To think this is the embodiment of miserable fuckers

[Scrooooooooge]

Something they want

something they need

something to wear

something to read

I mean - how bloody joyless is that bloody thing?

A sitting room filled with presents would make me bloody miserable. I’m 41 and don’t have the “know nothing else” disclaimer.

Always had “things I needed” as 90% of my stocking – it’s the ideal time for pants and socks, toothbrushes, etc, because the magic is in the opening, not the object – and a few tree presents. Had a happy lovely childhood and my worst Christmas was with a boyfriend’s family of the HERE ARE ALL THE THINGS AND WE SPEND ALL DAY WITH THE THINGS WHAT DO YOU MEAN GET DRESSED AND GO FOR A WALK, WE HAVE THINGS!!!! ilk. Grim.

Isn't a graphic novel, by definition, a book?

I don't care which category you put it in, he'd rather have £25 of books, hot wheels, chocolate or Lego.

If I was buying him something to wear as a present (again, at five), it would need to have some sort of favourite character on it.

Buy him a book anyway, ungrateful fecker🤣🤣🤣

I get mine just one too -plus small stocking fillers. And I buy ( or did before they had their own money) a small present for each child from their sibling so they have something to actively give each other - just small things, though. My DC get presents from their grandparents and aunt too. All stocking presents are wrapped, so the DC have fun unwrapping these small things. I’m baffled by anyone saying it’s joyless. It definitely isn’t.

All I can picture when I see some posts is Dudley Dursley counting his presents on his birthday. And we all realise the moral lesson from that story (or I hope we do, I'm not convinced many do though)

Yes, up to four. Otherwise it’s just wasteful and common.

Can you not just disagree with how other people do things, OP, without calling them 'miserable fuckers'? How lacking are you exactly?

Something to allow your brain cell to muse on for a nanosecond... buying a child something they need doesn't mean that it isn't also what that child would love to have. My example is knickers with swans on when I was young. They were my favourite thing and I can't remember what the other things were.

Roomfuls of presents don't ultimately make for happy people.

Some people can't' afford multiple presents for their children this year (or any year). They find other ways to make their children happy or they don't. They don't need to be harried by morons.

Posting vacuous shit designed to make other people feel bad for the way they do things, that's my definition of being a miserable fucker. You must be quite an unhappy person, OP.

This is what is wrong with everything in this world - buy more plastic shit, teach kids love is measured by how many presents you get.

Kids aren't born to think this way, we encourage it.

Isn’t that true of buying four presents, though? So my DD really wants a dolls pram and a doll but that’s two things she wants, so she can’t have one but she can have a new pair of shoes, a book and a hairbrush, or something?

I agree op. For my kids it would be fucking miserable. They would get only 4 gifts from us, only one of those is something they want.
No, there are no presents from family, we have literally none. No grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. None. It's shit at Xmas with all the extended families doing family things while mine have no one but us so yes I'll give them everything that I can.
Fuck that for a game of soldiers.

sitting sobbing into my Chinese as I type, @LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

No, it’s the opposite of this! Don’t buy them four things (or even two things!) that they really, really want - buy them four things under categories because heaven forbid they should ever be a tiny bit overindulged.

It's not about only buying books at Christmas though. It's about giving special books: DD1 is getting the new illustrated edition of The Girl of Ink and Stars this Christmas. Last year it was a Mina Lima Harry Potter edition. She wants a personalised Pony Club jacket for 'wear' this year. She 'needs' a new size of riding hat. It's not a need like food/shelter.

Surely it's only "bloody joyless" if you have no imagination for presents

Weird thing to get mad about. Most people don't just buy 4 gifts. Most childrens Christmas lists have things that fall into all 4 categories naturally anyway.

Does she not have a birthday? Pram for Christmas, dolly for birthday. Tbf my daughter has a toy pram and I’ve never seen a dolly or animal in it, though she has them; she pushes around all my Tupperware or her dad’s pants, whatever she thinks needs “a holiday”.

For children yes... you should not pass your parental obligations off as 'gifts' your kids should be thankful for - need, wear and read are all thing YOU should provide for your kid anyway (if your kids an avid reader then read could be a gift if its something they want but just randomly its something you should encourage but not a gift if they dont like reading).

No kid should have to be grateful that you clothed them and provided the things they NEED, those are responsabilities you signed on for when having kids and to not do that is abuse/neglect.

For adults it can work ok though as adult gifts do tend to be more practical.

So she has to wait six months for a doll to put in a pram because I have to stick to the poem - see what I mean? Its batshit!

Four from parents, most children would have other relatives to buy them a present too.

@Scrooooooooge I think you’re taking it a bit literally. I’d say a dolls pram with a doll is a gift. Then the ‘need’ might be a load of nice bath stuff - nice bath toys and bath foam and crayons and stuff.not a new onesie and slippers. Not like a bag of pasta or something 🤣

So then you’re relying on other people being generous?

What on earth is the point of the pram without the doll???

Did you as a single childless woman push around a stroller until you had a baby?

@Scrooooooooge sorry I have a typo ‘OR a new onesie and slippers’

at bag of pasta, although my mum did once buy me a potato peeler (it was a joke!)