Excessive gifting

[Baublebauble]

NC as have friends IRL on MN.

Does anyone else feel a bit depressed by gifts at Xmas? DD was given so much by family/ friends that she just doesn't need and while I am deeply grateful she has a lot of people in her life that love her, I can't help but find it all a bit meaningless and excessive. And Xmas always causes me a real pang when I think of the discrepancy between some children and others.

I have a bag of gifts that she just doesn't need (and she is young enough not to notice aren't here). What's the best thing to do with them? Charity shop? Children's ward? I'd like them to go to children that would really love to receive them - and they're nice gifts, not tat. DH has suggested food bank but I wasn't sure if that was something they'd accept? Any ideas welcome.

Women’s refuge is a good idea. Very kind of you.

The food bank I volunteer at does have a small stash of toys - useful if a client tells us they have a child's birthday/Christmas/Easter.

Various options
One option is charity shop.
Hold on to them and use for birthdays during the year.
The other option is hold on to next year and give to a Christmas charity collection.
Try and return for gift cards.

I have things I'm looking at with the same eyes.

My local foodbank accepts toys, a refuge is a great idea too.

All of the above, but also how about a local playgroup/nursery

It's the same in my house. So much stuff. It's feels criminal to waste it. Every year I ask for vouchers or ideally, nothing, but I have well meaning relatives who insist 'children need something to open on Christmas day'

Please tell all these people not to buy anything next year OP. Such a waste of money.

I felt the same about my niece and nephew this year (my DH and I don't have kids yet). They're only 2 years old and 3 months old but the mound of gifts was unbelievable and they're too young to fully appreciate or use them. It felt so wasteful!

I have family in Southern Africa and can recommend this charity: www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/. They do Christmas shoe box collections for children and I know that the gifts do actually get to children in need as my aunt volunteers at a charity which has received them. She says they're received with so much excitement, which is lovely.

Thanks for these ideas - that's great. Will definitely look in to a local women's refuge and the charity in the last post.

I wish I could GreatDuck I just feel like I'd really offend them. I figure the next best thing is passing them on to children who'd value them. I'd love to do Xmas without the presents entirely; I agree it's such a waste.

Put a few of the better ones away for ‘rainy days’. I always did this, they were very useful!

People want to buy for kids, other ways to deal with it other than saying not gifts (which leaves people feeling guilty etc). Is to buy less yourself and steer others towards toys you know kids want, clothing, DVDs, CDs, vouchers for days out, softplay, cinema, books, stuff that doesn't take up loads of space etc.

We take it all to the charity shop. MIL is the worst one for it, she buys all of our gifts in the charity shop and they all end up straight back there within a couple of days . I know that sounds dreadfully ungrateful but she buys things that don’t fit, we’d never use, sometimes dirty toys that aren’t fit for purpose etc.

It isn't a waste of money if they go to children who wouldn't otherwise have toys. Quite the reverse.

Yes you're right Bluelady. I just think it's unfair to give people's gifts away.

We have a local charity that accepts toys and distributes them in women's refuges and to homeless families. They also have a foodbank. Maybe you have something like this near you? Churchs often run them.

We have a charity set up by local radio for kids toys and unwanted presents and stuff. It goes to needy kids in the area and I think they deliver to hospitals as well. Maybe search on Facebook for a similar scheme near you? Next year, ask friends and family to get only one gift each for your daughter and just tell them she doesn’t need lots of stuff. If you’re honest I’m sure they’ll understand.

I give that kind of thing to charity shops usually, or playgroups. I know they will be valued. I feel uncomfortable with regifting.

Our local foodbank take toys and items for small children. The local health visitors may know of families in need and could pass things on.

Junkmail. Is that a charity that collects all year?
Lots of the toy charities that I've come across seem to start collecting around September time.

Ed Yeah they collect all the time but push it more around Christmas and at a couple of other events through the year. They accept donations—cash or items in good condition like kids toys and clothes, non perishable foods. And coordinate it getting to families in need. I have no idea if there are similar schemes in other areas but might be worth the OP looking into. It’s a great cause.

I'll look at my local ones too. I partly assumed they wouldn't collect stuff because of the storage costs.

TaleOfTheContinents Samaritan's Purse is not the charitable group they appear to be. They are an evangelical American organisation who are openly opposed to homosexuality and they use donations to try to convert people (particularly muslims) to Christianity.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news-opinion/christmas-shoebox-appeals-arent-always-13963081.amp&ved=2ahUKEwjC-_HMh8bfAhUF1hoKHSdkCoYQFjACegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw1oPLj8ijgCxvdi5pckmaAY&ampcf=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news-opinion/christmas-shoebox-appeals-arent-always-13963081.amp&ved=2ahUKEwjC-_HMh8bfAhUF1hoKHSdkCoYQFjACegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw1oPLj8ijgCxvdi5pckmaAY&ampcf=1

I take unwanted gifts, clothes etc. to the womens refuge near us. All those toiletries plus toothpaste etc. come in handy as do childrens clothes and toys.

Please don't support Samaritans Purse

Stompythedinosaur I didn't realise there was so much controversy surrounding them. I retract my suggestion, OP!

See, I feel mixed about this. If you want to donate presents to charity, then it should come out of your own pocket.
You shouldn't do this with presents from other people, that were meant for your daughter.