Is this a new Christmas trend on gift giving ?

[Mirielle]

My mom never gave me something I "needed" for Christmas. Anything I needed was always provided when the need arose. Christmas was always a time for getting fun things...purely for the thrill of it. I've followed through with this. We're all happy.

 

[DawnM]

Not my style at all.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Similarly, I've heard "Something to read, something to wear, something to play with, something to share." That one might be worse because you have to share one of your four gifts.

While I don't feel the need to have strict guidelines around what I gift to my children, I do understand the desire to moderate the gift giving and shift the focus away from the consumerism/receiving aspect of the holiday.

 

[leebee]

This is me!

HAHAHA!! Our stockings are full of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, make up, etc. I use the stockings as an opportunity to (1) restock and (2) buy a version of toiletry that we normally wouldn't spend the money on (for example, higher priced, tooth whitening toothpaste, fancy facial mask, etc.). Cheap but not-so-cheap!

 

[Hikergirl]

I don't think its new, I first heard of it over a decade ago on another forum.
It had something to do with the gift the wise men brought

Oh, my gosh yes.

Thankfully, we were always in the position to buy a book. My son could have opened a library with the books that we bought him, plus the books that my parents got him. He loved to read so he always had something to read. I don't think I ever said no to a book.

If he needed pants, he got pants. Period. He didn't have to wait for Christmas.

I buy my kids what they need but that doesn't stop me from giving them "needs" for Christmas. My youngest needs pants so I'm taking him out this weekend to get them. For Christmas I'll go back to the store and pick up another pair, plus a shirt, probably some socks and boxers too.
I'll also put things like deodorant, hair gel and body wash in his stocking.

 

[DisneyHardin]

My assistant at work had told me she does this with her grandkids.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I don't think its new, I first heard of it over a decade ago on another forum.
It had something to do with the gift the wise men brought


I buy my kids what they need but that doesn't stop me from giving them "needs" for Christmas. My youngest needs pants so I'm taking him out this weekend to get them. For Christmas I'll go back to the store and pick up another pair, plus a shirt, probably some socks and boxers too.
I'll also put things like deodorant, hair gel and body wash in his stocking.

But by the time Christmas rolls around, it isn't a need anymore. He already has pants.

Sure, I get clothes for people at Christmas.

But if my kid needs clothes, he gets clothes. I supplement what he has at Christmas.

Maybe it is just semantics.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I've never heard of this. I feel sheltered now considering all the DISers who know about it

 

[BigAlsGal]

I’ve never heard of this. I also haven’t had Facebook in 7 years. Maybe that’s why.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I first heard of it here on the DIS, as a little poem, several years ago. We never followed it to the 4-present letter, but I do think we always got things from each category quite naturally. (I always got DS at least one book, for instance!)

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).

My DS could always ask Santa for three things, and we cited this as the reason (though it was really more to keep the "gimmes" in check) - but he always got more than he asked for! It encouraged him to think about what he actually wanted vs. just writing down everything he saw a commercial for, and it let me pick out some things that I particularly wanted him to have too.

My mom never gave me something I "needed" for Christmas. Anything I needed was always provided when the need arose. Christmas was always a time for getting fun things...purely for the thrill of it. I've followed through with this. We're all happy.

Of course I buy things if they are really needed at the time, but I do also buy a few practical things for Christmas if they're more in the "could use more of" category and not an immediate need. It pads the pile a bit - since we have an only, it makes the tree pictures look a little more like houses with more kids.

 

[adelaster]

I love it. I don't really like getting or giving things just for the sake of it. This is a sound rule of thumb to keep that in check. I would rather give and get a thing that will be loved, used, appreciated, etc. then a bunch of stuff that won't.

I find that a lot of people gift for themselves rather than gifting for the giftee. This forces you to stop and think about it and to have intent. It also eliminates wanton consumerism and consumption.

 

[wenrob]

I think we all have our reasons for doing what we do. I follow all the Christmas gift threads. There are times when I see some lists and I think, “holy cow, that’s extravagant” and others where I think, “wow, that’s not much at all.” Just because it’s not the way I would do it doesn’t mean it’s wrong and that’s the problem I have with these memes and pointed suggestions. IMO there’s an underlying judgement happening there when they get repeatedly posted and passed around. Not suggesting anyone here is doing it but it becomes an overall vibe and then people start getting defensive.

 

[Snowflakey]

Doesn't sound good to me at all. I spoil everyone at Christmas. Always have and always will.

 

[Princess Mulan]

This thread reminds me of a local church that is asking families to forego buying gifts and donate to the church’s building fund instead. I keep picturing a child getting a card that says, “In lieu of toys this year, a donation has been made in your name to ...”

 

[jrmasm]

This thread reminds me of a local church that is asking families to forego buying gifts and donate to the church’s building fund instead. I keep picturing a child getting a card that says, “In lieu of toys this year, a donation has been made in your name to ...”

Wow!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I like the idea of it but I never do it.

Christmas and birthdays are reserved for getting the things they want. We provide their needs throughout the year but rarely buy them the extras, like toys or special clothing(like the Jordans my daughter wants).

 

[tcufrog]

Santa brings stockings and one wrapped gift. I don't follow the list here but I do have gift traditions. The first gift is a family gift. We have a Lego Christmas village and on Black Friday we start putting it together. Every year I get us a new set to add to the village. December 1st I start the Advent calendar which I stock candy and cheap, small treats.

I also have special Christmas Eve gifts. My kids each get a new Christmas book that my dh and I have inscribed and a new set of matching Christmas pjs. Christmas Day they get their Santa gifts along with one big gift each and a few smaller gifts. What I consider a big gift may not be what someone else would consider big. I usually decide far in advance what they'll be and hunt for deals within my much lower budget. Last year they each got a Kindle from Amazon's Cyber Monday sale. This year they're each getting a giant Lego set. I usually can't afford them but I spied them a few months ago for more than half off under a clearance table at Barnes & Noble. Since I'm a member I also got another 10% off.

 

[jevs]

Nope, it’s been around for a long time. I think I heard about it around 10 years ago on a budget forum. Ive never followed it but I have scaled down a lot. Last year as we spent Christmas in NYC the kids got a small stocking and both US and AU money. This year has also been scaled down as we went away a couple of weeks ago on a spur of the moment cruise on the understanding it would be the kids main Christmas present. They’ll still get a stocking with bits and pieces ie new earbuds, books, water bottles etc. Plus one thing to unwrap. My teenager has asked for some gorilla tripod thingy which I think is around the $50-80 mark. My daughter wants art supplies and her twin wants steam gift cards or something. My kids are also at the age where toys hold little interestpreferring gaming, reading, drawing, and outside activities.

We also started a Kris Kringle thing last year just with us and the kids are keen to do that again.

 

[MamaLema]

I’ve never heard of this until now but I like it! 4 gifts is more than enough.

 

[luvsJack]

Some seem to be caught up on the "need". Maybe I buy differently but when I think of buying something the kids "need" it's something that it's a bit more than what I would usually buy. Like Dd a pair of Miss Me jeans or dgd needs boots so a pair of Uggs. Or Dd and Dil may get Urban Decay because they need eye shadow. Or like others have said, a lap top or major electronic. Someone almost always gets a new phone. I do get shampoos, tooth paste, etc for stocking stuffers but it's usually high quality items.

If I buy a Christmas present that is something to read it's a special book. For Dd, a entire series that she has been wanting. Or for DS a book he has been searching for that I found at a little out the way book store. Or for any of them a book by a local author.

The one that has "something to share", to me would be a game to play with family or friends.