Posted on 12/13/2018 5:09:13 PM PST by super7man
On occasion our kids, when little, received Christmas gifts from Grandparents that our kids were not expecting and frankly had no idea of what to do with it.
A wood box to our 5 year old son, with nothing in it. Just the box. But it had been his Great Grandfather's and Grandma wanted him to have it. Hope dashed, a tear welled up in his eye but he did not cry.
OR the silver Victorian shoe horn that our 6 year old got; it was pretty but she had no idea of how it should be used at Christmas dinner. Oh, and the proud announcement that this was the first item of a 12 piece set that my daughter would receive for the next 11 years.
I realize that it is difficult for Grandparents to know what a nice gift would be for Grandchildren whom they see twice a year and don't really know. And requested gift lists were generally ignored.
So this is what we did. We told our kids that if they received a gift from Grandparents which was not what they had hoped for, after Christmas we would buy that gift for $20. BUT they had to be gracious when receiving the gift. Maybe something was said about "It's the thought....."
They did not have to lie. If the gift was beautiful like a Victorian shoe horn, say so and thank them. If the gift was practical like the socks our son got from Grandma, tell them how you will enjoy using them when you go hiking. All the while, visions of a new GameBoy game danced in their heads.
It solved a lot of problems.
Every year for Christmas I used to get a pair of socks from our wonderful neighbors. We knew how poor they were and how they struggled to eke a living out of a 40 cow dairy. The father had been a Marine in the Pacific during WWII; he was always happy and smiling. I was happy just knowing a tough old bird like Morris liked me enough to give me anything.
Now there's a sneaky way to get back at your grown children .. LOL
He really needs a stud finder so he can punch through sheet rock and not a 2x4 stud.
Those are the moments in life that make us better people. Thanks for sharing that.
What a touching story. You’re a good soul, Peach.
“It was explained to me that he punched a wall. So hes getting a drywall repair book.”
Perhaps enrollment in an anger management therapy program would be more beneficial. That’s domestic abuse in the making. I’ve worked with abused women, and it seems that punching walls, doors, etc., is the first stage.
We bought that when we were a little older. This leau de toilette was a tiny bottle....about the size of a silver dollar.
Pickle fruitcake!
I remember my dad taking a bushel basket of canned goods to his parents at Christmas.
My mom's brothers took care of her dad.
Sometimes the best gift is a hug.
Oh indeed.
Those are some of the most precious gifts. And think about it a Marine in the Pacific (or anywhere really) would have loved a new pair is socks.
A very special gift
Real leather:
I think you can ship it to California, now.
I’m serious.
Yours is such a wonderful post. I’ll be thinking about you when you break out your buddy from the assisted living center and you will be returning the brick with him.
I have a river rock with a similar but very personal story. Some things are so valuable - not in dollars but in memories.
“difficult for Grandparents to know what a nice gift would be for Grandchildren whom they see twice a year and don’t really know. And requested gift lists were generally ignored.”
Twice a year? That’s on you. And a requested gift list? Again...not cool.
This child cried because he got a gift of something that had belonged to his great grandparent. And his sister wasn’t interested in a set of sterling flatware.This was probably the most sad post I have ever read here on FR. But it’s been the most valuable.
I was just about to send my daughter a set of flatware that had belonged to one of her grandmothers and some china. It’s expensive. The china was 1850 Spode and the flatware 1900 Tiffany. It is not the price it’s the fact that it belonged to an ancestor who valued it.
If kids today are going to cry if they get an empty wood box from a great grandfather or some old china - they’re losers.
It’s best to sell your stuff on eBay rather than give it to ungrateful kids and grandchildren.
New tradition. My brother and I have been trading the same fruitcake for the last 27 years
We learned to enjoy the great and the daffy gifts. A rich part of our family feritage. Its not that hard.
I assure you lady Jane my kids would have been sincerely happy to receive any of those things. So would I.
I agree. What ever happened to “Its the thought that counts?”
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