First time poster, I need advice.
I have a friend, who I met at work. He is elderly and retired a few years ago. Following the retirement, he moved home and now lives at a considerable distance from me. He's a lovely friend, who always remembers my and my two children's birthdays. My kids don't have any grandparents left and he says he wants to compensate them for it.
The problem is I think it's getting a bit silly and out of hand. He will for example travel to see me (several hours on a train) before Christmas and bring the whole bag full of presents, several for my kids plus a present for me and my husband (who he hardly knows). It's lovely and very well intentioned but I wish I wasn't put in a position to feel obliged to reciprocate. I would always just buy him and his wife a nice hamper etc but he has consistently, year after year, been buying my whole family presents and I feel obliged to reciprocate. He lives with his wife, daughter and two granddaughters. Last year I bought them all presents but really struggled with it, as I hardly know them all.
Please advise how I can break this vicious circle of present buying. Or maybe you can suggest a good present FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. I know he's a lovely friend and I don't want to be impolite or ungrateful.