Angel Tree gift question -- what is going on with the gifts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stopped doing angel tree because the gifts were too expensive. They wanted things that I didn’t even buy my children. My church now doing boxes for children in different countries!

THIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never doing an angel tree again, when our company delivered the gifts, the people were already living pretty large.

What does this even mean?

Same, from what I've seen with my very eyes angle tree in our area is a big ol' scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gift requests are getting expensive!
The problem I see sometime is that these families have better cell phone and plans than me!

Same and They drove better cars too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gift requests are getting expensive!
The problem I see sometime is that these families have better cell phone and plans than me!

They do. I'm amazed at my students' phones at my Title One school. By middle school all of them have better phones than I do. I always buy books for the Angel Tree along with the toy. I don't buy electronics.

Chances are there is no internet or laptops at home. So they use the phone, on a data plan (or using free wi-fi) in place of that. Careful before you judge.

There are programs to provide low or no cost Internet... don't be so gullible.

[Anonymous]

The “my nieces and nephews don’t ask for that” sentiment kills me.
They don’t ask for iPads etc because their parents already have such things and let them use them.
The angel free kids don’t have them in their house already.
Use your brains people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, why is it our place to judge what these kids want? I saw plenty of angel tree tags for things like art supplies, play kitchen toys, and board books alongside things like xbox headphones, gift cards, and drones. For older kids - presumably they see the things that other kids their age are getting and they want them, too. I don't fault them for that! It's a Christmas WISH. I bought the Xbox headphones and I deal with policing my own kids' wish lists.

This is exactly how I feel. And I am not a fan of the "EVEN my kids don't have those things" sentiment. I get that you (general) are saying that you wouldn't buy that stuff for your kids, but it sounds like somehow, these poor kids are less deserving of a luxury charity gift. Like they should know their place and ask for a Jacob's ladder when all the kids around them have the cool stuff Further, I might buy a wish list item for a kid that I wouldn't buy for my own kid because charity and generosity for others is the spirit of the season and I want to model delayed gratification and kindness to my kid.

But really, I imagine many of your kids are just like mine: they have small wish lists with smaller things because they ALREADY have the big stuff or grandparents/allowances/savings let them acquire that stuff.

If you can't afford it spiritually (or monetarily), then just don't pick a tag and be quiet about it. All your grousing makes you (general) seem like a grinchy and mean spirited. And a little elitist.

Actually, poor kids probably shouldn't blow their Christmas wish on "luxury" gifts, when they have actual needs that need to be met. Small fun gifts, sure. I grew up pretty darn poor, and it is such a "poor" mentality to blow your money when you get some, because you "deserve it." You don't deserve it, you need to learn that needs should come before wants so that you don't stay poor.

And asking people to spend their charitable funds to get something that doesn't really help a "needy" family is odd. I send my dollars now to Heifer Project or World Vision, etc. because people in other countries are actually poor, not pretend poor. Signed - the Grinch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, I gave two Kindle devices as presents for kids in my Angel Tree. Now, since I had purchased them, I received a notification when the Kindles were first activated -- not on Xmas morning mind you, but several months later. Like, the following October for one, and August for the other. Curious about what is going on -- do you think the parents (or other people?) are selling these gifts or something, rather than giving the devices to kids in need?

Anonymous wrote:That is the most logical explanation here. It sounds like they were sold.

Wouldn't someone who bought it have used it right away?

[Anonymous]

These kids are told to put down a wish. And they’re putting down what they wish for. Can you blame them?!

I remember one year there was a kid who put down a pretty extensive toy and I was willing to get it, and it completely broke my heart when I saw the next thing on the list. A blanket. A kid who has very little is told to ask for something either really need a really want and they say a freaking blanket. I’m willing to bet that the majority if not all of the people on this website, have children who would never think to ask for a blanket. Because you have closets full of them, and your children have never been cold.

So have some perspective. They may be asking for something you think is extravagant or you think they don’t need but remember you take for granted things that they’ll never have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, why is it our place to judge what these kids want? I saw plenty of angel tree tags for things like art supplies, play kitchen toys, and board books alongside things like xbox headphones, gift cards, and drones. For older kids - presumably they see the things that other kids their age are getting and they want them, too. I don't fault them for that! It's a Christmas WISH. I bought the Xbox headphones and I deal with policing my own kids' wish lists.

This is exactly how I feel. And I am not a fan of the "EVEN my kids don't have those things" sentiment. I get that you (general) are saying that you wouldn't buy that stuff for your kids, but it sounds like somehow, these poor kids are less deserving of a luxury charity gift. Like they should know their place and ask for a Jacob's ladder when all the kids around them have the cool stuff Further, I might buy a wish list item for a kid that I wouldn't buy for my own kid because charity and generosity for others is the spirit of the season and I want to model delayed gratification and kindness to my kid.

