What age do you start buying cards & gifts from your children?

[HotChocolatemarshmallows]

My DS is 11 months old and my Mum isnt happy because I sent her a Christmas card from us all
Instead of a separate one from our baby.

What age did you start buying from your baby/child? Am I being mean not sending separate ones from the baby?
I sent separate one on her birthday but tried to keep things a little simpler & cheaper this Christmas!

Ermmmmm never!

I told my parents I was pregnant with a nanny and grandad xmas card....so from being a foetus!

I'll agree with previous poster .... never. DD is 18, we've never given presents in her name only they are always from me and DD. I have in the past bought separate Nanna/Grandad cards at Xmas for her to write but only when I was a bit more flush

To a grandmother? When they are old enough to draw, the DC sporadically do hand drawn cards to the grandmothers. To their friends? When they are old enough to a) have friends and b) can write the cards themselves.

Never. Might do separate birthday cards though.

My teenagers chose, bought and paid for a gift to their Gran. I didn't add their name to a gift from our family when they were little. If your mum is insistent I would start the tradition once baby is old enough to choose the gift.

From birth. My parents were desperate to be grandparents and didn't think they would be. The cards addressed to grandma and grandad mean the world to them

I've never done seperate cards but DS (3.5) has always given a present to the other parent. This year he chose daddys with me and asked DH if he could choose/buy things for me and my parents. He had fun finding things for us all in Tiger :)

My children bought presents and sent cards when they could afford to do so.

Never. I didn’t even know it was a thing.

My 3 year old likes to ‘write’ and draw on the other side of the card so that’s her contribution. Maybe when she can write by herself she’ll send cards sometimes, but it’s honestly never occurred to me.

When they can make one as an activity I might do it. But not me doing it and saying it’s from a baby.

When they are old enough to make a card themselves, ie age 2/3 (with help).

I’ve done it for MIL since my DC was 1, because she’s a lovely woman, and has been a loving and big hearted man to my older dc as well (they aren’t her sons DC).

She is also incredibly generous with gifts to all my DC and I want to treat her, my DC want to treat her too and my older DC spend ages looking for lovely gifts for her and contribute pocket money towards the gifts.

Also it makes her so happy. I love being able to get gifts fro her DGC for her. I’m pretty sure they’ll continue on their own as they get older.

Nan not man

Nope.

It all gets out of control otherwise.

I've bought grandparents cards since DC1's first Christmas when she was just a few weeks old. Since she was about 3, I've taken her to the boxed chocolates aisle of the supermarket and she's chosen a box for each grandparent and uncle/aunt.

From toddler age maybe a hand drawn card or picture coloured in. This year 7yo bought and sent cards (with our help) when doing cards for his class mates, but I wouldn't expect someone to moan that they didn't receive a separate one - that just seems rude.

When they buy their own.

Fine if they make one when they are younger, though.

I think I did it when they were little.. so a mum & dad card from me, and a grandma and grandad one from the dc. I do think things like that are more important to the older generation. Did your mum send a daughter one to you and a granddaughter one to your dd? I agree it wasn’t polite of her to moan though!

We've always done it. Grandma and grandad cards from our DS

I bought Christmas cards from our baby to each set of grandparents plus one for my husband from her as I know they would all love and appreciate this. In terms of any other friends/relatives, I've just signed it from the whole family.

I think DD was 2.5 when we made salt dough ornaments for the grandparents. She chooses the photos for the annual calendar.

Otherwise DD will sign with us a card but it is more mother’s day she does a gift. Otherwise she phones, emails or sends a WhatsApp now (she is 12j.

She gives gifts to DH and me but I think only since she knows what presents and birthdays/Christmas are, so maybe 3?

Since birth...

Always....

My family have always done it

DD1 was nearly 4 last Xmas and I took her to MnS last year. She was given some money and allowed to choose a gift for each grandparent, from her.

I think it is hugely important for children to get the joy of giving. She bought DFIL a musical biscuit tin poor man but her excitement to see him open it and hear him say "thank you DD" was almost more than for opening her own presents!

It gets them thinking about other people and how to express love and appreciation.

We did similar this year and will do so for younger DC when they are preschool age.