My DCs are 10 and 8. They receive very little pocket money, and small amounts of cash at birthdays and Christmas if they're lucky. If it is a family birthday, or Christmas, I expect them to use some of their own money to buy presents, and to really give some thought to the gift. If they had no money (but they should really hold enough back), they could make something. They sometimes also buy little presents for friends' birthdays, eg a packet of sweets. This makes the giving and the receiving really mean something. I have been really put off by seeing my, much older, nieces give no presents, or give presents which they have at best chosen at speed, with their mum doing the buying. They simply prefer to keep their money for themselves, and their mum goes along with this. At the same time, they don't bother to say thank you if you give them a present. It just feels like take take take.
AIBU?
to think that children should buy presents out of their own money?
Dromedary · 14/03/2013 01:10
For what it's worth, the other day I asked my 8 year old how she was enjoying her childhood so far. Her answer was "Really great!".
Actually, that is a pretty daft question to ask an 8 year old. I mean what sort of answer does the OP expect?
A mother is all in all to a child of that age. No child is going to risk saying the wrong thing. And what has she got to compare it with, in any case?
Sorry, OP, you sound more and more like my mother the more you post. She had very high standards for her children and we never measured up no matter how well we did.
She was wont to ask questions similar to "How are you enjoying your childhood so far?" 
and we knew the correct answer and gave it. Anything else would have been foolish. I have rarely ever been totally honest about anything with my mother; I know what she wants me to say and I say it.
We aren't close.
Coming back to this, things haven't improved. OP, you claim people upthread agree. I saw two people who were trying very hard to see your angle, and were supportive of some of your views. But the majority on the whole thread think you're unreasonable. (As opposed to the weirdos in a parallel world at the end of the thread).
You're deluded. I'm another one who's reminded of her own mother. Gives me the shivers.
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