What gifts do your children give/ make?

[Woodstocks]

Hi all,

I have two step kids and I want them to have some gifts to give when they are around family members this Christmas. They are receiving a mountain of presents as new partners of their parents and also wider family (ie my parents and sibling) are gifting them something as we are celebrating together. I don’t want them to just grab presents from lots of people but want them to participate in gift giving, ie the thoughtfulness ahead of time, making effort to prepare something etc.

What do your kids normally make as little presents for others? They are 10 and 12 so too old for just drawing something but also too young to have pocket money or be expected to spend anything.

We have baked cookies before and decorated them and put them into gift boxes but apart from that I’m a bit at a loss of what creative things they could do. Any ideas appreciated!

I don't think kids that age do make gifts.

I was definitely buying gifts by that age, my kids have bought me stuff (by themselves) much younger than that too.

Also I'm not really sure its a step mams place/job to be doing that. About the only time I ever saw my useless father was the 30-45 minutes of so he took me into town to buy my mam a present. Although my step mams all put in more effort to trying to foster a relationship than he did (genuinely just nicer people than him) it would be really odd and over stepping if step mam took over something that was a parental thing for my actual mam.

I disagree, it's not overstepping, it's part and parcel of being a family to do things with the children.

I would take them shopping for little gifts, with Dad if possible, make a day of it.

Nothing wrong with baking cookies. Brownies and cakes would go down well too.
Anything edible would be a good gift.
I've seen things like brownie, cake mix and hot chocolate mix in jars.
There are lots of recipes available.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/18244/recipe/chocolate-brownie-mix-jar

realfood.tesco.com/step-by-step/how-to-make-hot-chocolate-gift-jars.html

Bumping for you.

Well I think it’s highly unlikely that their mother will get them to make or buy something for my parents, ie their step grandparents ? Who they have met twice so far. I just want it to be something that they put a bit of effort in to recognise that people who don’t know them very well are going out of their way to get them a present for Christmas to make them feel included. Teach them that Christmas is a reciprocal thing and not just about being shoved from pillar to post and collecting presents everywhere but to put some thought into making something and being able to hand something over as well.

My dd9 loves arty/crafty projects so she's painting some bookends for my cousin who has just had a baby (I bought a plain wooden set from Amazon).

One year I bought a load of wooden tree decorations and they painted those for everyone

Baking: cinnamon rolls, Austrian almond crescents, mince pies (or jam tarts with star tops if recipient prefers), biscuits to accompany cheese are all very Christmassy.

I used to make sweets with my mum when I was a child- coconut ice (the boiled version not the condensed milk sort) is delicious and easy but needs an adult to supervise due to high temperatures. Hot chocolate stirrers also go down well.

Another thing I remember making for my grandmas one year is Christmas candle centerpieces- my mum got white candles and oasis, then it's just a matter of soaking the oasis and putting the greenery in, maybe some extras like berries/roses/dried orange slices/old ornaments. I was a teenager but it's pretty easy, I think 10/12 could do it no problem.

12 I think is old to be making gifts (unless they're particularly crafty). If they don't have pocket money can they be given a budget for gifts,

My 10 year old has needle-felted some tree decorations for family (aligned to their interests!)

My DD8 gets pocket money and has used some of it to buy gifts. I've let her chose what to get DP's family and just paid for them. She chose flowers & chocolate (I paid). She them choose some random bits from Kenji (she paid) - she's also made cards and a tree decoration for them

If you want them to gift give at that age you need to give them some money and go out and buy things.

At that age my DD would not be making things. I took her out and went 50:50 on anything she wanted to buy her friends, dad, his gf and new sibling. If your partner doesn't give them pocket money then that needs to come from your family pot too, not money their mum has given them.

I did not buy things for her dad's gf family as although they were very kind and included her and I was grateful they are a nice family it was not my place it was her father's to take her out and buy gifts for them just as it is not your job but your partner's.

You could buy nice chocolate , melt it and add to dative shaped moulds with people favourite additions ie nuts, raisin, peppermint , coffe etc.

wrsp up nicely.

you could make jam/ chutneys that could be gifted with cheese/crackers?