to want to sack the godparents?

[gotonenow]

Hello everybody and happy Christmas (belated)! So, I was just wondering about Godparents. This is the situation. I was never bothered about our kids having them. I have always thought that they would probably have adults in their life apart from us but I couldn't predict now who they would be and selecting individuals as godparents wouldn't necessarily mean that those people turned out to be the important ones. Are you with me? We are also not Christian and the kids aren't Christened. However, as it turns out the Godparents have largely turned out to crap in most directions but particularly in the one area where they might have made an effort when the kids are young which is, I guess, giving presents. And having not wanted them in the first place I am now surprisingly hurt about that! I don't know why but I am taking it very personally indeed! Am I being unreasonable about this?

Appointing Godparents when you don't believe in god is just silly. I didn't christen my child as I'm an atheist, so he has no godparents. He has plenty of people who look out for him though. IMO this is just like non religious people wanting to get married in church, it just makes no sense.

nope!!

makes no sense

Oddparent is brilliant

I shall be using that one.

Thanks MN!

It SURELY cant be that unusual to have a non religous form of god parents?!

We had naming ceremony for both our dds and appointed "oddparents" who made various promises to take an interest, provide support and guidance etc.

Some of them are great at sending birthday and Christmas presents, the others are rubbish. It does rankle a little bit but I try not to let it. I am an odd-parent to 2 children and I absolutely feel it my responsibility to carefully choose a really nice gift for them at Christmas and birthday that shows that they are important to me despite not being a blood relation.

I know someone who is a guideparent to a set of siblings. He finds it somewhat hilarious (as do I) but hey, the parents wanted the whole rigmarole without the religious connotations so they went with a humanist ceremony.

We had humanist ceremonies and the 4 people we chose are "supporting adults" - as we have no family we discussed what their obligations would be if anything happened to us, and how important their role would be - they have become the uncles and aunts/granparent figures. Although we are aetheists, some of them are christians, so we call them "godparents" for simplicity's sake, everyone can relate to it.

Most of them had already assumed their role was to provide a carefully considered (if not expensive) gift, christmas and birthdays, make an effort to visit and most importantly of all, be generous with their time and love. Some have more success with this than others, or some times they are all fab with the kids, sometimes not so. I think you need to have similar ideas of whta godparents really will do, before you start. I once heard someone say that making people your DC's godparents was the quickest way to lose friends, and it certainly did put pressure on all the relationships to begin with, we hadn't expected that. You always have different expectations for your children. I'd be so honoured if it was me, I'd be pulling fantastic present rabbits out of hats for years.

YABU

You don't choose a godparent on their ability to buy your child great presents. Not really what the role of godparent is about.

Don't think I ever received any prsents from either of my godparents though admittedly I spoil my godchild to death when I see him.

whatever I said in my hastily written OP I really really don't care about the presents

the Godparents have largely turned out to crap in most directions but particularly in the one area where they might have made an effort when the kids are young which is, I guess, giving presents.