Is this a new Christmas trend on gift giving ?

[daughtersrus]

A few of my local Facebook groups for moms have been talking about gifts.
The majority said that they follow the 4 gift rule. 1 gift that is a want , 1 that's a need, 1 something to wear and 1 something to read.

I have never heard of this before.

 

[lovesmurfs]

It's been popular probably for the past 10 years or more.

I know because I would LOVE to have incorporated with my kids, but I'd already established our system of buying until I "felt" done with them.

 

[AuntieMe3]

It's been popular for awhile now and we do a version of this. We add something to eat category...lol and with an only child, she gets a couple of things for each. I wish i had heard about it when my daughter was younger, sometimes I went over board because I just would buy to buy...i like having the catergories

 

[leebee]

Pshhh... it's Christmas. I buy DD whatever I want to give her. Oftentimes it's "exciting" things like socks and underwear, but if that's what she needs and I'd be buying them for her anyway, why not wrap it as a present? It's always more fun to give them as gifts and watch the pile grow under the tree!

 

[RangerPooh]

I’ve heard about it for a few years but don’t follow it.

 

[momto2girls]

It has been around for a while, but I don't follow it.

 

[dotfurio]

I’ve heard of it but we don’t follow it. We set an amount of money to spend for each kid. They don’t get gifts from anyone else except my mom so we go more overboard than we would otherwise.

 

[prprincess]

I've never heard of that. I follow what the poster before me does--set a budget for each child, and stop when I meet it.

 

[jrmasm]

I spoil my kids at Xmas and have no intention of stopping.

 

[Kitty 34]

I spoil my kids at Xmas and have no intention of stopping.

My kids have all left the nest but back in the day.....Christmas was for spoiling!! DH and I had so much fun doing it and still miss those crazy days. But hey.......we have a couple of grandkids now.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I tried it a couple of years ago but afterwards all I got was grief for not having many gifts for everyone.

So I went back to the old ways of having more gifts even if some of them are things like a fancy chocolate bar or fancy popcorn or their favorite cookies that nobody else likes so I don't make usually.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I spoil my kids at Xmas and have no intention of stopping.

Yup, my parents would simply ask me what I wanted, and they would get it, within reason of course. If I asked for the latest video game system (which I normally did), that would be my 1 and only gift, maybe a t-shirt as well.

 

[mefordis]

A few of my local Facebook groups for moms have been talking about gifts.
The majority said that they follow the 4 gift rule. 1 gift that is a want , 1 that's a need, 1 something to wear and 1 something to read.

I have never heard of this before.

Not enough gifts.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

Ugh, yes. It's popular among mothers of younger children, they also tell grandparents to follow this guideline for their children. I kinda find it annoying, personally. I don't need categories to buy presents...I just buy them. But I know a lot of people like it. No kids yet, so maybe that'll change when I have them (probably not lol)

It seems pinterest-y to me, which might be why I find it so annoying...

 

[loves to dive]

When I was a kid we got 3 gifts from Santa and that was it. The only wrapped presents under the tree were from relatives or something we kids might have made for Mama and Daddy. Our 3 gifts were usually one we asked for and the other two whatever our parents thought we needed. We were very poor so Mama and Daddy didn't get each other anything. When my son was a kid I would let him pick 3 things from Santa and then I'd wrap the other stuff I bought him and that would depend on my finances that year. I was a single mom so sometimes it was things like clothes. He got at least one book for every holiday, a book in his Easter basket, a book in his Halloween bag, a book for his birthday from me and usually my Mama as well. By the time he came around all my siblings were out of the house and Daddy worked overseas so money was good for my parents and my son was the only grandkid local so he got spoiled rotten. Now that he is grown and out of the house, honey and I don't exchange gifts at all except one silly something to have under the tree and we get my son one expensive thing. We stopped exchanging gifts with family a few years ago when it became apparent I was doing all the giving. They would give us things we would have to just turn around and take to goodwill so we told them to just donate something to charity for us. We are literally that couple who has everything they need or want. Heck, the silly gift I got honey this year was an adult onsie with feet and I got so excited about it I already gave it to him. Now I have to figure something else to go under the tree.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Yes, a family member of mine keeps posting that gift giving meme. She's very good at giving advice nobody has asked for. I will give my kids whatever I want.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I've heard of it fairly recently. Not a tradition in my family, although I'd say we almost always get at least one item in each of the categories.

I also know of families who give each child three gifts (no more, no less) to symbolize the gifts from the three wise men/kings to Jesus (gold, frankincense, and myrrh).

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Ugh, yes. It's popular among mothers of younger children, they also tell grandparents to follow this guideline for their children. I kinda find it annoying, personally. I don't need categories to buy presents...I just buy them. But I know a lot of people like it. No kids yet, so maybe that'll change when I have them (probably not lol)

It seems pinterest-y to me, which might be why I find it so annoying...

It seemed popular with what we used to call "crunchy" moms.

I buy what I want for whom I want. I don't worry about how many each person receives.

We did, when our son was little, have Santa bring 3 gifts. Everything else was from Mom and Dad.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I get it, every family does their thing, it just amazes me at the generosity that some families have over a calendar date.

It can be difficult during the holidays if one's family doesn't participate in gift-giving, whereas the vast majority of society does.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I had never heard of this gift giving suggestion until I read it here.