But really, I imagine many of your kids are just like mine: they have small wish lists with smaller things because they ALREADY have the big stuff or grandparents/allowances/savings let them acquire that stuff.

If you can't afford it spiritually (or monetarily), then just don't pick a tag and be quiet about it. All your grousing makes you (general) seem like a grinchy and mean spirited. And a little elitist.

Actually, poor kids probably shouldn't blow their Christmas wish on "luxury" gifts, when they have actual needs that need to be met. Small fun gifts, sure. I grew up pretty darn poor, and it is such a "poor" mentality to blow your money when you get some, because you "deserve it." You don't deserve it, you need to learn that needs should come before wants so that you don't stay poor.

NP. God, you are so sanctimonious with your scare quotes and concern trolling.

I work with a little guy who asked for a relatively expensive electronic device with the express plan to sell it and get things for his family. Instead of one coat, you could get three or four, or medicine, or food.

And asking people to spend their charitable funds to get something that doesn't really help a "needy" family is odd. I send my dollars now to Heifer Project or World Vision, etc. because people in other countries are actually poor, not pretend poor. Signed - the Grinch

At least you own it. You are also pretty ignorant. Why not add that to your title?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These kids are told to put down a wish. And they’re putting down what they wish for. Can you blame them?!

I remember one year there was a kid who put down a pretty extensive toy and I was willing to get it, and it completely broke my heart when I saw the next thing on the list. A blanket. A kid who has very little is told to ask for something either really need a really want and they say a freaking blanket. I’m willing to bet that the majority if not all of the people on this website, have children who would never think to ask for a blanket. Because you have closets full of them, and your children have never been cold.

So have some perspective. They may be asking for something you think is extravagant or you think they don’t need but remember you take for granted things that they’ll never have.

What kind of moron sets up a kid for disappointment? if the iPad is the only thing on the list then it's pretty likely that tag won't be picked off the tree. Every wish isn't going to be granted here, be realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, poor kids probably shouldn't blow their Christmas wish on "luxury" gifts, when they have actual needs that need to be met. Small fun gifts, sure. I grew up pretty darn poor, and it is such a "poor" mentality to blow your money when you get some, because you "deserve it." You don't deserve it, you need to learn that needs should come before wants so that you don't stay poor.

NP. God, you are so sanctimonious with your scare quotes and concern trolling.

I work with a little guy who asked for a relatively expensive electronic device with the express plan to sell it and get things for his family. Instead of one coat, you could get three or four, or medicine, or food.

And asking people to spend their charitable funds to get something that doesn't really help a "needy" family is odd. I send my dollars now to Heifer Project or World Vision, etc. because people in other countries are actually poor, not pretend poor. Signed - the Grinch

At least you own it. You are also pretty ignorant. Why not add that to your title?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So they aren’t the right kind of poor? I don’t know why people question poverty. I contributed to an orphanage one year and the kids asked for bras and underwear. It was horrible. Is this the level of poverty you deem acceptable?!

If you have a lot of your needs met and the only wish left unfilled is an Ipad or other pricey electronics, you are not poverty stricken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old were the kids?

I know my niece got a tablet as a gift and her parents didn't fully activate it until nearly a year later when she was older. She could still read books and play games through the Google Play store instead of linking it up to their Amazon account. Maybe that happened here?

My Angel Tree kids wishes are: iPad Pro, Apple Pen, iPhone 8, hover board, drone, and gift cards. They are 8 and 10, a boy and girl. I think this may be my last year with doing Angel Tree. All of my friends who do it have similar items on their lists from the kids they were given/chosen.

My nieces and nephews who are ages 8-11 don't even have any of those items on their lists other than the hover board, which was all the rage like 2 years ago.

Gosh, I never bought this electronic stuff for my own kids. I guess Angel Tree would not be for my budget!

We used to pack boxes with hats, socks, toiletries, mittens, and snacks for people in need. I did this with the kids so they could learn firsthand about giving and had the experience of choosing the items and packing them up. Giving money electronically is so abstract for kids to do and I was grateful to have this options of gifting items.

But I would not have been able to afford electronics like that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So they aren’t the right kind of poor? I don’t know why people question poverty. I contributed to an orphanage one year and the kids asked for bras and underwear. It was horrible. Is this the level of poverty you deem acceptable?!

In my city, there is literally zero criteria to sign up for the Angel tree. I know people who are by no means poor who were signing up for it. In their defense, they were recent immigrants and I think did not understand that it was intended for poor people. But anyone can sign up to receive gifts and lots of well off people do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So they aren’t the right kind of poor? I don’t know why people question poverty. I contributed to an orphanage one year and the kids asked for bras and underwear. It was horrible. Is this the level of poverty you deem acceptable?!

If you have a lot of your needs met and the only wish left unfilled is an Ipad or other pricey electronics, you are not poverty stricken.

It could be for the entire family. And yes, they could still be low-income.