Comments (27) (Please sign in to comment)

1. 

   dkendraf said, 6 months ago

   spoken like a spoiled 9 year old. Maybe Evie can persuade her grandchildren to volunteer at a shelter on Christmas Day so they see just how good they have it.
2. 

   husky51 said, 6 months ago

   spoiled??? Maybe, but seems like a normal kids reaction to me…
3. 

   Josh Lyons said, 6 months ago

   “Spoken like a spoiled 9 year old”? More like a selfish 9 year old.
4. 

   RoadTrip3500 said, 6 months ago

   @Josh Lyons

   Only a “normal kids reaction” if you’ve previously loaded the presents on them.
5. 

   Saskfan said, 6 months ago

   @Josh Lyons

   But how would you have felt at the age of 9 if you heard such a thing?
6. 

   lightenup said, 6 months ago

   Yes, this is a normal kids’ reaction. We all work so hard to make life better for our kids, but then we complain that they’re so selfish. You can make them aware of and help others who are less fortunate, but that usually doesn’t mean taking away presents at age 9.
7. 

   Jay_Dallas said, 6 months ago

   This is how I grew up. We got one “big” present and maybe a couple of smaller things. Other kids I knew always got more. Was I envious; Sure! But I knew my folks werent wealthy and the older I got, the more I understood the real reason for the holiday and the symbolism of the gift. Granted, it was the dark ages… The 60s and 70s…. But I believe my folks did the right thing.
8. 

   Dampwaffle said, 6 months ago

   It always bothered me when adults who had been showered with gifts when they were young pull the “let’s limit the presents” when it’s time to buy gifts for the kids, while, at the same time, they don’t cut down on chain smoking and trips to the liquor store. BAH. On the other hand, it is ridiculous when people go into debt buying a mountain of expensive gifts for their kids. We usually got one big present, and several smaller presents, and by smaller I mean $5 or $10 presents, not $100 presents.
9. 

   IndyMan said, 6 months ago

   @Saskfan

   I heard it EVERY year until I was in high school but it still continued>
10. 

    Elsie Ross said, 6 months ago

    I miss the days when my children were small and loved everything they got ..not expensive gifts just things they were interested in. Do you remember the days when the right action figure would be the main present?? Clothes were always appreciated?
11. 

    whmIII said, 6 months ago

    @Elsie Ross

    Those WERE the good, old days…
12. 

    somebodyshort said, 6 months ago

    Moderation and appropriate.
    .
    Keep it real, Don’t go into debt over it. Keep the gifts age appropriate BUT also don’t mark your kids out and embarass them in front of their friends
13. 

    Gokie5 said, 6 months ago

    I suggest having Alix wrap other people’s gifts. My nine-year-old granddaughter (the most industrious and artistic one) wrapped the gifts last year, when I wasn’t up there.
14. 

    Jack Closson said, 6 months ago

    At Christmas, we would get “presents” like socks and underwear or other items of clothing. Of course there might be one toy, but there wasn’t the variety that there is today. Still didn’t have calculators let alone computers back then.
15. 

    somebodyshort said, 6 months ago

    Long story
    .
    Years ago when our kids were small the local ( international chain ) store used to have an Angel Tree. You were supposed to pick a name from the tree and buy and age appropriate gift and leave it unwraped. I assume volunteers did the sorting and wraping.
    .
    My ex would take the our kids to get a name each and give them a budget of a $100. Our kids would buy gifts to the budget, go home and wrap and write a long letter to the named kid. It turned into a complete care package with gifts, crayons paper, mittens etc. that was also wraped.
    .
    Over all not a bad lesson for our children and set the limits for their expectations. Not what the organisers wanted but that’s a different story.
    .
    Our son was about Alix’s age and desparately wanted Meccanno. He spent most of his budget on Meccanno for his Angel.
    .
    Come Christmas morning he was so excited he raced downstairs for his gifts. His big gift turned out to be a $5 Meccanno set because we had blown our budget on the Angels. He went back to bed and cried himself to sleep.
    .
    Pretty had to explain to him how much we loved him.
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