What are you getting your parents?

[issantahereyet]

Just that, really!
Have the trickiest parents to gift, so just nosey curious what everyone else is getting theirs!

How that I am old (63) and so is my DH (70) I finally understand why my mum never had any birthday or Christmas wishes for presents. We already have most of what we need and want and we don't want more 'stuff'.

I have made a present list for myself which includes:
Audible subscription (I already have one but it would give me extra books).
Retractable fountain pen
Nice pair of pyjamas... but they need to be right
Books - from my list
Good quality saute pan
Sleep time honey
Secateurs

My DH is even harder to buy for as he doesn't read, doesn't listen to Audible, buys his own pyjamas. He likes tech but already has most of practically everything he could want.

Ugg slippers for my mum who, like me, is permanently freezing. Also one of those Ancestry DNA kits (which I think comes with a year's membership so you can build your family tree). Can be pricey but I got mine in a sale earlier in the year.

My goal with my dad is just to make him laugh, as he really doesn't want or need more "things". One year I made him a stocking which included toilet paper with the face of his least favourite politician on it. Admittedly a bit crass, but boy did it make him laugh!

Following

My DM definitely doesn't need an Ancestry DNA kit as she has a cousin who is a Mormon so she has found everything possible out about every distant branch of the family tree!

@DilemmaDelilah I love the idea of a retractable fountain pen but I lose things like pens really easily so can't justify spending £80 and up on one.

DM is dead, DF I will probably buy a bottle of single malt whiskey.
DMIL and her husband- we normally buy them a gift card for theatre or restaurant. We don’t spend more than £30 on a gift.

Some very spendy gifts__ on this thread!

@poppymango I love your present aim for your dad. My dad died in July & he would have loved something like that toilet paper. Reading this thread has made it hit home that I won't be buying him a Xmas present. I miss him.

Might steal the loo roll idea for my brother though!

I'll probably get them both a Waterstones gift card so that they and their partners can buy a new book each. Gift cards are great because I don't usually see them at Christmas so I can easily pop them in the post in a card.

In laws, possibly a HRP pass (DH siblings chipping in too).
my parents - ideas so far are a coffee machine, a pair of crocs each or a restaurant voucher.

@drspouse you can get a retractable fountain pen for about £2 on eBay. That will do me fine!

Good call!

Mum- tickets for a show after Christmas and a voucher( and prebooked apt) for reflexology.

Been helping my mum declutter after house sale and have come across most of the presents I've bought her for last few yrs( unused) so will never buy her 'stuff' again!!

Dad- no clue yet.

My parents - heated throw, murder mystery book, mini hamper of locally made bits like coffee, dark chocolate, soap, bamboo socks

DH's parents - digital photoframe where we can all send photos as the grandkids are multiplying and all live abroad from them. Also have commissioned a portrait (sounds well swish when you put it like that!) of them surrounded by the gkids as we're never all gonna get together so this is a way for them to have us all in one frame. Was about £80 on etsy. We're chipping in with BIL and SIL for both these.

Also do them both a photo calendar every year and populate it with all the family birthdays. Good sales between now and Christmas, usually amounts to about a tenner per calendar.

I've bought my brother novelty loo roll every year for about the last 20 years 😂

Dad like engineering and building stuff. So I might get him a wooden model to build, the type from Germany (I think) where you can build a train or a clock or something. I might also get him some Stilton because he's mad for it.

My mum has reduced mobility and doesn't walk much these days. I bought her some adult Lego for her birthday so I might get more or get a jigsaw puzzle, because she loves them. She also loves Gin, so I'll get her a bottle of Sipsmith or something.

Both are in their 70s.

Ah no, I've not had notifications (maybe because I'm on the app?) so completely forgot all about this thread!

Absolutely lovely ideas here! A really nice mix of practical, thoughtful and some I would never have ever thought of!

I'd also recommend a digital photo frame if your budget can stretch to that, we split the cost with my IL's for the grandparents and they love getting updated photos of the whole family!
We've also done the 'Grandma/Grandad tell me' books and they've been so lovely to read back on and the great grandparents had a lovely time filling them out 🙂

So sorry to those of you who've lost loved ones or don't have great relationships 💐 Christmas can be so difficult but I hope it's the best it can be for you x

Also where might one acquire such toilet roll from 👀

@issantahereyet Which of the Grandad/Grandma books would you recommend?
Also have you found any that are either Grandpa or Granny as my DPs would prefer them with the right name on - especially my DM who has a lot of great memories but is very fussy!

We agreed a couple of years ago that we don't buy each other stuff.
We find a concert or event that we would like to go together.
Last year it was a forest live concert, this year it is a weekend at the seaside.
Quality time together is the most precious thing.

I feel awful but we very rarely gift our parents unless we think of something specific they want/need. Cluttering up their house with stuff for the sake of it is ridiculous.
We do sometimes try to plan some kind of dinner which we'll pay for (sis and I). We just find it much more important to spend time with eachother than to buy something to unwrap.
We both have young children so they're very much the focus for now.

Cook vouchers

We had a little formula that was a bottle of different gin (although latterly alcohol free), a book each, chocolates/sweets each, a jigsaw that related to their travels, garden or something like brands of the 50s and something else, of which the best in recent years was this
https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/product/_/the-weatherstick/classid.2000032469/ which gave them hours of entertainment (along the lines of MrTs stick is droopy again)
First year without DF and struggling with ideas.
(Should add my family don't do big gifts and the list above was in breach of the theoretical limit set by my DB).

Love this! Would be my ideal but hasn't worked in my family. They're completely obsessed with tangible gifts, and also way prefer being able to just send you something they've shopped for online then tick it off their to do list.

Pretty sure I was still at uni when I started asking for things like days out together instead of gifts. Was for birthday rather than Christmas, but same concept. After a few years of that being ignored or not happening I switched to asking for phone calls. I remember once on my 25th birthday my nan rang me, my nephew was at her house and I was so excited they'd rung to wish me a happy birthday. But they'd actually misplaced something in her house and were hoping I'd know where it was 😅 Noone else rang. Whenever I brought it up people said they'd presumed I'd be busy. I quit asking when I was about 29 I think. Always makes me really sad tbh, that all I'd like is to spend time with my family and they're just not that bothered.

But my DH told this story to their parents, and they call me to wish me a happy birthday without fail every year. Means more to me than anything which could ever come in a box. I completely agree time is the most precious commodity.

We bought these ones, and I've found them pretty nice to read back through. Asks questions about their parents and family, their childhood, how they met the other grandparent, and questions about becoming parents and grandparents themselves. I'd show you actual photos of the books we have but great grandma gave some verrrry detailed answers 😅

Grandma book

Grandad book

But if you look on Amazon there are some different style ones. We just went with these because we thought they'd like them more 🙂

Thank you @NCembarassed
That will make my dh very happy!