How would you deal with this? Present related.

[Iamsanta]

I have a lovely dear friend who is very, very generous when it comes to buying gifts for my DD and DS at Christmas and birthdays.

She is well off and able to afford these gifts but we are a low income family and always feel really mean when I spend much less on her DC. I know it isn't about the money etc but I do feel guilty about this every year! I have said on several occasion to spend less but this is ignored and she carries on regardless. Should I just leave it, say nothing and stop feeling guilty? Or try and raise this again?

She is a brilliant friend who has always been there for me over the years when DD was going through SEN diagnosis etc and I am extremely grateful for the lovely and beautiful gifts...but I can't help feel guilty!

If you have spoken about it already I would just ignore it and get the children to thank her or the gifts. I spend more on the dc of my oldest friend, but know she puts as much thought into gifts for my dc. Luckily our children are not the same ages so it's not a direct comparison. We both spend what we can afford to get things the children will like.

She spends what she wants to and can afford. She clearly enjoys treating your children. I think you should recognise that her gift-giving is giving her pleasure as well, and as said before, to just let your kids thank her for the lovely gifts. It sounds like you both have a great friendship.

Thank you for your replies.

Maybe I should just swallow my pride guilt and accept it.

I am going to make a Christmas hamper for her DCs this year as an extra, just to show how much I appreciate her friendship.