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.

That's so lovely. ❤️

Ours choose a bauble for the tree each year, and we often buy them on trips and things like that. They know which ones are theirs and I full expect them to take them when they have their own home and start their own collection.

I think it all depends on personality.

My kids have collected random one they have made at clubs or school over the xmas period or been gifted (promotional ones usually) which they seem to like but often they end up broken too as 3 kids and two pets are rough.

Frankly I see no point in them, I would rather have all uniformed nice matching ones so I would see no purpose in keeping random ones or arts and crafts from when I was little (same way I didn't keep my childhood doodles etc...) if someone gave me a box of them.

I'm quite a 'collector' type personality too (I have collections of collections lol although in my middle age I am becoming aware of the hoarding risks so reducing lots) its just xmas tree baubles don't do it for me.

I'm sure someone else probably treasures their collection though.

It’s a nice idea but unsure how many 18 year old’s would appreciate it. Most will still be at home for Christmas at that age anyway and when they do eventually get their own place (likely in their 20s), I don’t know how much they’d care about random baubles you collected- they might want their own choice of tree decoration.

I’ve always bought my DC a new decoration each year too and I give them it on the 1st December so they can put them on the tree themselves. Some have broken over the years sadly but our tree is still an eclectic mix of random decorations from over the years as a result.

I'd carry on buying them but put them on your tree every year. My DM is too old to decorate her own tree now so me and DSis do it for her. It's an absolute joy unpacking years worth of memories and hanging them on the tree. Don't stop buying them, just use them now - and when they move out if they want to take some of them, let them choose which ones they want. It's a lovely thing to have some baubles from the family Christmas tree on my own tree.

My 16yo DD still wants The Night Before Christmas at bedtime on Christmas Eve as well!

I buy a bauble for my daughter every year and put it in the advent calendar on the 1st December to signify that it's time to decorate the tree. I choose it based on something relevant to the year (my Mum painted her name and a rainbow on a bauble for 2020 for example) somewhere we've been or something personalised that I think she'll like. We try to buy baubles for ourselves anyway when we go somewhere.

When she leaves home, maybe she'll ask to take them with her, or maybe she won't be interested and I'll keep happily hanging them on my own tree.

My kids choose one each every year and we add coloured ribbon to replace the hanging string (so we remember which belongs to who!). They each have a box that they go back in each year.

When they move out and have their own tree they can take their box of decorations if they want to. If they don't, I'll hang them on my tree.

although my tree is very eclectic, it is all red green and gold. No silver/blue or other colours.

So over the years when chosing their baubles, we have stuck to the colour theme, so together it does actually look co-ordinated.

Once or twice I've gone off piste and then they go in the dining room which is all silver and blue.

Until the last 2 years. then we got pink dinosaurs and rainbow glitter balls.

We used to get a new bauble each as kids, and mum let us decide which to take for our own trees as adults. We each chose a few and left her a few. It's a lovely tradition because you feel connected to family each Christmas. I'm doing it with DD too.

@HappyAsASandboy ”My kids choose one each every year and we add coloured ribbon to replace the hanging string (so we remember which belongs to who!). They each have a box that they go back in each year.”

The coloured ribbon idea is genius!

Our tradition is that I add to our tree every year. If they want some if it when they move out that's lovely, but no pressure.

I agree that Christmas decorations do hold memories. Not quite a bauble story but I had a nativity set bought for me when I was a child. My grandmother bought it (who was also Christmas mad, just like me) and when I was 24 there was a leak in our attic that ruined lots of things. Including my nativity. I was devastated. I bought myself another but it wasn’t quite the same. Little did I know that my aunt - who knew how upset I was - was scouring eBay every day for 18 months until she found one exactly the same as the one that had been ruined. She wrapped it up for me and brought it over while I was putting my decs up. I sobbed when I opened it and it is truly one of the best things I’ve ever been given. Just a perfect symbol of the love from my grandmother, and now my aunt

I have chosen a special bauble each year with my DD (she chooses) and buy an extra one which she is not aware of. Once she is ready to move out, she’ll have her own set. I remember having my first home and really struggling to afford a Christmas tree/decorations

Plus I think your tastes change over time. When I first moved out, I had a beautifully coordinated tree. My husband's Gran died and we inherited one of her little baubles that didn't go at all but I put it up to be kind, we had a baby and friends bought us baby's first Christmas baubles, we lost a child and a friend bought us a bauble inscribed with his name, my dad died and I bought a bauble of something that reminded me of him, we have baubles from Holidays, baubles with the kid's' handprints on and a horrendous one that ds insisted he paint spooky after I'd shelled out £££ for a Christmas pottery session.
My tree is no longer beautifully coordinated but it makes me so happy unwrapping the baubles and thinking of all of the memories behind them. It feels genuinely special to our family now.

From when the children started school, they were in "animal" classes, so we've let them choose a bauble with their animal on.

The gaudy dragonfly took a bit of getting used to, thank goodness it's a badger this year.

Heaven help us when it's a falcon!

Ooh this is such a good idea. My daughter's school has jewels and she's just started in Pearl class. Off to look for Pearl inspired baubles!