Infants - Christmas cards? I was shocked last year - not going to join in

[bacon]

DS1 last year was in reception and from the start of December started to get christmas cards from the individual members of the class. All written by the mums.

I was a bit taken aback really as I certainly wasnt going out to buy more cards and spend the evening writing out 30 cards and signing my son's name.

Again, now in year 1, I have no intention of going with the flow as I always think the card thing has gone out of hand anyway.

My little fella is a popular and social member of the class I'm not going to join in with this until he is old enough to write his own and buy his own!!!

As a christian family we love christmas and wish everyone a happy one but why this sudden consumerism with cards at such a young age? Whose blinkin idea was this? when did this start?

ANyone else who doesnt join in?

Surely always been like this - I sent cards 40+ years ago.

DD always signed her own name in cards to her class mates although we did help her with addresses in Reception. She then posted them in the internal mail service and they got a bundle just before they broke up to bring home.

We've always let her stick her school friends' cards on her bedroom door to distinguish them from all the others we get.

For the last couple of years her class have each been doing Christmas pictures which then get made (by a professional company) into cards with her drawing on the front and her name on back. We use these to send to her classmates and buy a few extras for the GPs and elder relos who love this sort of thing.

I think it's lovely and I know they LOVE receiving cards. I don't care how it's written, who it's written by, I just think it's lovely.

I love the whole Christmas card thing. The DCs choose their own packet, choose who gets which card. DS2 (Reception) can sign his name, and DS1 (Year 3) writes long and complicated messages to his best friends. Both boys kept their best friends' (and girlfriend, in case of DS1!), in their bedrooms.

At the DDs schools they have always been encouraged to send one card to the whole class (which hopefully the teacher will read out) and give a donation equivalent to the cost of a pack of cards to Shelter (or similar).

I love that. Christmas above all being a time to think about others etc etc.

We made cards together when dd was two for her friends, the last two years of preschool I wrote the cards and she put kisses and this year, in reception, she will be writing her name.
I tend to buy cards in the sales or Granny and Nanny both get overexcited about Christmas and buy cards for her :)
I taught year 5 and they loved sending and receiving cards through the school post box.

DS likes sending cards. I save the fronts of cards we received last year for DS to send a "postcards" to his friends at school. In final term at preschool he wrote his name and copied the friends name. and stamped happy Christmas. I expect he will do similar this year in Year 1 ( with less copying) .
He also likes receiving cards.

I hate writing out loads of Christmas cards, it takes me all my time to write out the ones for family and my friends without also doing dozens for the kids too.

When ds was in Reception and Year 1 I did a note for him to give out to his classmates admitting that I was too lazy to write out cards for him and that I was was buying books for kids in Africa instead. Last year he was in Year 2 and wanted to send cards - he wrote them all out himself.

Last year dd was in nursery class and wanted to send cards, but I refused to write them out. We compromised on her drawing a picture on a folded A4 sheet to make a card and I wrote 'Happy Christmas' inside below which she traced her name in ink over my pencilled version. This I then scanned into the computer and printed off enough copies for her friends. That way I only had to write the kids' names in the cards and on the envelopes, which wasn't too bad. This year we'll probably do the same, although she should be able to write their names in the cards, even if for speed and legibility I write out the envelopes. :)