I’ve already donated most of my kids (early) Christmas presents

[Anonymous]

Serious question. Can you buy experiences on Amazon?

[Anonymous]

You sound like my sister. Her kids get tons of stuff from my parents year round and I hear nothing but complaints about it.
It makes me feel pretty shitty about all of the gifts I've gotten my nieces and nephews in the past...I'm sure they ended up thrown away or donated too.

If it's truly an issue, say no gifts. If you want specific things, return the gifts and get what you want. If you just want to be a grinch, do it in private, or better yet hand back the gifts when they are given and save folks some money-they can return the gifts and know in the future NEVER to but you anything.
Though, as others have pointed out, I'm sure you'll be back complaining that your kids grandparents don't love them enough to buy them Christmas gifts.

[Anonymous]

So what? Do you want a cookie for your minimal effort, OP?

[Anonymous]

You are annoying OP

[Anonymous]

I'm sure every present that OP picks out will be just precious to her children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have received gifts from 2 sets of grandparents, and they’ve already been donated. My boys are 4 and almost 3, and they didn’t even blink an eye at the gifts or pay them any attention.

The grandparents insist on toys, not experiences. They asked for an Amazon list which I provided with LOTS of options and price points.

I set the gifts aside for a couple days to see if they’d notice them or play with them or ask for them. It’s been a few days and they haven’t.

I’ve donated them on Buy Nothing and the recipients are thrilled.

Anyone else already frustrated with gifts?

You’re not really that frustrated are you? You did a good thing!

So many kids will get NOTHING. So many more than we realize. My BIL worked at a large church event (out of state, not here) where the church bussed in underprivileged kids to do fun activities one evening and then they each got a gift. He said the whole experience was the most amazing thing in which he has ever participated (this is a good guy - lets teenager throw pies at him, etc). He noticed one little girl on the bus at the end of the evening waiting to go back to her side of town and she hadn’t yet opened her gift like all the rest of the kids. He asked her about it and she said her mom had told her to save it for Christmas morning so she would have something to open.

So I just can’t get frustrated about gifts anymore, ever. A gift overlooked by my child is a treasure for another. Just keep donating which may be the only way many kids will get gifts.

[Anonymous]

Everything about your post is obnoxious and irritating OP.

1. You have two sets of grandparents who would like to be involved and use the list you give them. How wonderful.
2. You are in a position to have plenty of gifts and toys for your children. How wonderful.

Except it's not wonderful for you. Ok. That's fine.

Then grow a pair of balls and tell the grandparents you don't want gifts.

And now let's get to hiding the gifts from your children to somehow prove you are correct they don't need or want the gifts. What the actual F???? If you somehow can't bring yourself to tell the grandparents to not send the gifts (that you asked for!), then don't get the toys out, hide them for a while, and then donate them. What a waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything about your post is obnoxious and irritating OP.

1. You have two sets of grandparents who would like to be involved and use the list you give them. How wonderful.
2. You are in a position to have plenty of gifts and toys for your children. How wonderful.

Except it's not wonderful for you. Ok. That's fine.

Then grow a pair of balls and tell the grandparents you don't want gifts.

And now let's get to hiding the gifts from your children to somehow prove you are correct they don't need or want the gifts. What the actual F???? If you somehow can't bring yourself to tell the grandparents to not send the gifts (that you asked for!), then don't get the toys out, hide them for a while, and then donate them. What a waste of time.

Ditto to this.

My Mom and Dad both died last year and I am grateful I held on the STUFF that they gave my children. They have THINGS they can touch and know that it was something Grandma and Grandpa wanted THEM to have.

Its not "clutter" to everyone folks.

[Anonymous]

It's very odd to make an Amazon gift list if you don't actually want the gifts.

[Anonymous]

OP here back again.

I completely acknowledge that my post is from a place of privilege. I know how lucky we are to have family and gifts.

THAT ASIDE...because this post was meant to be a discussion.

The gifts were not from the amazon list. They were random gifts. And they were much more expensive than experiences.

When the boys opened them, I encouraged them to say thank you and be excited. We played with the toys and were very grateful. We’ll send thank you cards.

At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys. My boys never touched them. So, I’ve donated them.

I don’t get how that makes me terrible. I’m just trying to talk to other parents about gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here back again.

I completely acknowledge that my post is from a place of privilege. I know how lucky we are to have family and gifts.

THAT ASIDE...because this post was meant to be a discussion.

The gifts were not from the amazon list. They were random gifts. And they were much more expensive than experiences.

When the boys opened them, I encouraged them to say thank you and be excited. We played with the toys and were very grateful. We’ll send thank you cards.

At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys. My boys never touched them. So, I’ve donated them.

I don’t get how that makes me terrible. I’m just trying to talk to other parents about gifts.

Yes, and other parents are giving you feedback (that you apparently don't want to hear).

[Anonymous]

You didn't make it clear they weren't following the Amazon list.

Ask the grandparents why they're not using the list you made.

So your issue is you don't like the gifts you're getting?

Fine, then donate them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here back again.

I completely acknowledge that my post is from a place of privilege. I know how lucky we are to have family and gifts.

THAT ASIDE...because this post was meant to be a discussion.

The gifts were not from the amazon list. They were random gifts. And they were much more expensive than experiences.

When the boys opened them, I encouraged them to say thank you and be excited. We played with the toys and were very grateful. We’ll send thank you cards.

At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys. My boys never touched them. So, I’ve donated them.

I don’t get how that makes me terrible. I’m just trying to talk to other parents about gifts.

I find this an interesting DCUM phenomena. The original post gets a bad response and the details shift...

From the first post: I set the gifts aside for a couple days to see if they’d notice them or play with them or ask for them.
From your follow up post: At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys.

Those sound a bit different, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here back again.

I completely acknowledge that my post is from a place of privilege. I know how lucky we are to have family and gifts.

THAT ASIDE...because this post was meant to be a discussion.

The gifts were not from the amazon list. They were random gifts. And they were much more expensive than experiences.

When the boys opened them, I encouraged them to say thank you and be excited. We played with the toys and were very grateful. We’ll send thank you cards.

At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys. My boys never touched them. So, I’ve donated them.

I don’t get how that makes me terrible. I’m just trying to talk to other parents about gifts.

I find this an interesting DCUM phenomena. The original post gets a bad response and the details shift...

From the first post: I set the gifts aside for a couple days to see if they’d notice them or play with them or ask for them.
From your follow up post: At home, I put the toys in the corner with the other toys.

Those sound a bit different, right?

I guess I meant “aside” in the corner...???

[Anonymous]

Kids that age almost never remember or ask for things that they don’t see. Why did they open them already? You know it’s not Christmas right? You sound nasty.