To think all of these Christmas boxes are just mindless consumerism?

[hahbumbug]

Yes it’s been done to death and I’m being judgemental but I wish people would stop buying all of this shit. Like most things Christmas, it’s another tactic to guilt you into parting with your money.

I’m being a right grinch but I’ve come across three posts today with personalised helium balloons & entire walls filled with massive balloon arches for the arrival of the elf on the shelf. Also balloon boxes, plastic Christmas water bottles dated & personalised with names, little Christmas toys and so on. No doubt they’ll have more to come on the 24th. What’s annoyed me more is the influx of comments underneath each post with “you’re the best mummy”, “well done mama!” & all the variants of that.

We’re reluctant to start the elf on the shelf, luckily it doesn’t seem to be on our eldest’s radar. I like the idea of a few little bits on Christmas Eve, I’ll probably pick up a Christmas book & maybe a DVD out the charity shop. We’ll make hot chocolates and they can colour in whilst I prep veg.

Bah Humbug

I’m in complete agreement. We don’t do any of this stuff and we love Christmas! My kids get an advent calendar (one of those re-fillable ones), a new pair of pjs and a book on 1 December. Then we just count down to Christmas Day!

You're right, it's been done to death.

And yet grown adults still choose autonomy over their own Christmases.

I love this idea. I took mine to see Father Christmas on Sunday, cost me a fiver (council run) and they were given a book & made a little wooden ornament.

I’ve also repurposed an advent calendar given to me by my sister. They admittedly got some new PJs, but they’re red plaid & they’ll be wearing these until they’ve grown out of them

Have a lovely Christmas!

As a middle class middle aged pearl clutcher I think I’m allowed to say ‘TAT’! Its all just tat!

I’m so glad I don’t use social media - balloon arches for a bloody elf??!! - they are bad enough when they are done for people!

Instagram has sent the world mad.

Everybody goes on about The Grinch but a lot of this stuff reminds me of the Whos in Whoville.

And I found myself getting caught up in it when DD was younger. Thankfully, now, she is pushing back against 'stuff.' What makes her Christmas is her brother's visiting and playing games. I do think the way society is set up makes it difficult to see different ways of celebrating. It's all Instagram perfect. And those lies are easy to believe if life is a slog.

I wish I was exaggerating. These aren’t those little ‘balloon stacks’ with an elf on the top, I’ve just seen a balloon arch the entire width and height of a standard wall.

The world is full of mindless consumerism. A reusable annual box with reusable christmas stuff is surely not much different to getting the decorations out if the loft. If you think that's bad have a look at the beauty advent calendars multiple threads which are equally consumerist. Probabaly best to avoid mummy influencers if they trigger guilt but surely most people can decide what to do for themselves.

But the problem is that none of it is reusable, for themselves or another child. It’s personalised boxes, bottles and PJs with names and ‘Christmas 2025’. I doubt the balloons are reuseable either.

None of these people are mummy influencers, they’re friends of friends & neighbours which suggests to me it’s become quite the norm?

Maybe I’m just a tight arse because so far, DD has a trike that I found for a fiver in a charity shop and a climbing frame I bought on marketplace😂

I wonder if AI might actually be good here. Because I can knock up a photo of my dc receiving a golden Lamborghini with an elf driving it in 20 seconds. None of these performative new 'traditions' will get much traction in a few years if everyone can pretend they're doing outlandish rubbish.

I go in for advent, and Christmas, in a big way but am mindful of not buying shite spending my money on things that won't just end up in landfill or cluttering up my house. Balloons are a no for me straight off the bat, because I have a latex allergy.

Our advent box for my teens/twenties DCs contained (as it does every year) a board game for our weekly family nights, a Christmas Wasgij for the same purpose, a Christmas literary anthology for reading together, an advent candle, chocolate tree decorations, advent calendars (chocolate), a scented candle each for their bedrooms, personalised baubles, Christmas socks, and a Christmas jumper each. I have some lovely wooden tags with our names on, and other with initials, that I reuse every year.

I couldn't give a shiny shit if people think this is "top mama" material or mindless consumerism; it makes my family happy and I'm comfortable with my choices. I'll continue to give them little random advent gifts and treats all month, and they can go back to gruel and water in January 😁

I agree OP. Is Christmas itself and all of the consumerism that goes with it not enough? Is there any need for even more primark/ temu crap?
Also -as a side note - I know the elf might be a fun thing to do but I am so bloody glad it didn’t exist when my DC were younger.

Asking as I genuinely don’t know.. do all parents of younger children do the elf thing or is it just the ones we see on SM?

Agree. We have a family "Christmas Box" (or two!). My 23 year old daughter enjoyed unpacking it on Sunday. It includes decorations and a collection of christmas books, films and jigsaws that we have built up over the years. For a few years I would buy a new book each year to add to it, but once we had a good collection I stopped. That kind of box that revisits christmases past and builds up gradually is lovely (I think). Buying lots of new, disposable stuff each year is just unnecessary and wasteful.

entire walls filled with massive balloon arches for the arrival of the elf on the shelf 😂🤣

I agree with you, OP.

I did a beach clean once and the worst things were the plasticky birthday balloons - and the tape/string stuff attached to them was indestructible and all wrapped in seaweed etc

I'm not a fan of over-consumerism and my children were too old for all this elf stuff, which I'm glad about. I've no idea what this balloon thing is, but I'm sure I wouldn't have bought it! I'm on the fence about the whole elf thing as presumably you buy the elves when the children are very young and keep them for many years, which is not unlike any Christmas decoration or long lasting toy (I've had the same decorations for 20 years or more and only occasionally add to them). It sounds like a lot of hassle to keep hiding them though, and to think of new places!
I've stopped buying water bottles that are not metal as they're all destined for landfill eventually, and most of them don't last as long as you think they will.

This seems like a lovely idea. Like a PP, we have a Christmas wasgij that comes out each year. I like the idea of gradually building up a box like you.

This is my gripe with the balloon arches. Single use and ends up god knows where.

It’s not normal in my circle!
It sounds tacky, wasteful and something someone would do just to show off online.

I told my 6 year old that the elf only visits naughty children’s houses, as they needed to be kept an eye on. We don’t have one because he’s not naughty - double win of him maintaining his “good” status in the run up to
Christmas and me not having to have that bloody elf in my house!

I’m stealing this 🤣

Let people do what makes them happy. If it brings them a bit of joy, let them crack on.

Sorry, pressed post too soon! I’ve attached a google image of the sort of thing I’m on about. I’ve not got any issue with the elf, like you say it can be reused each year and I’m sure it’s fun for the children. To be honest, I’m a bit too lazy and unimaginative for setting it up each night though

YANBU. All this tat and plastic f*ckwittery is precisely what will finish humankind's time on this planet, and be our legacy for many centuries after we're finally gone.