Not to buy new wrapping paper for SC?

[readystdygo]

Every year I buy new wrapping paper for my two kids. I wrap each kids in different paper so they can tell whos is whos.

I then wrap my step childs in whatever paper I have left. Step child is not here on christmas day.

I was discussing this with a friend and she said its wrong that step child dont get new paper too? I cant see how it makes any difference?

yabu

It’s not very nice to treat them differently but it’s boring having them all in the same paper anyway.

I think OP means different paper for each of her own children so that they can see whose is whose . And it’s not necessary for her step child as they’re not there on Christmas Day so they won’t know . Which I think is absolutely fine !

Obviously your choice but there are 3 children, 3 sets of gifts. Why wouldn’t you try to give them the same treatment, it’s paper ffs, using the leftover is a statement especially if the child was there for gift opening.

It wouldn't bother me to use old wrapping paper for anyone. Unless there's an issue around the stepchild in other ways, I wouldn't give this any more thought. People have different views on things; your friend was just expressing hers.

Never thought I would see someone weaponising wrapping paper...

I did the same for my 3. Different paper for each child , no need for labels 👍
Therefore not necessary for step child as they’re not there! I doubt my kids ever noticed the paper anyway, just ripped it off !

It’s not the practicalities that your friend is concerned about. No, the SC won’t know and it’s less wasteful on paper

It’s the lack of care the friend is getting at. That your kids have a special traditional of new paper especially chosen just for them every year….while the SC literally gets the leftovers.
It’s a like scene from Cinderella.

The problem isnt what you do…..I see the practicalities of it. But it’s that you’re happy to tell people and aren’t embarrassed in the slightest.

Just buy three fucking rolls of paper instead of two rather than innocently asking whether your low-key twattishness in fact makes you a twat. Because yes it does.

Wow some posters are reaching!

This is a practical thing, different paper for different child to avoid her having to label them. Very normal.

Step child is still getting new paper. She's not getting fancy personalised paper for her kids and giving old used stuff to the step chid.

Let's focus on the step child getting lots of presents that they have lots of differnt papers- obviously they are treated like one of the kids and not just chucked a token gift.

Personally as a kid I preferred lots of different pretty papers. Maybe OPs kids are jealous SC gets that!

I am not trying to show the op in a negative light at all, but her and her husband don't seem that bothered as I said wrap the presents how you want but children can and do notice being treated differently that includes the op children noticing their siblings not being "the same" it isn't about the paper as I keep saying.

I honestly don’t see an issue. If the children are still fairly young, all the paper is ripped off in a frenzy anyway.

If you have reasonably nice paper for wrapping, what on earth does it matter if it’s not ‘new’?

It's just a system. I imagine if the SC was there on Xmas day then they would get their own paper, so their gifts would be clearly delineate from their step siblings.

I do different paper here too.. infact each of my children get two different wrapping papers for their Father Christmas presents.. that’s 4 rolls every year 🤣

luckily our nursery always needs wrapping paper at Christmas so I donate what I have left to them, and then whatever I have I use the following year for family presents instead of DC.

However, I would want to treat SC the same as I treat my own kids. It’s Christmas.. and they’re kids 🫠

So on that basis the SC gets the better treatment, isn't stuck with boring paper because mum is too lazy to write labels 😉

Does anyone really care about this kind of thing? No wonder women are frazzled at Christmas. Can you imagine any man giving this even a thought...?

Why would anyone care what bloody wrapping paper a gift was wrapped in

Also lots of people on MN “don’t see an issue” with lots of horrible stuff that some stepparents seem to think is okay.
-AIBU to do a big Christmas box for my kids but not one for DSC because they’re going to their mums on Christmas Eve afternoon?
-AIBU to say to DP we should only spend half the money on DSC because they’re going to get presents from their mum as well?
-AIBU not to get any gifts for my DSC as they’re not here til Boxing Day?
-AIBU to do a special Christmas breakfast just for my kids but not for DSC?
-AIBU to book a special Christmas family outing for when DSC aren’t with us because I want a trip for just us?

So so so many of these and so many people quick to jump in to say it’s absolutely fine and “practical” and how the stepkids shouldn’t mind because they have another side of the family they can do stuff with (regardless of whether that actually happens). But it all adds up for the stepkids and they will know how they are perceived.

Or friend had a stepmother. Really don't think the kid would care.

I genuinely don’t see this as a problem ! It’s not a “tradition “ for goodness sake, it’s practical!
When mine got to teenage years their presents got smaller but more expensive. So I used to wrap some of them up so that their stockings would look more padded out. So I’d wrap each child’s in different paper so that on Christmas Eve I could just put them in their stockings without having to think about it - yes, they still hung up their stockings as teenagers!
So I’d be left with paper, not “ leftovers” , just paper, which I’d use for anyone and everyone. OP’s step child won’t even be there, if they were I’m sure she’d do a different paper for her as well.

Kids care. You’re looking at it from the perspective of an adult who is not part of the family. Which is totally pointless. But even I as an adult would probably care about seemingly small things like this because it’s not the paper itself - it’s the fact that it shows someone doesn’t care as much about you.

This is the most ridiculous non problem I’ve ever seen on here . What are you all on about!

YANBU. I can’t stand wastage and excess, and if I have perfectly good paper on hand, then I’m using it and not buying new. If SC is not there on Christmas Day then there doesn’t need to be a way of identifying presents as there is for the other kids.

SC doesn’t even know that theirs is different because they’re not there. And most kids wouldn’t give a shit anyway - they want the presents, not the paper it’s wrapped in.

People really need to get a grip … it’s not really “left overs” it’s still new, unused paper. And for those saying SC is being treated differently, that’s right, SC is being treated differently in that they’ve already had Christmas Day and presumably presents at mum’s house. OP’s kids only get one Christmas Day.

How would SC even know what paper the other DC had? I guarantee the children aren't saying come look at my fab presents, did you know mum made sure they were all wrapped in matching paper.

I've got wrapping paper from years ago that still use 😂

I can't see why a kid would care if they had different wrapping paper either. Tbh my grandkids have all got presents wrapped in various paper. They've never complained. And how will the SC even know their wrapping aper is different ? They won't be present opening on the same day/ place