advice needed - present given by nursery friend but we havent bought anything

[olivo]

today is the last day at nursery and i have just been given a gift for dd from one of her little friends there. i havent got him anything. do i run to the shops after work and try and get something before he gets picked up from nursery or do i leave it? we did birthday presents but that was more because they both had birthday teas. they are only 15 mobnths old.

Oh lord I had this last year. This year we all agreed in advance that we wouldn't buy each other's DCs gifts, it was rather embarrassing last year.

I'd probably leg it to Woolies or ELC and try and grab something small. I just bought some tiny magnadoodle things there for £4 each as stocking presents.

I'd either run to the shops for something, or maybe if you've bought your dd something stocking-filler-ish that you could give to this little girl, and replace dd's present over the weekend?

oh no! Don't give in! don't do it! It'll go on for years.... The parents are mad and need freezing out before the madness spreads.

The only nursery people to give pressies to at christmas are the lovely people who look after your kids and are paid very little who you need to keep sweet and making yours their favourites by bribing them with wine, chocolates and smellies.

i dreaded this happening! last year, it happened too when a freind of ours turned up with her ds and a large present for dd - i had to say - oh yes, yours is upstairs and run up and hastily shove a tag on some lovely sleepsuits i'd bought for dd (fortunately, very boyish ones!)

ran out at breaktime and got a nice book from the supermarket -didnt have enough time to get into town and back - also had to buy wrapping paper and a card as al lthose things at home! just hope i got away with it and they think i had it all along.
next year, i vow to make a pact with the other mums....
thanks for your advice everyone!

I always keep a few new kids books in the house (usually from a mutipack from the bookpeople) then if I need a gift unexpectedly, I have one and if not, they can go in DS's stockings. I can also give one or more, depending on the "size" of the gift rec'd

I would get a small tube of buttons or something which you can get a sweet shop - although I realise this reply is probably too late now.

DD is 4 and a mum of one of her friends told me she had got her something last week. So we have a sweet filled Spiderman pencil case at the ready!

Also had a tube of button and a tube of jellytots in the cupboard just in case any more materialised, but luckily none have - so I can eat the Jellytots now....yum!

I wouldn't bother - the whole thing just gets ridiculous otherwise and so far removed from the genuine Christmas gift giving spirit. We should just receive gifts graciously and give if we want to - no need for unnecessary reciprocating.