To be cheesed of about wrapping paper?

[LuckyLopez]

Yes yes I'm very ungrateful blah blah blah....

Relative has given a birthday present (via someone else) to ds1 fir tomorrow.

It's wrapped in Christmas paper. I think that's so rude and lazy.

Of course I won't say anything but I'm sure it wouldn't happen to anyone's birthday in another month of the year so I'm peeved on behalf of ds.

Well, like Xmas, birthday's come around once a year. Yeah, it is an expensive time of year which is why it would make sense for relatives to buy a birthday present before time so once again the child's birthday doesn't come second best to Xmas.

I agree that shops don't stock as many birthday related paper/bags this time of year, which sucks.

My ds birthday is on christmas eve. We all get together as a family, he chooses what he wants to eat for every meal, what he wants to do as a treat. Birthday cards are put in a special place away from christmas cards. Do you think that getting a present wrapped in a festive theme is going to make his birthday any less exciting? Or make him feel second best? I don't

I'm not a lazy present giver. I have dd with late December birthday. The day she starts making a fuss about wrapping paper from a giver will be the day that giver stops giving.
Shocked that an 11 year old boy unwrapping a gift should be miffed about the paper. Even more shocked that his mother should be encouraging this.

I think you need some perspective.

Recycle, recycle, recycle!

Ok maybe I ahoukd clarify.

When I posted he hadn't seen the gift, just me and dh and I said to dh 'oh it's Christmas paper- is it the right present?' We decided it must be and even if not, it wouldn't matter.

This morning ds did comment on the paper (literally 'ha they've used a Christmas label'), mostly because he read the sticker label to see who it was from and noticed the Santa on it.

I said nothing about it to ds. I wouldn't and don't encourage rudeness or ungratefulness and would pull him up on it if he were to say anything.

But these are still my private thoughts and feelings and I stand by the fact that December birthday people get a raw deal where others think they can just 'make do' and tough shit if it's not ok.

OP you are right. December birthday people do get a raw deal. I'm a Spring birthday, I have no axe to grind I can just see what is fair and what isn't.

Hope your DS has a great day and doesn't get too many toaster crumbs (Loved that comment!)

Shame he wasn't born a month or two later. Jan/Feb/Mar birthdays are great because you can buy their presents in the sales and the wrapping paper. My girls used to love their disney snowflake wrapping paper which I would buy in the sales. It obviously hasn't done them any harm. Dd2 had an array of birthday paper to choose from to wrap her friend's gift but chose some Christmas paper (although it did have transferable skills) because she thought it was nicer and her friend would like it probably is nicer as I always buy cheap birthday paper as it is never in the sales. Hopefully she has chosen her friends wisely and they will care more about the thought behind the gift than the superficial wrapping paper.

For those of you keeping count, my birthday is after Christmas, I had joint Christmas and Birthday presents (because we didn't have enough money for me to have two big presents), I expect many of my presents over the years were from the sales (just as I know many were secondhand) but meant I had more value for money. I remember one year having to wait until the sales to get my longed for dual tape player which was a joint Christmas and Birthday present. I loved that tape player, can't remember if it was wrapped up and what in but I do remember going to the shops to buy it so it probably wasn't wrapped or even on the right day for either Christmas or Birthday.

I do realise that some people have SN and these things might be important to them but I think that the average 11yr old would be able to see beyond the paper.

Happy birthday to your son OP and it's my birthday today too! Haven't looked at any of my presents yet so cannot update as to paper used but for me, I don't mind if it is Christmas paper but in relation to kids, UANBU x

DP wraps presents in whatever kind of paper comes to hand. He has wrapped summer birthday presents in Xmas paper and Xmas presents in birthday paper. He looks at me like I'm mad if I suggest it's a problem...

As a Christmas birthday my single advice to people having Christmas time babies is remember different wrapping paper. As an adult and a child it upset me when birthday presents were in Christmas paper because it means that birthday has simply been subsumed into Christmas time rather than something special and separate.

YANBU to feel a bit peeved on his behalf. However, I feel sure DS doesn't really care. Just be sure to wrap the next present you give them in yesterday's newspaper.

