Were Christmas Eve boxes not enough?!

[AnnLouiseB]

I’ve just seen these advertised on Facebook. Is this a thing now? Must we have a cutesy box for every single calendar event? Where are people keeping these crates as they endlessly accumulate?

I used to do Easter presents for the kids.

Giving them at least one thing that wouldn't result in their puking chocolate over the duvet glares in direction of GPs was always a result from my point of view.

I see Paperchase are doing “advent” calendars for birthdays - make your birthday last a week as you count down.

I quite like the idea but as ever it’s been over milked £20 for a few bits of stationary.

@GeordieGreigsButtButtZoom. Of course the fate of humanity doesn't rest on the bleeding Easter boxes but as I said before it's the cumulative effect of ALL of the thousands of purchases like these which yes, do largely fall into the completely unnecessary category that do indeed have an impact over time and not just environmentally either. It is a wider CULTURE of materialism and 'buying to feel good/better' that is problematic. No one said anything about not buying any gifts at Christmas - although I see no need for any at Easter bar a bit of chocolate in some form - the point is that it is gone well beyond just a few gifts for children who for the most part already have so very much. One of the things I like about my children getting older is that I really hated the sheer amount of stuff that younger children seemed to acquire even if you were relatively modest yourself, from other family members, from birthday parties, even from school. I am absolutely not in sackcloth and ashes by any means and my children have probably been spoilt plenty along the way but it's the sheer scale and relentlessness of it that is problematic

Just looking at these, wonder if grandpa could make them, he would need the wood to make five. Burning the names and message into them would be a bit problematic. I think things like these are lovely but if they are home made, much better.

We always had new outfits for easter, usually something pretty in yellow for me. Brothers a smart shirt and pair of shorts.

Since when were xmas eve boxes chavvy

Since Mumsnet apparently. Also calling Father Christmas 'Santa', because snobs decided its an 'Americanism' rather than being 'a thing'. To be fair though, most of MN are over privileged and therefore think most things they don't do or have heard of must be beneath them....

@Thewinterofdiscontent

I see Paperchase are doing “advent” calendars for birthdays - make your birthday last a week as you count down.

I quite like the idea but as ever it’s been over milked £20 for a few bits of stationary.

Oh sweet Jesus, it's a birthDAY, the clue is in the name! How narcissistic apart from anything else, what next, a birthday month?

We have never done “Easter bunny”, I give the kids a Easter egg and that’s it, tbh we are still getting through the Christmas chocolate so the thought of buying them a box of chocolate eggs/sweets doesn’t appeal to me. I know a few people that go over the top with Easter, special Easter breakfast with cereal served in a Easter egg, Easter bunny visiting and Easter egg hunts, I can’t really be bothered 😕

most children get so much all year round now that is sort of blurs into one and it seems to me that the more people try to do, the less impact it actually has.

Yes, this is the other side of things. Many kids pretty much get most of the consumer goods they want anyway, they get treats regularly enough that they really aren' treats. And so they don't have the same sense of specialness or even magic about them. It's like we sabotage ourselves.

I agree about the chocolate too, after nothing sweet for a month and a half. It's totally different.

I know people who got their kids Valentine's gifts (big gifts at that), it's fucking ridiculous!

Well no, but how is getting more stuff or having it in a box with your name on it necessarily going to make any of the shit things any better, apart from that few minutes of 'wow'? The things we are missing now are not going to be filled by it, it would be a very poor substitute for fun and friendship and cuddles with granny and grandad

What a misery you sound. I bought my eldest a gift this week for mostly doing his 6 weeks of home learning. Should I have said 'actually, we shan't bother, this lego is just an empty representation of you missing your friends at school. Now enjoy your gruel as nice food reminds us all too much of when grandad comes over and moans the lamb is too dry'.

Sorry “stationery “

Do people still decorate hard boiled eggs and roll them down a hill? That’s what we did as kids in the 80s but it seems to have gone completely out of fashion!

It's an Easter basket, they have been around for ages! Better than a plastic/ non recyclable package Easter eggs!

Yes we used to make Easter baskets when we were kids. They do look cute. My kids don’t like chocolate and always ask for money so we won’t be getting any though.

Why the assumption that these boxes are competitive? Is it not possible that people just like giving some gifts to kids on Easter and Christmas?
Is there no space for that in a happy and relatively ethical family? Are these boxes the driving force behind climate change?

What is behind the boxes - consumerism and the idea that every celebration has to be about buying stuff - is absolutely related to climate change, and pollution, and degradation of resources. The same as crap toys in Happy Meals or fast fashion.

Those are particularly vile.

But a non tacky Easter basket with Easter bread and a bit of choccie is fine.

@BrumBoo

Well no, but how is getting more stuff or having it in a box with your name on it necessarily going to make any of the shit things any better, apart from that few minutes of 'wow'? The things we are missing now are not going to be filled by it, it would be a very poor substitute for fun and friendship and cuddles with granny and grandad

What a misery you sound. I bought my eldest a gift this week for mostly doing his 6 weeks of home learning. Should I have said 'actually, we shan't bother, this lego is just an empty representation of you missing your friends at school. Now enjoy your gruel as nice food reminds us all too much of when grandad comes over and moans the lamb is too dry'.

Your post genuinely made me laugh, thank you. But I assure you I am very far from a misery (well most of the time). From my own experience of people, the people who spoil the children the least materially are often the ones who actually do the most with their children in terms of activities, having a bit of imagination and craic with them. On the other hand I know one parent who gives her children everything they look for and plenty they don't but makes as I see it pretty much zero effort otherwise in terms of the bigger picture of demonstrating how to live well and fully and joyously outside of shopping. These are both extremes and most are of course somewhere in the middle. And for what it's worth, I think your lego was a great present and lovely thing to get as a reward for his efforts, the Easter boxes etc don't to me fall into that category because they are pretty shallow and meaningless and are not linked to a child's interests

sorry posted too soon.... or to any effort they might have made. They really are just tat for tats sake.

I love them if anyone local is making them I'd spend money on it.

I hear you OP, growing up we had an Easter egg hunt, some chocolate and maybe a Lamb roast on Easter Sunday, that was it, presents and gifts were for birthdays and Christmas, I feel this gift giving for every occasion is getting ridiculous.

I’m 38 and we always had baskets of treats delivered by the Easter bunny!

I find the moaning about Christmas Eve boxes and Easter baskets way more annoying than the actual items being sold.

Wow! So cute! thanks for the idea. Off to buy now.

I always received new clothes at Easter and a small chocolate egg, because my DM always received new clothes at Easter. So she always bought a new outfit for her GC. But we never went on an egg hunt, other than going to the allotment to collect the eggs.

@Nat3kids

Do people still decorate hard boiled eggs and roll them down a hill? That’s what we did as kids in the 80s but it seems to have gone completely out of fashion!

We used to do that with school