What to do about Christmas bauble tradition…

[Xm4smad]

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.

My parents did this for me. She chose us each a new bauble each year and even kept each of us a list to say which bauble was from which year. We put them on the family tree until we moved out then took them with us for our own trees. We all appreciate them and the memories!

I think it's a lovely idea, but personally I went home every Christmas till I was thirty. I now have small children so can't use glass or fragile decorations. I don't think I'd be able to display special baubles till my mid 40s. However I do normally borrow some of my mum's decorations and love having a look through her old ones.

I'd keep picking them out, label them with their name/date/note and pop them on the tree. They can have them when they are ready. Christmas is all about tradition and they will mean more if they are remembered from childhood.

I have two boys (one of 28 and one of 16). Every year we do a little tour of local garden centres to choose our baubles. I've been doing this since ds1 was about 5. In those days, when it was just me and him, it was a cheap way of doing a Christmas outing (didn't have the money for Santa visits or Lapland or whatever).

There's more money available now, so we've also bought a bauble each on special holidays, but either way, they both love those outings and 'claim' their baubles every year when we decorate the tree. It's always been known that those baubles are theirs to take when they leave home (and indeed ds1 did take them when he moved out.)

So some kids do enjoy the tradition. I'd keep up with it- there's no guarantee that your dc will want a 'themed' tree- they might just prefer one that's decorated with cherished ornaments and memories.

I would have loved this idea when I had 3 little boys - however
eldest - wife would def not want something on a tree she hadnt chosen herself! That’s not a critisism of her, she’s lovely
middle - as above, she only does colour co ordinated - again not a criticism, she’s lovely too.
youngest - single, totally unsentimental, doesn’t always bother to put up a tree as often works Christmas Day and boxing day

@Shodan that's so lovely. I think people can underestimate how soppy some boys can be/can want to be when they feel that they are safe to show it.

I’ve just asked my 20 year old (m) who is home at the moment! We have done this every year - they’ve been choosing their own decorations since they were little (there are some AWFUL ones!) and he says he loves it, and is one of his favourite Christmas things.

My kids have a box each (obv we have lots of other stuff too) and we all decorate the tree together: they get their own box out and put their own decorations on every year: they talk about the choosing, their favourite and the stories behind them. They’ve always known they have the choice to take them away once they have their own tree. Ds says he would want to, and that if any future partner doesn’t like it they can have two trees!

So I’d say don’t assume that young adults can’t enjoy a bit of sentimentality.

I’ve done this since my son was born and was given an ornament with his name and the year on as a gift. I chose one each year when they were small and now they choose their own - usually related to something they’re interested in at the time (unicorns, fire engine, Lego). It’s my daughter’s favourite thing to get them all out every year and put them on the tree.
My sister and I have recently divided up our mum’s ornaments and so many have similar childhood sentimental value. We’re a lot older than 18 though!
So I’d do it - but not to put them away and save for 18 years. A box of ornaments is meaningless without the Christmas memories and traditions attached!

Let him choose!

My 20-something Ds loves ‘his’ baubles. Still on our tree, and bought according to his various interests over the years, one every year, sometimes more, sometimes more, but he knows which ones are his, and when he gets his own more permanent home (rather than flat shares) he can have them for his own tree.

But in the meantime they are on my tree, he still comes home for Christmas.

Don’t put them away in a box, put them on the tree so he remembers them as part of Christmas every year!

I did this with my girls. They are now 17 and 18 and the still love it. They like getting them out every year. They have picked some terrible ones over the years. An especial highlight is one that looks like a mouldy apple. But that all adds to it.

We recently had a big house fire where we lost almost everything. I was so upset when I thought they were all gone as were the girls. But by some miracle they survived!! It made our first (burned out) Christmas!

Last Christmas I was in Dobbies Garden Centre - brilliant choice of baubles - and a woman was choosing a big basket of themed baubles. Her little boy was desperate for a particular different bauble and she just coldly ignored him and brushed him off. I felt so sad for him.

Themed trees be damned! They are for hotels, town halls and department stores.

I have one decor

I have one decoration on my tree for my childhood. The thought of having 18 is ridiculous tbh. I would have either binned them or they would stay in the loft each year.

Give up. Your kids won’t want your baubles, they’ll want their own.

Get him to pick it, we go out and buy one each year to add to our tree, once my daughter got to about three she picked them herself and they're brilliant, really random but a lovely little tradition.

Themed trees be damned! They are for hotels, town halls and department stores.

Completely agree!!!! Ours is really mismatched and brightly coloured, we have so many memories on our tree, we've picked up little decorations for it from lots of places we've been!

How lovely that people are sharing their memories of doing similar and how their now older children enjoy it. How sad that the ones who disagree are being so sneery.

Let him choose but use them now if you're not so he associates it with childhood christmas! My husband has been given his special ones from childhood and we use them all. I love them! My parents still use the ones from my childhood but love seeing them and will use them when I inherit them. We don't but then for the children specifically but they have made various ones and we buy a new one each year so will let them choose some when they've got their own homes.

We love a mismatched tree though full of memories!

Maybe soppy people have soppy children who marry similarly soppy spouses that are happy to have random trees 😂? My parents have a tree that is full of old baubles from both sides of the family - some that my mum finds hideous but they mean a lot to my dad so on they go!

I did this for my nieces and nephews for each Christmas - they went through a phase of thinking it was crap but they’re now moving into their own places they love that they have their own collection of lovely baubles that remind them of happy Christmases.

I do similar but I don't put the baubles away- we buy a new bauble for the tree every year which DD has helped to choose. This way DD remembers the baubles because they hang on our family tree every year and maybe one day, when I'm dead and gone she'll inherit the baubles for her own tree.

Mine choose a bauble each year! They live it! It's a great tradition, we do it the day we get our tree.

You wouldn't like my tree! Full of baubles the children made at school. Sentimental of looks always!!!

C

I did this. When they were really small I chose two baubles per year. Then as they got older I let them chose one each (or we went to a paint a pot and they painted one) now they have absolutely no interest (22 and 24) I have reverted back to buying two baubles I like.

However, I have two trees every year. The main tree has my colour co ordinated baubles on (so the ones I chose!) and the other tree, in the dining room, has all the hideous ones they chose when they were growing up. Along with the awful xmas decorations they made in primary school. Its in the dining room so I don't have to look at it that often and I enjoy the fact that both girls cringe when I put their painted pasta decorations up. Whats the point of being a mum if you cant make your children cringe now and again. LOL.

I still have baubles on my main tree that belonged to my grandparents and I love putting them on. I know one day, probably when I am not around anymore, my girls will get all sentimental about the decorations I currently have (although I have a feeling that the toilet roll Santa's will go in the bin).

If you like buying memory baubles - buy them.

Can’t believe I didn’t see that comment before! I’m 100% a sentimental tree kinda person, not one bauble matches - personally I think the sentimental mid-matched trees look a million times better than themed, all one colour trees.

I’m looking forward to my sons making and picking some hideous decorations for the tree