Christmas Presents Etiquette?

[RGChristmasPargy]

I meet up with my two friends one day a week most weeks. We take it in turns to host and bring the babies with us to play etc.

I dont know if we are going to be giving Christmas presents to each other or not next week. TBH, i'd rather not because we are really very skint until i get paid on Friday next week. How do i find out if we're giving each other or the DCs presents without either putting the idea into their heads or sounding too much like a tightwad to just pipe up and opt out?!!

No idea, but start as you mean to go on, I reckon. Our first Christmas as a (weekly meeting) antenatal group, three people brought presents to our girls' night out, the other four didn't. I didn't. I don't think anyone was offended

Or come clean and say you're a bit skint? Or buy truly token boxes of chocs and keep them hidden until you see what the others do?

do a Secret Santa? So you only buy one small present for one baby?

hmm yeah, i could do either of those suggestions, thanx ladies.

Can you send an email round and say you've got yourself in a complete flap with everyone's pressies and can you just say for the record that you won't be buying anything for anyone at your meetups as you're almost in a mental home trying to do just family and that you thought you'd better mention it just incase . Be completely dramatic and over the top and I BET you, they're all wondering the same thing and desperately hoping no-one wants to give anyone anything!

Send this

HobGoblin's idea is a good one if you want a compromise between buying both/all babies or buying none.

You could bring up the convosation "were you planning on doing pressies?"

If the answer is no you say - "good - I was thinking the same"
If the answer is yes you could suggest the secret santa thing - and even suggest a max budget of £5 - that way you are ALL on teh same wavelength...everyone knows what to expect and no guilt. They may all be thinking the same as you. This also works for birthdays if they are close.

The downside of this is that if you really do need to go down the nothing at all route then by bringing it up you may guilt them into saying yes they were going to get a pressie just to avoid embaressing themselves IYSWIM.