I have a secret :)

[Golden Fairy]

you made me laugh out loud on this one, well done, great idea!!

[mykid]

great idea but is it fair with your stepdaughter?

[lighting lady]

If you don't mind me asking...how old is your stepdaughter? Does your hubby know about the recycle program?

[Home alone 2]

My stepdaughter gets so many presents for Christmas from her gma and aunt (and the rest of the family!) that I confiscate like, half of her presents.

And some of those get wrapped again the following year for a second trip under the tree.

And she has nooooo idea.

No offense but I see that as very cruel.

[Ellie]

Why not thank family members for their generousity, and ask them to limit the amount of gifts? If that's not an option, its a great opportunity to start a family tradition in giving to the less fortunate. Let her decide what she'd like to give away to other kids in hospitals or with no families, along with other family members. I think there is nothing more important we can teach our kids than to think of others.

That's what Christmas is about.

[mykid]

No offense but I see that as very cruel.

yes, for me, it's cruel too.. no offense too but let's just say that before we do anything to others, let us first put ourselves in their shoes..

[AmyK]

She's six.
And no, she has no idea.
And yes, my husband is aware. It was his idea.

We don't have a lot of money (1 income household here, less than 25k a year), so if it saves us money and does no harm (because it really doesn't), then that's great. Like I said, for my stepdaughter she gets so many presents on Christmas that it turns into an orgy of greed, opening presents nonstop for literally three straight hours, and she doesn't know what she gets because as soon as she opens them she tosses 'em into the pile and moves right along. No thank yous or anything.

If that's cruel, so be it.

[mykid]

Why not thank family members for their generousity, and ask them to limit the amount of gifts? If that's not an option, its a great opportunity to start a family tradition in giving to the less fortunate. Let her decide what she'd like to give away to other kids in hospitals or with no families, along with other family members. I think there is nothing more important we can teach our kids than to think of others.

That's what Christmas is about.

I agree..

[AmyK]

Why not thank family members for their generousity, and ask them to limit the amount of gifts? If that's not an option, its a great opportunity to start a family tradition in giving to the less fortunate. Let her decide what she'd like to give away to other kids in hospitals or with no families, along with other family members. I think there is nothing more important we can teach our kids than to think of others.

That's what Christmas is about.

See, we would do that but my in-laws would be offended if we asked them to limit the amount of gifts they give. I mean seriously offended; they'd probably stop talking to us. And if we gave away some of the stuff they give to SD, they'd be even more offended. They'd assume that we decided their gifts weren't "good enough" and no amount of clarification of circumstances would rectify the situation. They'd be offended either way. They'd ask to see SD play with the gifts or even borrow the gifts to bring to their own houses for SD to play with, and I'd have to say, "Oh, uh... they're ... at someone else's house..."

At least this way they're still in the house and SD does eventually get them.

[Fezziwig]

Wouldn't you be offended if you put thought into a Christmas gift for someone and then they didn't get it? More over, when they did get the gift it seemed like it seemed like it was a present from another person?

Nothing for nothing, I would stop sending gifts if I found out you weren't giving the gifts to the kids and pawning them off at a later date.

Thats just me though.