AudreyNicole Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 After some family discussion, we have all agreed this year, we will buy only for the kids in our family. My mom is saving to buy a house, my sisters and myself and my husband are trying to pay off debit. None of us really can even think of anything we might even want for Christmas, and it seems silly to buy stuff just to buy it. I will still be buying for my sons, who are 14 and 15, and my niece and nephew who are 4 and 6. We have always had big Christmases, some years, to the point of it being overwhelming, so all of us are relieved and happy about our plan. That said, it's hard to imagine NOT buying my mom and sisters gifts for Christmas. I hate that we have become to programmed to shop and spend during the holidays. Does anyone else keep Christmas kids only? I'm looking for ideas to make this year special without all the STUFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevierocks Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 we started that several years back.. as more and more kids were being introduced to the family.i have 5 brothers and sisters .. so we basically cut out the siblings and significant others. we all still get for my mom and dad. the mom and dad still give an envelope to each (adult )kid. when we first gut it out we each would bring one gift card and play a game where we exchange them.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesusluvu Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 we started that several years back.. as more and more kids were being introduced to the family.i have 5 brothers and sisters .. so we basically cut out the siblings and significant others. we all still get for my mom and dad. the mom and dad still give an envelope to each (adult )kid. when we first gut it out we each would bring one gift card and play a game where we exchange them.. This what we do as well. There is 10 grandkids now so this is what we have been doing as well for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacyk9 Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 On my husband's side of the family, we only buy for the kids. The adults spend time together by baking Christmas cookies together! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinholt1 Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 (edited) There were 33 grandkids on my mom's side of the family and we were on the way to eventually having 72 great-grands. There were no "real" gifts when we got together. There would be a gift from each family to grandma and grandpa. And all the children 18 and under received a crisp new dollar bill and a new pair of underwear from the grandparents. We all were taught from day one that it was about being family together and that grandma and grandpa loved us but that there were just too many of us for them to shop for all of us. If we said anything, we were reminded that we had plenty of gifts at home already. We all visited grandma & grandpa in "shifts" because the house could not hold everyone. I have great memories of good food and playing with my cousins. And Grandma always made me my own pumpkin pie and hid it away until we arrived in case it was all eaten up before we got there. And while I am sure Grandma did something like this for my cousins, I always felt special because Grandma always made sure I got a piece of her pumpkin pie on Christmas in the midst of 50 - 100 family members. The moral of this story? Don't be afraid of the downsizing. The kids may grumble at first, but they will not truly learn the importance of being family together until you live it. Doing a homemade gift exchange, or drawing just one name and limiting the cost of the gift, or a white elephant exchange etc. can be a fun part of the get together, but focusing on other activities like watching old family movies/videos, playing games etc. where you spend time together is much more enjoyable. Edited November 6, 2017 by Reinholt1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevierocks Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 This what we do as well. There is 10 grandkids now so this is what we have been doing as well for years. yes my parents have 14 of them. ad 2 great ones. meaning we all have that many nieces and nephews, so we took off the siblings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanyon71 Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 We sort of are supposed to do it but my wife and I never follow the program. We have put a limit with our siblings but it's the time of year for giving so we try to get our siblings and such something they can use (if married it's a joint gift). Last year we got them Amazon Fire Sticks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmck Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 My kids draw names and so do the grands then there is a limit they set too I give gifts to all of them On the Other side they draw names by Couples and the only kid gifts are from the great grandparents Eventually I could see us doing just the younger ones though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgm8 Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 As for extended family, we only buy for the kids in high school or younger, Grandparents, Godparents/Kids. Sometimes the rules get broken if we come across something that would be a really special gift. Instead, we spend extra time together, in the weekends before, preparing traditional foods from scratch. Teaching the younger generation to keep the recipes and family time going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bopeep Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 Actually, we went the other direction. We get for each other (sisters), but not for the kids. Our kids are grown (or pretty much) now, and a couple are married, and it became too much. They get so much already, and my mom gets for all of them. I can't do it though, I get for my nieces and nephews every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avsfan Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 (edited) We do this. My nephews are grown now, so I only have two great-nephews - 10 and 11 years old. DH and I might buy for each other, but usually he and I just buy stuff for ourselves on Thanksgiving/Black Friday. We'll probably buy for our cat. We celebrate in so many other ways throughout the month: seeing my brother in Nutcracker, getting together for munchies and games, Christmas movies, driving around to see the lights, baking together, etc. Edited November 7, 2017 by avsfan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starbeck96 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 We usually do buy for everyone in our family, but we all spend more on the kids. Now our boys are 19 (one is getting married in March) so we spend a little less on them, but we still get them something. We buy for our 11 year old daughter and our 10 year old niece. Then for the adults we usually do a small 5.00-10.00 gift for them. It is usually something practical or something that will be treasured (such as pictures of the kids together or something handmade or cooked). