I was thinking recently that we never decided what we're going to do for Christmas this year. I realize this may be a bit premature, but I'd rather we have the discussion and decide now. Mom suggested drawing an entire family out of a hat and then making something homemade for them. That way we can be creative, and most likely not spend as much money on something for each individual in our entire family. As our family is growing, and as a poor student wife, I particularly this idea.
If we do end up doing it this way, here are a few discussion items:
1. Should we make one thing for the entire family (i.e. one gift for all 7 Hicks) or one thing for EACH person in the family (seven gifts for seven Hicks)?
2. Is Jimmy his own entity, or does he get lumped together with Mom and Dad for now?
3. Because they will be homemade, I don't think a spending limit is necessary, do you?
4. If we want to buy gifts for others in the family outside of those in the drawing, I think that's fine, but nobody has to feel obligated. Again, what do you think?
I would be happy to set it up once these few points are decided--and if you guys like this idea at all. As a less-than-crafty gal, I thought it would be handy to know earlier rather than later if this is something we'd like to do. Thanks for your input!
7 comments:
I think Jim should be his own family, eventually he will be, you might as well start doing it that way now. Since I'm not involved in the exchange, I'll for go answering the other points.
I'm fine with Jim being his own family, although I don't know how it really matters if Mom and Dad aren't included in the drawing.
I think we should make a present for each person. I'm O.K. with doing seven separate presents from our family. I will probably have my kids help though so I hope no one feels jipped because theirs might not be as great as someone else's.
No spending limit is O.K. We might have to play this one by ear and see how it goes from year to year.
I think it's O.K. to buy presents outside of the drawing too.
I have a question to pose. Do we want to just buy gifts for the grandkids with the drawing? I don't feel like I need a gift and I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind. Buying for anyone under the age of 18 was what Charlie's extended family used to do until it kind of feel apart. Just a thought.
1) Jimmy can be his own family, I guess. He IS a legal adult.
2) I think it should be up to the person making the present whether they make one for the family or for each individual member or even just for the kids. I don't want to hamper any creative juices by putting boundaries on them.
3) I also agree that the spending is up to the people making the present. Each family will get a homemade present-but what that means to those giving the present might be different from what someone else thinks.
4) I say that if you want to give presents outside the drawing, then fine.
5) Hillary, do you mean that we do grandkids presents as well as a homemade family present? Eric's family does two-family to family and then cousins buy for cousins...Christmas gets a little expensive.
I really just like the idea that one family makes a present for another family. Whether this includes presents for every person in that family or not is up to the giving people. And then we still all do a present for Mom and Dad collectively. Those are my thoughts.
Well, I was actually thinking about the cousins buying for the cousins period. I don't feel like me, as an adult needs to have a present.
I don't know that I like the way Kari is thinking about a family buying for a family. Whoever gets stuck with our family has to buy way more than anyone else, especially if they decide to do a present per person. I also think we should decide collectively if each person gets a present versus a family, as a whole, getting a present. I know my kids would be disappointed if our family, as a whole, only had one present to open if a different family had a present for each family member to open individually. Kids just don't understand the fairness of that, even if they each receive presents that are equal in value. I hope that makes sense.
I am fine doing whatever gift giving scheme you guys come up with. I will still probably get presents for each of the kids just because I love doing it and I've already purchased some of them. As for the family homemade gift giving idea, I agree with Hillary about the kids not understanding why they each didn't get a present. I also personally don't need a present so I like the idea of putting just the cousins names in a hat. Hillary - will it be ok if some of your kids get each other to make presents for? Otherwise the math won't work out.
Then maybe we should just make it each family gets one present-for the family. That's my vote, then.
And then we can do cousin presents, so that way the kids have something to open too.
Hmmm...a lot to think about. Here are my two cents.
I like having cousins draw other cousins from a hat and getting them a gift. It would be fun if they were homemade.
I also like the idea of having each family draw another one and making that family ONE homemade present.
Is it too much to do both? I don't think so, but if others do, I would opt for the cousins drawing over the family drawing. We could still make homemade gifts for families if we wanted to, outside of any predetermined drawing, just out of the goodness of our hearts. And, of course, we can always get any gifts for anyone that we want.
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