Page 3 | What to do about Christmas bauble tradition…

flummingbird · 02/09/2024 16:36

Since my DD was born she has picked a new bauble at Christmas and had the year written on it. She's 8 now and it's one of her favourite things to do with Christmas, it's the start of Christmas for her and from mid November she'll be on at me to go shopping for her bauble. She has her own little tree in her bedroom and they usually get taken to go on that. When she's older she can have them, or not, her choice, but for now it's a lovely tradition and one I hope carries on forever 😊

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 02/09/2024 16:38

Do you hang them on the tree every year or are they packaged and put away waiting for adulthood?

If they're not part of Christmases growing up then I don't think they'll really mean anything to them, perhaps start using them if you don't already!

DP and I both have 2 or 3 childhood baubles that are, frankly, god awful and ugly. They go on the tree every year - round the back! His are 70s plastic shite with bits missing, and mine are a couple of odd ones, including one covered in thread that DM used to put on the bottom of the tree for the cat to chew! It's about the memories of them, not the baubles themselves.

Rowgtfc72 · 02/09/2024 16:39

Dd picked a bauble every year till she was 14.
She is looking forward to a nice colour coordinated tree and rolls her eyes now, at 17, when I bring out the baubles.

DilemmaDelilah · 02/09/2024 16:42

I don't know - it all depends what kind of person he turns out to be!

My sisters and I were given a set of 3 Christmas decorations when I was about 10, maybe a little younger, and we each had one that was 'ours'. I am 63 now and I still have mine.

mewkins · 02/09/2024 16:56

GuestFeatu · 02/09/2024 15:24

I think the idea of giving an 18 year old 18 baubles for his Christmas tree is one that sounds nice when he's a baby but in reality will be received with a 🫤 face. Just collect them for your own tree and enjoy the memories in the future.

Yes this. I would let him choose one each year though and he may (or may not) want to take them with him when he's older.

Scissorsisters · 02/09/2024 17:01

Mine have always had a new bauble every year, either I buy if I see something appropriate or we go shopping together. Mine are students and they add their baubles to the tree when they arrive home for Christmas. The tree is so crammed with 'special' baubles there's no room for anything else. No idea if the baubles will fly the nest with their owners!

abigaail · 02/09/2024 17:07

I'd start letting him choose his own each year and put them all on your tree now. You will have much better memories and enjoyment from this every year when decorating your tree than handing over 18 baubles when he's 18. My younger daughter (now 17) takes great delight in choosing an "ugly" bauble now to ruin my tree aesthetic. Year before last was a fabric mouse dressed in grandad clothes holding a bottle of whiskey! Does not match my decorations in any way but we all laugh at the little mouse when it gets hung on the tree now so it will hold great memories for years to come! And if they ever want to take them when they leave home they can if they want to or they can enjoy seeing them on our tree in the family home when they visit

SnowJamz · 02/09/2024 17:45

I don’t think he will want them when he moves out.

But it’s a lovely idea, so if you want to keep collecting them you could either put them on your own tree or get a little tree for his bedroom and put them on there each year.

NoWordForFluffy · 02/09/2024 17:47

My kids like new baubles each year, but I get them for our trees, rather than for them when they're older. If they want to take some, they can, however, but we're years off that!

Pickwickbasketcase · 02/09/2024 17:48

We do this but it's got to stage where we're running out of space on the tree. My DC are late teens now but it's sweet seeing the ones they chose when they were younger.

NoWordForFluffy · 02/09/2024 18:03

I <may> have bought a third tree last year when we moved house and had room for another! Lots of room now! 🤣

sparklybead · 02/09/2024 18:34

My DC get a new bauble each every year, but they’re to put on the tree now rather for when they’re older. We have a very eclectic tree, which also includes baubles they’ve made at school, but I love it! They’re free to take any if they want when they’re older, but I’m happy to keep putting them on my tree as they hold special memories for me.

I have kept a few of my grandparents’ special baubles which hold special memories for me.

Whatineed · 02/09/2024 19:00

Xm4smad · 02/09/2024 15:17

Before I had children I decided that every year I would buy a bauble and put it away for them to have when they move out. I started by picking baubles that were relevant to the year (first year I got my son a sheep bauble as we sang ‘baa baa sheep’ about a million times to him, second I got him a bear to signify his first word. Now he’s at an age he could probably pick something himself so do I;
a) continue to choose something myself that’s relevant to the year
b) let him choose his own, but have a little note about the year.
c) just give up now - he won’t care about them or want them when he’s older.

