My kids love to "sneak" candy into people's stockings when they are not looking. It keeps them busy before present-opening time.

Yes. To me and my family it's important to get what gifting is about and the idea of thinking of the other person and making something for them. I've made things to give to my parents for holidays and birthdays as long as I remember. Started around 3. Saltdough ornaments, pictures, origami, clay things. Not at school but of my own volition. I still love giving presents and making some more than getting them. I plan to start this with my nearly 3 year old. my parents have made me presents, poems, collages too when I was little instead of larger purchased toys.
I made my father a giant mirror frame when I was in college, had to find someone to do the base and then did the inlay myself, took me months, he still has it hanging in his office.

Our kids have given gift since they were 3. In preschool the teachers helped the kids make and wrap a gift for parents. Since then they have either made a gift for parents, siblings and grandparents or done small jobs to earn money to buy something. My 13yr old ds who is my biggest challenge right now paid attention to what his younger brothers were always wanting to touch/play with in his room and chose to pass those items down to his brothers as a gift yesterday. His brothers were thrilled. If kids don't give gifts than how do we expect them to turn into caring adults?

Anonymous wrote:Our kids exchange gifts with each other. Sometimes they make something at school for us.

Otherwise, I really don’t want my kids to give me presents.

For Christmas and their birthdays, we give our kids (now 5 and 7) a small budget and have them pick out something at the toy store to give to the other one. Then they help wrap it.

Growing up, my siblings and I gave presents to each other and our parents probably starting in junior high.

When my kids were little I would take them to the dollar store to shop for family. I let them pick out anything they wanted to give to grandparents, each other, aunt/uncle, us..

It was fun to see what they had selected for each one of us - they actually did a pretty good job. My youngest is 16 and we still have some of those dollar store gifts .

When they were little, no. Now that they are 9 and 12 they give gifts to their cousins from their allowance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, unless they made it in school. Honestly it's just more work for the parent/most likely mother.

You don’t let them daw or color without direction and supervision?

Sure. They make me about 100 pictures a day. Just handing that to someone for Christmas would be odd.

Yes. Everyone from the age they can do a simple craft gives gifts on Christmas.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, this is interesting, thanks!

If children in your family don’t give gifts, at what age do you think they should start giving a small gift?

I think when kids make money they should start giving gifts, so about 22.

I have toddlers now and I do try to make presents with them, but it's so much work on me. I think grandparents don't understand how much time and effort it is to have kids make presents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, unless they made it in school. Honestly it's just more work for the parent/most likely mother.

You don’t let them daw or color without direction and supervision?

Exactly. It's not that hard. I'm the PP who posted about making an ornament with a kit from Michael's. I stopped at Michael's on my way home from work one day, paid $2 for the kit, and then told my 2 year old, "how about you decorate this for grandma and grandpa?" I set her up at her little table in the kitchen with some crayons and stickers and she was happy as a clam decorating it. After she went to sleep, I spent 5 minutes gluing the pieces together and it was done. Really not a big deal.

Growing up we didn’t. Gifts flowed down from the older generations. I gave to my siblings, but not to adults or cousins. I still feel uncomfortable gifting “up” the family tree, but thankfully gifts have mostly stopped on my side.

On my husbands side, it is ALL about gifts, so every year I wrangle the kids into painting something/stringing beads/whatever and wrapping it up.

Anonymous wrote:No, unless they made it in school. Honestly it's just more work for the parent/most likely mother.

You don’t let them daw or color without direction and supervision?

I had our 2 year old make a small present for my parents. It was just a little picture frame/ornament that we made from a kit I got at Michael's. I put a picture of her in it.

She was excited to give them a present.

Of course, when I gave it to my parents, my mom said, "Can I put a different picture in it? This one isn't particularly attractive."

No good deed, I guess ... :/

No, unless they made it in school. Honestly it's just more work for the parent/most likely mother.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, this is interesting, thanks!

If children in your family don’t give gifts, at what age do you think they should start giving a small gift?

Age two. That is when they really enjoy it. My DS2 will then wrap things in discarded paper and pretend to give them again, and everyone plays along. Fun times!

Adorable!!!