To think I'm NOT a bloody gift-buying service!!!

[MrsScrooge]

Sorry if this has been done already but I need to vent.
I've just come back from a mammoth, exhausting Christmas present shopping session and it has occurred to me that NOT ONE of my children's relatives has actually made the effort to go out and buy them a Christmas present.
Instead each and every one - parents, in-laws, brother, aunts and uncles have bunged some money at me to "get them something nice".
So, muggins here has just trawled the shops to make sure her babies aren't dissappointed on Christmas Day.
It's not even if any of the rellies are house-bound or infirm, they're just "busy". They also all have internet access and the savvy to do online shopping.
So why do I end up doing all the donkey work??

Grrrrrrr

Thank you for listening.....

I have this a lot too, and it does feel a bit as though I'm doing their donkey work, but I'm grateful that they're thinking of my DD and because I know what else she's getting for Christmas I can choose things I know she's not getting elsewhere and know she'll love, rather than her getting stuff she's a bit old for. I also save some of it for the sales afterwards so she can decide some of it for herself.

I love Christmas shopping for her

Vent away. Online shopping does mean people have less of an excuse.

** less of an excuse not to shop

Yes I have this too with my father-in-law and this year my mother-in-law although that's because her husband is dying so will let her off (that's a joke) It's not the actiual buying but the thinking of what to get in the prescribed price range. We are overseas as well so I have to do currency conversions too...

And and (I am on a roll here) we have to make sure all our Amazon wish-lists are up to date for my brother and girlfriend.

I am with you MrsScrooge.

We have the same here - my mum is out working all hours and is constantly on the phone asking me what to get for the kids, as well as all her friends, like I know what to get them!!!! I've not long had a hysterectomy so I'm not really able to go into town like most years but when I have been able, she's constantly asking me to get stuff and basically do her christmas shopping for her! But because she works so hard I don't say anything - I'm sure if she had the time she would love to spend the day shopping, she can certainly afford it with all the work she does but I guess it comes at a price!

I could have posted this last year. What made it particularly infuriating was that both dh and I were working full time with particularly heavy workloads in the autumn term, not to mention our 2 children under 3 to look after, whereas the people asking us to buy presents were for the most part retired
I can see the logic of them asking us to get things for our own children because we know best what they need, but it wasn't, it was 'Please will you get something for me to give your uncle' - ie the uncle that we haven't seen since last Xmas either, so her guess would have been as good as ours!

Arggh, I am also with you Mrs Scrooge. It just all feels so pointless, not so much for the kids, but for the adults. DH's family all ask me what he wants for Xmas, I tell them, they ask me to get it, or they get it and get it delivered to my work (in which case I have to lug it all home) or my home (in which case I have to trek up to the PO). And then I have to wrap it all. I just wish everyone would just use their intiative! Also it is both the LO's bdays in December so I am having to come up with nth number of gift ideas when they all have so much already! Being very scrooge like now. Next year its book tokens all round.

And yes Kathyis12, that is exactly it. We both work more or less full time and most of DH's family are retired or don't work full time. On a more positive note can I recommend one of those wrist tape dispenser things for wrapping?? Bloody brilliant.

Only MILdoes this but the optehrs expect me to tell them what DS's would like;then six weekslater they totally ignore my siggestions, meaning that the one thing I thougth up that was both in budget and superb for the child is the one thing they won't get.

DS4 forexample needed farm animals for the farm ds3 had that is now animal-free. So we told FIL, who said yay for sure i will get that. Then bought a train.

So I an either get an extra pressie for ds4 (but he doesn't really need mroe, just this as something we could use well...) or not have it.

Tsk!

MIL sends an amount that doesn't divide by the 6 of us PMSL, think its supposed to be £25 for ds 1/2/3 and eitehr £25 for DH or ds4 but wouldn't place my bets either way.

DD gets lots of money at Christmas and Birthdays from distant relatives. All say the same "buy something for her from us". Will probably get flamed for this but I'm not one for buying for the sake of buying, so I put the money into her bank account and if she wants something throughout the year that is more expensive than I would usually spend on a 'treat', then she contributes some of her money towards it - I do make sure I remind her that the money has come from whoever. It just means that she has choice throughout the year, rather than me just trying to find things that I think she may like.

She does also get her presents at Christmas from me and her family around her.

oh, bank account thing v sensible GreatBalls. I wanted to cheer when ds's great aunt just sent him a fiver in a birthday card.
Right now he doesn't need it so it will be there for when he does

Oh that is a great idea! Probably too late for this xmas now but will definitely put in place for next xmas.

This happens here FIL gives me money i buy the gifts wrap them and give them back to him - the Christmas day comes and he gives them the stuff they really want but I always say no too - good old grandy - Now my nan does the same sends me £15 between 3 boys and expects them to get really good stuff so I really have to shop around - it woiuldnt matter so much if she didnt buy gifts for everyone else - but she does and she wraps and delivers those.

Thanks for your support, everyone! I would LOVE to go down the bank account route, but all the relatives expect a grateful phone call from the children on Christmas Day thanking the for the lovely gift "they" bought.(which I've pried them about in advbance)
I don't mind Santa getting the credit for Christmas, but my dfestive spirit dries up in this case.
Ho Bleedin' Ho

thanking them advance

and festive
[bollocks, i should have previewed first emoticon]

YAB a tiny bit U. The logistics of buying, wrapping and delivering presents to various family members can be a bit of a nightmare - especially when you're not really sure what the DCs are into, where they are developmentally, whether the parents will think it's suitable, or whether they've already got it.

I'm always happy to be given money from relatives for presents, but I do usually pool it into a couple of larger gifts rather than a gift for each DC from each person. It does mean they end up with less random plastic crap and just a few really nice gifts.

until dd knows how to log in to my bank account, i let her have only a percentage of money sent for her.

I save the rest. Needs must.

Greatballs - we do the exact same. Both of DS's grandmothers have sent us money, however we have bought enough bits and bobs for him this christmas. Money has gone straight into the account set aside for him. At 2.3 he is way too young to get who has/ hasn't given him presents.

YAB a bit unreasonable - our family don't give our kids presents at all as they are "too old" at 7, 10 and 13.

So in one way you are lucky. I agree that I would save the money in an account fo them.