brats" by twisting her words to suit you. You don't know that they don't smile and say thank you when they get a gift. You don't know anything about them. Yet you feel you can come on her and judge them and call them names? What kind of adult calls other people's children names?

That pretty much sums it up. It is a shame you were not taught to accept gifts gracefully, and are not appreciative that someone spares you a thought when they are away on vacation. That you think so little of people that you would throw even a small gift away and that you think it is ok your kids mock other people and call them stupid.

I honestly feel sorry for you. You are missing out on so much in life by being so rigid. IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE GIFTS THEMSELVES. Can't you see that?

You don't know that she doesn't accept gifts "gracefully." You don't know how she reacts.She never said "when someone gives me a gift I tell them it's junk and throw it in the trash right in front of them." In fact she mentioned how she keeps a statute around that she doesn't really like because her MIL gave it to her and she doesn't want to hurt her feelings. What more do you expect? After pages of people telling her to throw the sticker away if she didn't want it, you are not judging her for doing so. She never said her kids mock anyone or anybody. She said her kids are at that age where you really can't please them. I have a 12 year old. He'd think a sticker was stupid too.


I actually agree that if you want to bring something from your vacation it is nice but really not necessary. If you are going to buy something at the dollar store and say it's from your vacation don't even bother. It is like buying souvenirs before you even go on a trip. It's not a gift from your vacation or a souvenir it's just something you bought cause you could get it cheap.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I am still just shaking my head at this thread. It's one of the few I read to my DH cause I just couldn't explain why I had to keep running to see what was said on the DIS. I said he had to hear it to believe it.

BUT... I wanted to say the pressed pennies are a great idea!!! Love that. Every field trip I have gone on wit the kids' shools and there is a pressed penny machine the kids go crazy for them, so that I think it a perfect idea!!!

 

[MooGooGai]

MooGooGai-- you might be the most mean-spirited person I have ever come across on these boards. You have insulted this person's children for pages and pages. You have blown every little sentence she said out of proportion. AND you are saying her culture isn't real. To the point that I, who rarely posts, feel I need to defend her.

I am mean because I pointed out that her rules for gift giving only apply to others and not her? This women buys gifts in bulk, yet it is a burden when others do the same. This woman says token gifts are stupid, yet she feels relief when she only has to buy her nieces and nephews playdoh. What is it? How can she criticize others for what she also does? What culture does that? She is playing us here.

How am I mean? Because she lies and uses “culture” to tell others their stickers and gifts are a burden and stupid? Sorry, you are wrong vgrandy. I am not mean.

Have you ever met a tween/teen? Have you seen one on tv? They are know for having an "attitude" about everything. So when she says her 12 yr old thinks everything is stupid I know what she means. Think of it as a developmental stage kids go through..

Not all kids are rude and call gifts stupid. There are kind teens and tweens out there. And as a parent, it is her job to correct it, not encourage it. There are kids that might not like a gift, but stupid is not the first thing that comes to their mind. Many are raised to see that someone thought about them and that is what matters. Please don’t put all tweens in the rude category. Many have kind hearts and are thankful even if they don’t like the gift.And it is just plum crazy to say a rude child is ok because of developmental stages. A parent should not allow it.

I did not insult her children. I told her it was rude that they claim ANYTHING that is brought to them in school is stupid.

It is rude. There is no way around it. If she is insulted by the facts, maybe she needs to sit down and rethink what she is teaching her children.

 

[vgrandy]

I am mean because I pointed out that her rules for gift giving only apply to others and not her? This women buys gifts in bulk, yet it is a burden when others do the same. This woman says token gifts are stupid, yet she is relived she only has to buy her nieces and nephews playdoh.

How am I mean? Because she lies and uses “culture” to tell others their stickers and gifts are a burden and stupid? Sorry, you are wrong vgrandy. I am not mean.




Not all kids are rude and call gifts stupid. There are kind teens and tweens out there. And as a parent, it is her job to correct it, not encourage it. And it is just plum crazy to say a rude child is ok because of developmental stages. A parent should not allow it.

I did not insult her children. I told her it was rude that they claim ANYTHING that is brought to them in school is stupid. It is rude. There is no way around it.

you are mean because you called her kids spoiled brats and have gone on and on about how rude they are, how they won't have friends.. She never said her kids were rude to anyone. You just decided that based on one sentence. She never explained exactly how her kids react when given a gift. Only that they think "things are stupid." Which is developmentally where they are and very typical. She never said they were rude when accepting gifts she never talked about any specific or non-specific behavior. "Anything" was an exaggeration. As much as I hate it, we use exaggeration a lot in this society "You never do this, you always do that" etc. Always, never, nothing, everything very rarely really apply (We have nothing to eat in the house, They think everything is stupid )I really think she meant it in a - you known tweens, they don't like anything-way. Having two myself I know exactly what she is talking about. I really think you took one sentence in one post and turned it into her having vile, rude, spoiled, unfriendly kids. That was mean.