Someone give me a good shake!

[DM1209]

It's that time of year and genuinely, Christmas is one of our favourite events to celebrate as a family so I am not a grinch.

I have 3 children, 2 in primary, year 1 and year 3 and one just gone up to secondary, year 7.
I work full time so often these last few weeks before school, other than important letters, my children empty their own bags and store things where necessary, even my 6 year old does this, ready for us to to through when I'm home during the weekend.

We are now all upstairs, stripping beds, emptying bags, rucksacks and book bags and basically just having a tidy before we stop and do nothing for the next few days.

I have counted, just from my 3 children alone, 93 Christmas cards that have been given to them by their class mates, teachers and teaching assistants.

I have then opened another 32 Christmas cards which have been stacked up in the porch, where we pick the mail up and leave the non urgent things for weekend opening. These are from many of the neighbours, family and friends, even an old neighbour that moved house 3 years ago, we weren't very close and she sends us a card.
Oh and from a few retailers, they have literally sent me a Christmas card!

I have then emptied my laptop case and work case and I have a further 25 cards from work.

Please don't misunderstand me, the cards are beautiful and it is so very lovely that people take the time and effort to write and send them but they are such a colossal waste!
Unless you live a long distance away, are close in terms of your relationship and are not going to see one another over Christmas, there is no need to send a card.

I get it, children love to write out cards for their school friends and even the teachers, I can kind of understand that but it is just such a waste of resources.

Someone tell me I'm being ridiculous and to just shut up and eat my 3rd mince pie of the day and be grateful.

[DM1209]

I wrote that with paragraphs!!

[Wildorchidz]

I think cards are a lovely tradition and one I’m happy to keep! Children have so few opportunities to actually write cards and letters - it’s a disappearing skill.

[IndieTara]

I'm with you op they really are a waste. I send my parents beautiful greetings cards for everything because they live abroad.
Family I don't see often ( although we have a family WhatsApp group that always has something going on ) I will send a Xmas card to but other than that I don't send any. I buy DD a small pack for her friends

[Tinytimoteo]

Of all the crap that gets wasted cards are a drop in the ocean and far too special and sweet a tradition. Id rather less packaging, less fecking glitter than no cards. You dont deserve these cards!
We hang cards as devoration and on boxibg day have fun cutting the cards so the pretty cover is reused as gift tags or for other projects and recycle the written on part.

[AllyBamma]

I think you should count yourself very lucky that you have so many friends and family who are thinking of you over the Christmas period, and that your children are well liked and have so many friends. Imagine all the lonely people out there who will be spending Christmas alone. I bet they’d give their right arm to have so many thoughtful people in their lives.

Just recycle the cards if you’re worried about the waste of resources. Simple.

[DM1209]

I think there is plenty of opportunity in life for children to sit down and write, it depends on whether that opportunity is created or not.
Example, writing letters to family, shopping lists, to-do lists, personal diaries, calendar reminders and so on. I get my children to do all of these.

Cards seem wasteful because come 10 days or so later, they're in the bin.


Oh and the poster that sits and cuts them out to be re-used as gift tags, power to you. My life is far too busy to commit to such an activity.

[isseywith4vampirecats]

I don't send cards and told everyone not to get us cards I still have 8 of the dam things that the cats will constantly knock over, (they leave the tree alone but seem to target cards) every time I open one I think that's another tree that died just so someone can feel good sending me a card, all of my friends and family will get on big mushy happy Christmas on facebook with a cute gif that's it I am the grinch

[DM1209]

@Allybamma, I absolutely am grateful which is why I state in my OP that the cards are beautiful and of course we do recycle them.
However, I can equally see the waste that comes with such gestures.

Perhaps we all could and should do more for the less fortunate people out there, not to look good but to just be kind.
My children and I are visiting our local care home for the elderly (we've done this for the last 9 years) and we even have a few 'adopted' residents there that we will write a card to and I know they will love seeing it propped up on their bedside table. That to me is thoughtful and caring.

Mindless card writing 'just because' is a waste and in my opinion doesn't show that you're well liked because I know for a fact all 30+ cards each for my 2 younger children in school and many of the ones we have had in the post and from my workplace, will be 'just because.'

[Tinytimoteo]

It takes 10 minutes. Ignoring your tone, you clearly aren't too busy to post on here.

[SusieQ5604]

I LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards. And when Christmas is over, I keep the decorative fronts and use them as tags for Christmas presents for the next year - a tradition my mother started and both me and my sisters continue. If we particularly like one, we laminate it and use it each year.

[SusieQ5604]

Oh and I don't "cut them out" to reuse - simply rip the fronts off and stick them in my tag box. No time at all and been doing it since I've been an adult. I also send photos in my cards and get all kinds of comments about how people enjoy them from year to year.

[chocorabbit]

YANBU

But I am not British and find this incredibly materialistic and pointless.