YANBU to be peeved. I've got shedloads of christmas paper, but bought birthday paper today for 2 birthday parties this weekend. I feel sorry for kids who's birthdays are eclipsed by Christmas. Happy birthday today to your DS

My birthday is a few days after Christmas and thankfully I've never experienced this not that I can remember anyway. My nieces birthday is two days before Christmas and I wouldn't dream of wrapping her birthday presents up in Christmas paper, I also wouldn't buy her anything like an annual for her birthday etc. I always buy lots of cards and wrapping paper in advance and I have a birthday box full of stuff so I always have something to hand!

Echoing another poster, but yes I'd think it pretty odd if an 11 year old lad noticed or cared about the sodding paper.

I have an early January birthday, and it's happened a few times, once or twice where I've got the impression it's even re-used Christmas wrapping paper.

Now I'm a grown up, it doesn't bother me, I appreciate the recycling argument, and indeed I tend to buy non-Christmassy Christmas wrapping paper in bulk at Christmas to use all year, but as a young child, it mattered far more that people couldn't be bothered to get it right for my birthday but would for my DB (in June). I also struggled to ask for summer related presents eg bike, camping stuff, outdoor activity things, which were often suggested to DB.

I'm going to have to stock up with birthday specific paper from next year too, with dc1 due on 28/12!

Wrapping them in foil! Genius idea! My two nephews have birthdays on either side of Christmas, so I buy and warp their birthday presents at the same time and they get delivered to my sister's house at the same time. So they have to be wrapped differently to make it known they are birthday and not christmas presents. It's definitely harder to find birthday paper at this time of year. I'm loving the foil idea!

YANBU! I may be being over sensitive as my psb is (over) due right now and I feel awful for him having a Christmas birthday (feels like we're getting closer and closer to the day itself now...). But prior to this I've managed to wrap my dnephew's birthday present in non-xmas paper for the past 23 years no problem.

Re wrap it if you are worried about your DS getting upset.

This time of year is stressful and busy for a lot of people so unless you have another beef with the particular individual that did this then probably yabu.

I have a relative (who means well) who turned up with my kids' presents in no wrapping paper as he had no time. My kids don't hold it against him! And neither do I. He did his best and was thoughtful and kind enough to get them nice presents.

Well, let's face it, lots of people get a raw deal. My friend's disabled daughter, most of the population of India, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and a large part of Africa. The food-bank-needing poor. All parents of all children hoping to get them out of hospital for Christmas. Myself.

And some December birthdays whose presents are wrapped in Christmas paper.

Hagar

My DD and I have birthdays one day apart. My cousin sent us a JOINT birthday card....

YANBU!

YANBU - my sister's birthday is within 2 days of Christmas and we always made a point of doing separate presents and use birthday paper - or neutral or brown paper - for the birthday one...

I over bought wrapping paper at Christmas in 2012. Unfortunately dh misremembered and over bought last year. I have used Christmas wrapping paper on gifts all year.
And I have used Christmas paper for my ds' birthday (and dm's) in June when I've run out of paper.

I buy wrapping paper in January in the sales.

Plain gold/silver/metallic colours.

You win all round.

But these are still my private thoughts and feelings and I stand by the fact that December birthday people get a raw deal where others think they can just 'make do' and tough shit if it's not ok.

Yes, birthdays do get over shadowed by Christmas, and likely get smaller gifts due to everyone having a gift budget. But in the grand scheme of things:

• Did he get a nice gift?
• Is relative on good terms with you and treats him well?

If both are yes, then I'd just let it go. Maybe make a playful remark later when she sees her birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper.

My DS birthday is Mid November and I had everything wrapped barring one medium sized present (one sheet of wrapping paper did the job)

I had some of last years Xmas paper but just couldn't bring myself to use it.

Shoot me if you want but I like to differentiate Birthday and Xmas. Even if its only for my benefit.

However we're talking 6 weeks from Xmas. I think the closer you get to Xmas with the Birthday the more chance you have of Xmas paper / joint Xmas and Birthday cards?