Help me stop doing this, this year!

[Acunningruse]

EVERY year, I buy new socks/pants/toothbrushes etc and wrap them up as stocking fillers. And every year, DC are polite but distinctly underwhelmed, understandably so. I KNOW this, but in town just now I found myself reaching for knickers thinking, "I'lol out those away for Christmas".
Why?! Why do I do this? And how do I stop it?!

I get Disney socks and pants (or whatever is the favourite thing at that time) for Christmas - as opposed to whatever is reduced in Morrisons.

exactly what @Yousee said. Pants & toothbrushes have no place in stockings. I’m all for practical stuff like stationary etc so remember their underwhelmed faces and put them back.

What age are they? My mum hasn't bought me pants since I was about 12. I'd cringe if I got pants for a present.

Ive got to admit I would be baffled to get a stocking with socks and a toothbrush in it.

Socks are an occasional 'necessity' not a gift and I hate socks (uncomfirtable sweaty fungal smuggling feet prisons) so never understood anyones proclamtion to love them, toothbrushes also dull everyday necessity which I buy in bulk so we have plenty all year round.

I guess socks are fine if someone really does love novelty socks etc... but just as a generic gift for everyone its weird and since you know your kids dont like them its not really a gift.

My kids do get a new toothbrush on xmas eve along with their new PJs (usually a light up one or something) just so they have a fresh new one for bed xmas morning but its never been poised as a gift and certainly I wouldn't waste time and paper to wrap it and make a big deal of it.

Our stockings are mostly sweets with a few little novelty toys and a game to share it goes down ok but I must admit we dont make a huge deal out of stockings like many here do.

Our arent opened until after dinner when everything is winding down and is just a litrally tradition rather than a 'big' part of the day but I still wouldnt fill it with things the kids 'need'.

I also never get the argument that its about getting nicer/character stuff... a pack of 3 character underwear in poundland is £2 and a 5 pack of novelty pep co socks is £2.50.

Where are you buying plain stuff cheaper?

You dont have to wait until xmas to 'spoil' your kids with underwear with a character on them - its actually a little sad to me that people do.

My adult ds's love their Marvel pants and socks in their stockings.

@caringcarer - please send links to Marvel socks and pants..

@ChateauMargaux www.amazon.co.uk/Character/b/ref=mh_bl_sl_ap_ap_mw_19288118031?ie=UTF8&node=19288118031&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Character

www.amazon.co.uk/Marvel/b/ref=mh_bl_sl_ap_ap_mw_1652351031?ie=UTF8&node=1652351031&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Marvel

I have copied them wrongly but from Amazon just put in Marvel pants, Marvel socks you can get adult men's sizes as well as you get kids too.

No pants!! Stockings are for fun bits and pieces, not for pants and toothbrushes!!

Surely you could replace them with a bath bomb, a choc Santa and something else a bit more fun!

Maybe mine are strange, DD (now 19) has always loved to find new knickers in her stocking. DS is also happy with his boxers as they are usually a posher brand than he would buy himself. Both of them have pretty big stockings from years ago and we still do stockings so it's about fillers. Beer and little bottles of champagne or pre made cocktails also feature heavily 😁

There are so many fun things that you can put in stockings which will also be used and won't end up in the bin or charity shop. Pants, socks and tooth brushes do not fall into that category.

But how old are they? If teenagers then I think it's a car of you've started it so you have to keep going as I agree with PP it'll be something they'll remember and look back on and moan or laugh about. But if you do carry on then can you not balance the disappointing with some really exciting things?

It’s the law that you get new pants for Christmas!

Stop doing it. Consign it to a quirk of history.

Keep doing it OP! I always get new socks, PJs etc for Christmas from family members (usually my mum) and I love it (saves me having to buy them for myself). Love me some cosy, fluffy socks to get me through the winter months!
Your children might be underwhelmed now, but, when they're older, they will laugh and reminisce about their Christmas socks and...maybe even be disappointed when they don't unwrap a pair of socks one year!

I don’t think it’s a bad idea if they’re special items, one year dc got Star Wars tooth brushes and they seemed happy. Most years they get something like bed socks or novelty socks, slippers, pyjamas, onesies. In fact I’ve bought the pyjamas I’m going to give them already - half price in sales before last Christmas!

i also get them things like pen sets, stationery, sudoku books, and I think I’ve also got them nice key rings this year (also in sales) that they’ll like and last year they got new pillow cases (satin as they have curly hair) which they like and in the past I’ve got them things like themed bedding that they’d like.

I’m lucky that dc still seem to have the same interests for years so I can buy themed version of ordinary gifts. And Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a chocolate orange either.

Wait until they’re at uni! I remember going back after Christmas the first term and we were all “I got socks and shampoo!”, “check it out - pants AND face cream”! 😂

My aunt used to give me a sack with loads of tiny things in, individually wrapped. It included 7 pairs of pants (one for every day of the week). Whenever I opened one everyone would shout "knickers!!!!" and I would be mortified. It's one of my favourite christmas memories now.

Always found the idea of santa giving pants weird though!

The year that DH did NOT get the traditional "jocks and socks" from his DM as part of his Christmas gifts, he was quite, not quite upset but, miffed and disappointed might be the best way to put it. She gave them again the following year. The year it didn't happen? DH was in his 40s, was long married and DD was running around in the kitchen.

So you are never too old to get these useful things for Christmas from your mammy.

This

My DC are 30 and 32 this year and expect socks/pants! I buy nice socks - bamboo - with appropriate patterns - flowers for DD and robots for DS - even DH has cool socks! For boys i buy nice underwear i.e. more expensive than M&S. dont buy underwear for girls any more as likely to get it wrong!

People are nostaligic for the war, mining, a time before vaccines, no seatbelt/helmets and alsorts of dumb shit.

Its hardly a good argument to continue to do something they actively dont like because in many years time they might have forgot how shit it actually was at the time and as a dull adult with money to buy anything they want they may finally not be disappointed by socks instead of a toy.

Why would anyone deliberately continue to give their child disappointing "presents" on the basis that as an adult they might find it funny?
Genuinely baffling. 🤔
Just provide them with their basic needs as required and fill the stocking with fun nonsense - it's Christmas!