I have some family who live abroad in Australia. Some brothers and and one of them is settled with partner and child.
Every year the family at home (me, my mother and a brother) we organise a Xmas parcel with some gifts.
Every single year, without fail, my mother is always late in organising the parcel. We know Christmas is approaching and every year, she is always late. If the post recommends the last posting date to Australia is the 5/6/7th of December, my mother might just about manage for the 8/9/10/11/12 December.
She has good intentions and she does usually buy early but every year, she's not finished with her list and she always wants to add on.
This is an issue because I'm usually organised on time and I would prefer to send a parcel earlier rather than later.
It's also an issue in that, I don't have a problem organising a box but my mother always wants me to wait for her and put all our stuff in together and send one parcel - (she does this to put all the posting charges on my back and she doesnt pay a penny).
This year is a little bit different now because there's a pandemic. I'm in Ireland and we are in lockdown since October. I knew this years Christmas parcel was going to be a nightmare because of the lockdown and the non essential shops not open. Either we shop onlone or we wait for the shops to open early in December, then go shopping and send a parcel late.
I was sitting down with my mother every weekend since October with the laptop and we did some online shopping together. She's not a tech-y person and doesn't know hoelw to use a mobile phone, never mind about anything else.
We got things done. I was surprised we were so successful with the online shopping and loads of packages came in the mail and by courier with our orders. We did very well with everything. We got gifts for the one child in the family and for the rest of the family/adults abroad in Australia.
We did a lot. We have one more thing to do tomorrow - order some Christmas cards and that's it.
I was saying to my mother would have to try and aim to have the parcel sent off by November the 23rd just in case there will be delays because of the pandemic. I'm saying the 23rd in the hope the parcel/NY mother will be ready by the end of November. Definitely it does have to be gone by then.
Thing is my mother has so much shopping now but she still doesn't want to be done. She's wants to continue with more. She wants me to browse around online with her for more. Not only that, she said to me today, when the shops open again, she wants to try and go into town and get some more bits. I think she's not realising the amount of boxes and parcels and stuff that we already have and it's building in the front room and she's missing the phy3side of shopping or something. That's neither here nor there though.
We are in lockdown and the non essential shops like the gift shops and toys shops won't open until the 1st of December (that's if the government allows them to open). That indicates to me that my mother isn't planning on having anything ready to mail abroad until later on in December.
AIBU to box up my gifts and send them on time? Last Christmas was disappointing because of the bushfires. Our Christmas parcel didn't get to them until February. I would like to make an extra special effort this year and send well on time in case there's delays because of the pandemic. AIBU?
I will organise my stuff for next weekend in the hope it spurs my mother on over the following days. If not I think I will get it going by the end of November.