I told my 19 year old that I'd probably donate my collection of baubles to my niece, as most likely he wouldn't be bothered when he was older. He got really grumpy. 🤣

He might not make use of them when he's 18, but when he's older, possibly with a partner and kids why not?

EternallyDelighted · 02/09/2024 19:17

When I replied earlier I had totally assumed that if you did do this they would be going on your tree every year, not just put away, was that the intention? We did start, as I said earlier but didn’t keep it up, after a few years we found they weren’t as interested, we couldn’t remember which one belonged to which DC (wasn’t always easy to mark them) and as we only have a small house and hence small tree, once you added in all the homemade ones from school etc it started getting very crowded and I did still want room for mine.

SkankingWombat · 02/09/2024 19:33

C. in your current format.
I would continue, but let him choose his decoration each year. Also buy him a mini fake tree for his room so he can enjoy them now and they will mean something in the future. Handing them over at 18 will mean nothing to him, but I would give them once DC is older and a bit more sentimental to tie in with moving out/first house purchase/first Xmas as a parent.

We do this. It is great as I get to keep my tree as I like it (coordinated and with my own childhood decs!) and DCs love being given their own bag of carefully collected ornaments from the loft to set up in their bedrooms: everyone's a winner!
My DM passed on all the decorations from my childhood when I was in my mid 20s, and I love and cherish them. There are so many memories wrapped up in that box. By all accounts it was a good thing for her too, as she enjoyed splurging on a whole new set in a totally different colour scheme.

poptake · 02/09/2024 19:38

My sons would love this, they're pre teen/teens now but they would relish either a or b. Just to balance some of the negativity here.

poptake · 02/09/2024 19:39

Although I do agree with some opinions that it would be nice to get them out now to build on the memories, they will remember putting them up each year.

Floralnomad · 02/09/2024 19:41

I went for B , but I’d make it a tradition going out to buy a bauble to put on your tree now . We did this when ours were growing up + bringing one home from Disney etc and now they are adult it’s lovely putting the tree up at home with them .

BirthdayRainbow · 02/09/2024 19:43

Both choose.

KATHSTYLE · 02/09/2024 19:45

C

Because:

He won't be in the slightest bit interested

If/ when he moves in with a future partner he/ she may not well want all this old tat. I'd have put my foot down hard if my husband insisted on displaying 18 random old baubles on our joint tree!

notinscotland · 02/09/2024 19:47

I'd offer to let him choose and give him free rein, unless he asks you to choose for him or wants to choose together. Children are all different but most will find it fun for at least a few years. But put them up (not necessarily on the main tree if you're fussy about it), this year and every year you decorate. I know it runs the risk of damage or wear, but the memories of seeing it out every year are more likely to make it mean something later on.

Don't expect him to take them to uni with him or put them up in his shared flat (some people would, but probably not most). But if at some point he's settled he may want them, and consider them something nice to share with his own children if he has them. I have some from my parents, some of which belonged to my grandparents, and I never wanted to take them when my mother was still alive (she still had a house, and a tree, into her '80s). But now that she's gone I'm really glad to have them.

Original poster

Xm4smad · 02/09/2024 19:58

Thanks everyone, wasn’t expecting quite so many responses!

I think most of you are correct and he probably won’t care/want them. I’m quite sentimental so I would have loved something like that (I also wouldn’t mind if my husband put his ‘old tat’ on the Christmas tree.. but I guess that’s just me 😂).

My oldest is only 2 and youngest is 5 months so I’ll just stop now. I usually get a new bauble each year from a Christmasy day out, so I’ll just let then pick them when/if they want to, and if either of them wants any of them when they’re older then they are more than welcome.

OP posts:

Gertrudetheadelie · 02/09/2024 19:59

Just to counter all the cynicism, my MiL did this for her son (my husband) and he kept them and puts them up on our tree now and we do the same for our children. I think he rather likes the 'actions not words' sentimentality actually, as he's not a big one for big shows of affection.

livingonhomemadesoup · 02/09/2024 20:03

I think it's a lovely idea and would carry on doing it.
We buy a bauble every year on holiday! It never ceases to amaze me that you can source Christmas baubles in July!!

Gertrudetheadelie · 02/09/2024 20:04

Also, he doesn't have to put all 18 out every year. Sometimes you chop and change or we hang some of them on the little tree in the dining room rather than the main tree. That said, I don't give a shit about having an aesthetic so maybe he was lucky he married someone who would happily display our joint tat!