to be annoyed with my mother?

[LynetteScavo]

For telling DC's they won't be getting bought presents for Cristmas this year, only home made ones. She knows things are a bit tight for DH and I, but we can stretch to buying the DC's Christmas presents. (Especially as DS2 is dsperate for a Familichi (sp?) whcih are only £10 )

For some reason this has really anoyed me. Particularly as it's prettymuch a lie. She told me to tell them they are not getting anything, then they will be pleased with what they do get.

They are not material little brats,adn never fuss in shops for toys, but do tend to say "I like that!" at every toy advdert they see on TV.

Am I over reacting, or is my mother as mad as I think she is?

lol

my mother spent every xmas saying you will be disappointed this year im afraid and there wont be much this year

it was tradition

i say it now

So this type of thing is normal?

oh yes

as is teasing teenage daughters aboutgetting them a nice barbie for xmas every time the ad comes on

oh and saying you will be lucky to get a lump of coal in your stocking

How lovely.

Now you have the ground prepared to give them a lump of coal with a ribbon around it and get away with it.

Hurrah for mothers!

hey, X post, lots of lumps of coal about

How old are your dcs Lynette? Ime (which is limited) small children don't really know the value of stuff, so I imagine that even if you have a tight budget you would be able to put together a few bits that they will be happy with. I try not to get into comparisons with the hundreds some of my friends seem to feel is necessary.

As for your mother, imo she should have checked with you before telling them this little story. My dd1 is 4 and would be quite upset if she thought there would be nothing.

and a satsuma with the coal don't forget.

Dont go too crazy lollipop - not with the rising prices of food and fuel!

I saw this on active convos and had to laugh. I didn't have to read the OP to know that no, YANBU - it's never unreasonable to be annoyed at your mother

They are 9, 5 and 3.

The best received present any of them ever got was a £7.50 light sabre we gave DS2 for his 4th birthday. He was absoultly thrilled.

You are right about them not understanding the value of things, which is partly why I'm so annyoed with her.

She is very comfortably off, but will probly try to get into the recection spirit my making them odd things out of clay and or silk printed cusions or something.

I think I have issues here - she was always very tight with Christmas presents when I was a child, even though she, could have easily spent much more on me. I saw friends with less afluant parents getting all sorts of stuff, and I haven't quite forgiven her.

Every year my father faithfully promised us we'd get an orange and a bag of nuts for our Christmas. That would be it, he said.

We did get an orange and a bag of nuts. And the rest though. . Is it not just teasing the kids? It's harmless, isn't it?

Weird thing is, we believed him every year that would be all we'd get.

June I meant for them to share, and a non-organic one at that! We're not made of money you know!

You may have issues Lynette - I think I do. My mum goes crackers at Christmas (excuse the terrible pun) and spends loads and gets loads of presents. Ils are the complete opposite. My father's mother was the same - children got a sensible jumper and that was it. None of these ways are wrong, just different I guess.

Personally I buy bits in the sales and at the NCT sale all year round. For example in the Summer dd got a bike and a doll's pram. Total price £20 bought from a bloke at dh's work. I know some people hate that, and feel that the children are somehow deprived for having second hand stuff. (especially as we could "afford" new if we really wanted to) dd1 doesn't know or even care that the stuff is 2nd hand.

Nothing at all wrong with your children having second hand items. Clean them up and let your children have fun with them.

We used to share clothes when we were kids. We had these awful polyester tracksuits in different colours. I was the second youngest (out of four) so got the pleasure of wearing three of them as they got passed down to the next smallest.

I've decided to give her only hand made things for Christmas.

Good idea - get the children to make her a photo frame decorated with dried pasta shapes.
Can't go wrong with that.....

Or tell her you have sponsored a child instead.

One of yours.

I love the sponsored child idea!