If you’re really excited to receive gifts?

[YorkieTheRabbit]

If you get really excited about Christmas and birthday presents, do you also put effort in to giving as well?

Bump

I’m often more excited about the giving, if I know it’s something the recipient will really like.

I don't get excited...I'm more excited to give gifts and see the reaction

I almost forget that I will also receive gifts at Christmas...it's a bit of a bonus

I love giving gifts and put in a tonne of effort to what I do give. For the most part I don't expect much back, but there are a few people I go all out for, and who go all out for me, and I get very excited for those gifts 🎁

I enjoy to give gifts, but tend to feel a bit uncomfortable receiving them.

The reason for asking, is that it was DP’s birthday nine weeks ago. His adult daughter, is incredibly excited about receiving presents, she cannot wait to open them and yet she hasn’t given her dad anything yet.
I find it odd that anyone who is so giddy about her own birthday or Christmas isn’t that bothered to put effort in to someone else.

I genuinely prefer giving gifts to receiving them

Same as others I much prefer giving gifts to receiving gifts! I love choosing gifts that I know people will love and seeing them open & use them, but I’m always a bit awkward about receiving gifts myself!

She sounds thoughtless and immature. I know you said she's an adult but is she 18 or 38.....her age will make a difference to the responses you get!

@BadPeopleFan She’s 40

We get on well, she has a good job, a partner and children.
Its not the gift it’s self, it’s the thought or rather the lack of it.

Absolutely! I love buying and giving presents. I start early every year, and make sure everything is as personalised to personality and interests as possible. Always been one of my favourite parts of Christmas, surprising someone else. And I love other people's birthdays too!

I go overboard because I get excited. Intended to get DH one aftershave, got him 3. Intended to buy him one fancy walking cane, he now has a fancy one and a hiking one. I won't buy designer bags/clothes and things as gifts, because I'd rather find really special things. Love going to markets and antique shops, finding things that are a bit more rare.

I do like receiving gifts too, who doesn't? But I prefer the giving.

No. I'm hard to buy for, so it ends up being me faking appreciation for tat.

Flipping heck!! I assumed she would have been 18. I think that's quite unusual for an adult woman to be thoughtless and not get others a gift for their birthday and also to be giddy with excitement about receiving presents.

I am a similar age and agree with PPs, I genuinely prefer giving gifts to receiving them. If there is anything I particularly want I will buy it for myself but I'm always grateful that someone has taken the time to get me something.

I don't like gifts unless it's practical stuff like a nice bottle of EVOO, chocolates, socks etc. I have too much tat already 😬

Love giving gifts though, I bought a santa sack yesterday for relative and blimey it's full already! Just things like skincare, perfume, socks, cushion, tin of shortbread etc. Can't remember offhand what else is in there.

Yes. I get excited to receive presents because they're a symbol of people thinking of me, knowing me well and wanting to make me happy. Of course I apply the same concepts when choosing presents for others.

Edit: Just saw you mention your DH’s daughter. I do think the parent-child dynamic is a bit different. I know she’s an adult, but depending on her age, it might be that she just hasn’t had the lightbulb moment that the dynamic should shift. Or if she’s not financially established, she might know that the dynamic with her dad is still weighted towards him spending more on her than vice versa. It’s not unreasonable to be excited that your parents will get you nice things, but not be excited about what you’re giving them when you know it’s not anything impressive.

Yes, I get excited about receiving but I LOVE the feeling after you find a great gift for someone!

@LoquaciousPineapple His daughter is 40, it’s nine weeks since his birthday and he’s not had anything at all.

Perhaps 20 years ago he said ‘oh don’t bother I don’t need anything’ and the pattern has set. How long have you been dating him? Does he seem bothered?

We’ve been together for many years, the lack of effort bothers him.
He would be happy with a bottle of wine 🤷‍♀️

When my siblings & I were kids, it was a given that you bought birthday & Christmas presents for parents - when we were too young to do it independently, each parent would take us to the shops to choose gifts for the other one.

I get that this often won’t be that simple, but is it actually unusual?

Could it be that she still feels like her Dad’s little girl who gets lovely treats on her birthday that dad’s don’t need?

@SoNiceToComeHomeTo No, there will be a present at some point, she will definitely get him something but when is a different matter.
Father’s Day they came for a meal and brought him a gift.

Last Christmas we both got our birthday presents and Christmas presents at the same time 😂

For someone who will sit by the Christmas tree, feel, squeeze and shake the presents underneath, she is rather lacking the other way. To be honest she’s not much better getting things for her partner.

My PIL really enjoy getting gifts. DH and their other children all put lots of thought in.

In return, PIL just send money. I find it deeply odd.

I am sure I will be told off for being ungrateful but also it's not a lot of money even, it's like £20 which given we are all financially comfortable isn't really especially meaningful. It's like pil still think of their children, all into middle age, as teenagers who want money for a movie and popcorn or something.

So it's not so much that she doesn't bother to give presents, as that she doesn't see any urgency to give them on the expected date.

I’m genuinely not fussed for receiving them but love giving them.