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbixby Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 We do this as well. Ever since the first grandchild was born, we buy for the kids and our parents only but not our siblings or their spouses. We also have a $25 per kid limit (there are 11 of them now) so you need to get creative. :-) I personally have 1 kid and about 5 years ago my brothers took it upon themselves to increase the amount they spent on my son (who is also 8 years older than his closest cousin) saying I was spending more than everyone else each year (not that I minded) But I insisted that we buy for my parents. Most years we all pitch in together and buy 1 large item for mom and 1 large item for dad from the 3 of us and our spouses. Some years we buy them a much larger joint gift (like a dishwasher for their kitchen remodel). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanShotFirst Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Growing up, My mother’s side of the family was kids only plus grandparents and grandparents would give each of their children and their spouses a gift. Aunts and uncles didn’t gift each other. Now that both grandparents are gone my mother and her sisters have started exchanging gifts with each other again. My father’s side was a free for all. In the words of Oprah, “ you get a gift, you get a gift, you get a gift.....everybody gets a gift.” They were simple and small gifts but no less appreciated than any other gift we received from anywhere/anyone. It was chaotic and fun since there was probably three times the people on that side than on my mother’s side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara3117 Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Last year, my husband and his siblings decided not to exchange presents. Now that we all have kids, it just got to be too much work. We opted to do an "experience" instead and it worked out pretty well. We did an escape room and a really nice dinner. We'll probably do something similar this year. It's just so nice to get together and talk without worrying about the kids. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesusluvu Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Last year, my husband and his siblings decided not to exchange presents. Now that we all have kids, it just got to be too much work. We opted to do an "experience" instead and it worked out pretty well. We did an escape room and a really nice dinner. We'll probably do something similar this year. It's just so nice to get together and talk without worrying about the kids.Escape room.....I think i just checked off a bunch of people off my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 We do an escape room every year for my best friends birthday. A lot of fun. There are 3 families, and we all have teenage kids, so we all go. Neat idea for a family Christmas experience too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevierocks Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 we did a family cruise 2 years ago.. 36 of us. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesusluvu Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 we did a family cruise 2 years ago.. 36 of us.We are planing that for the spring break. My neice graduates HS so we are trying to do something. She is the oldest grandchild and it has become a big deal. I am looking forward to it if it all comes together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgetsRsexy Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 (edited) We are starting a couple of new traditions this year. Each couple picks and pays for an activity for the family to do together. My parents are taking everyone to see a stage production of A Christmas Carol, my sister is taking us all to see the new Star Wars movie and (funnily enough) we are treating everyone to an escape room. I like the idea of making memories instead of getting clutter. That being said my mom can’t forgo gift giving completely so we are going to stuff each other’s stockings by getting one gift under $5 for everyone and then sneak it into their stocking sometime on Christmas Eve. Honestly, I’m betting we will have a lot of fun with this. (PS there are no kids yet so this could change in time) Edited November 23, 2017 by budgetsRsexy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinholt1 Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 What a great idea budgetsRsexy! I hope, when the kids do start to arrive, that you all just continue this tradition! Kids should see stage plays and they can be made to feel that they "helped" the family out of an escape room etc. Go tobogganing, rent a large winter cabin somewhere and take board games or try ice fishing etc. You all will be laughing together for years to come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgetsRsexy Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 What a great idea budgetsRsexy! I hope, when the kids do start to arrive, that you all just continue this tradition! Kids should see stage plays and they can be made to feel that they "helped" the family out of an escape room etc. Go tobogganing, rent a large winter cabin somewhere and take board games or try ice fishing etc. You all will be laughing together for years to come!I’m really looking forward to it and hope this will become a long term tradition for the adults. I suspect the only major difference would be that the kids would get gifts as well as their stocking. I sure can’t imagine my mom being ok with not buying gifts for grandkids considering she buys something for my dog every year [emoji6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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