AIBU to not do stocking ps this year?

[Lovemusic33]

Dd's are almost 12 and 14, in the past we have done stockings mainly to keep the dd's busy for an hour so I don't have to rush out of bed but this year it's just me and them and they are old enough to wait for me to get up. I never had a stocking when I was a child, we had a pillow case which Father Christmas put all our presents (including from relatives) into. As I got older we just had gifts under the tree and we didn't open them until after breakfast. I want to do the same with my dd's and skip the stocking full of bits of tat that they don't even look at after Christmas Day. Am I being mean?

Do what you like

My DCs are 15 and 13 and still love stockings, I always do a novelty gift (pen or mug) some "merch"'(super hero t shirt), something silly to play with (rubber band gun, catapult, or a MArvins trick) , fave chocolate (peanutbutter cups), joke book or Agathy Christie novel....it's always a good start of the day!

We do presents after breakfast.

Ah I see you do a Christmas Eve box, so ignore my suggestions ^^. Y

I don't see why stockings need to be filled with tat? We never had stockings growing up but DH and I do for both DC's and for ourselves as stockings are so traditionally Christmas! At no other time in the year do you get to do stockings - presents on birthdays etc but not stockings!

I don't know what your girls interests are but even a top each can be folded down small enough to go into a stocking... or earphones, funky cell phone cover, fun shoe laces, new hairbrush, earrings if their ears are pierced? If you look on Claire's www.claires.com they have an online special of Buy 1 Choose 1 Free on Almost Anything - so you can get gorgeous things for both girls at the price of only 1 of them.

I don't do tat for that very reason.. it's pointless.

But I do make a stocking with smaller bits like dvd. Book. Colouring pens. Things that will be used

They don't have the ears pierced and not that keen on girly bits from Claire's I wish they were as it would make it easier. I did buy some mini Pokemon figures which I was planning to use in their stockings but I think I might use them in their wooden advent Calender instead. Dd1 wants headphones but won't wear the ear bud ones (only the huge headphones).

Well that’s about knowing your own children - obviously not all boys/girls want the same sort of stocking fillers. These days I often get gardening things in my stocking - packets of seeds, new gloves, etc, stuff I would need to buy for myself but it’s nice that someone else has been thoughtful enough to get them for me

You have a good idea of what your girls want and it suits you to do a Christmas Eve box, so that’s fine!

IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday obviously I know that but my children have always brought their stockings to my room and they open them in my bed so we can all enjoy it together before going downstairs to open the gifts under the tree.

I'm 36, married, no kids.

I demand DH makes my stocking up as much mum can't (600 miles away). And yes, I make one for him too.

They're the second best bit of Xmas. 2nd only to thr coca cola ham

YABVVVU!!

My DDs also bring their stockings into my bedroom so they can show me everything they get
One of my most treasured Christmas memories is of my DD2 at 19 months dragging her huge stocking/sack across the landing behind her big sis

Lovemusic it's all very well other people saying the stocking is the best but but that's clearly not the case for your girls so I wouldn't worry about it. They're getting Christmas gifts, you've obviously put thought into what you're buying, why bother doing stockings when they're not at all bothered about stocking gifts? Given what you've said you'd just be buying stuff in order to tick a box.

Experience tells me that people on mumsnet have massively different opinions on what is a stocking gift. In our house the stocking is literally a bit sock! But I've noticed over the years that people on mumsnet often refer stockings as what I call tree presents. Dd is 12 and Ive added-

New donut hair accessory
Hair chalk/coloured hair spray
Fancy American sweets
Small ted baker body spray
Phone/laptop wipes
Novelty pen drive
Battery pack for iphone
New magic gloves
Ear rings
Named jar of Nutella
Starbucks voucher £5

Thank you cantsleep ,they will be getting a few smaller gifts under the tree as well as their main gifts, just not tiny bits in a stocking. Dd1 is getting a 1kg jar of Nutella and some pringles

You don't have to have tat in a stocking! Me and Ds each have a stocking (DS is a teenager).

The stockings each have:

• an apple and a satsuma in the toe.
• favourite nuts (walnuts in the shell for me, a bag of pistachios for DS)
• chocolate coin
• something to read (new book or magazine)
• keyring or pair of socks or similar.
• £1 selection box in DS's stocking for him to feel a bit sick by breakfast.

That's it! No tat, and a rather nice little habit.

Plus you do a Christmas Eve box OP, which more or less includes stocking fillers!

If it is wasteful and stressing you out then don't do it. Christmas shouldn't be torture for you!

My mum did me a stocking until I was 30 but I loved it and she liked buying the little bits. If you don't enjoy doing it and they don't value the gifts then don't put yourself through it.

If you want to do something then maybe get advent calendars with little drawers to put the little things in. Then they wont be competing with the main gifts on christmas day?

If it is wasteful and stressing you out then don't do it.

Ausparent I agree with this sentiment exactly!

Right. I'm going to fling my feminist membership card on the fire here. Surely the whole point of having daughters is that present buying is a joy and a delight, as opposed to a teeth grinding nightmare? I have a seven year old son and I'm already struggling for stocking ideas.

But I could effectively stockingise any female of any age, right here, right now. I would only need five minutes in their company and I could nail that sucker.

Lady up!

MorrisZapp so how would you do anything to do with architecture and finance then -10yr old girl. Thinking spirit level, calculator, novelty memory stick and then not sure. 8yr old boy is a breeze in comparison - gadgets, books and food.

Shouldwestay, there's a brilliant book called How to read Buildings, it's small and has pictures on each page. I bought it for my dp but it would be perfect for your architecture loving ten year old.

Agree that stockings are the best bit.

Morris my dd's are not your average females, they don't like hair stuff, make up, toiletries and are fussy with food. The also both have ASD and the youngest just breaks everything (last year I did a sensory sticking full of fidget toys, she destroyed them all), I bought them nice gloves which are still in their drawers with the tags on them as they refuse to wear them, a satsuma would be left to fester in their rooms. Stationary would be chucked into dd1s sationary drawer and never used as she likes to use the same old pen and pencils which she has had for 2 years.

They will be getting xmas eve box which will contain a DVD, a bath bomb, a book and some sweets/popcorn. They will have presents under the tree and a hamper of food items.

I'm actually looking forward to not doing stockings , maybe when they are older and come back home to visit their old mum at Christmas they may actually appreciate a stocking.