Just a little rant!
SIL has asked again this year to do secret Santa for the whole family - third year in a row after being turned down the previous two years. The first year we said it wasn’t our thing thanks but no thanks, last year we just said oh well we’ve started buying presents already - I’m trying to be polite and non confrontational but she either will not get the message that we aren’t interested or simply doesn’t care and wants to push what she wants anyway. This year it was in a group chat so even more awkward.
I just don’t want to do it. It doesn’t fit in with your we finance Christmas, and I find the idea generally joyless and miserable. I enjoy choosing presents and wrapping them up nicely for people - I don’t want to select an item from an approved list and have everyone spend the same (may as well just buy something for yourself).
The thing is I could not give less of a shit if she and BIL don’t want to buy us Christmas presents because of money or laziness or whatever else, I just don’t want to be told who I can and can’t buy presents for and have the joy of choosing taken away from me. I’m really happy for people to just please themselves and spend whatever they feel
comfortable but it’s causing drama.
It’s not even like we are one of these massive families where some kind of arrangement (not secret Santa though please!) to keep costs down would make sense - it’s just 3 couples and a baby!