Gift Giving - Your thoughts?

[RickD]

All kids like toys and I have decided to give some unique toys to my kids on this new year
I bought some soft toys for them but one of my kids told me he wants an electronic car, So could anyone of you please suggest me from where I can buy and which type of electronic car should I buy??

I don't think anybody here has any idea where you can buy an electronic car in India.

[Nicki]

I think our wives should spend hours hanging out door lights year after year and changing burnt out bulbs from these two stories high midst cold gusty wind on a precarious ladder...

Only thing I do not like about Christmas is hanging outdoor lights... but in the Land Down under in warm weather - might be okay

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Da'y...
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My hubby can't be bothered putting up lights outside. I haven't even put up the Christmas tree yet because I've been busy - we will get onto it this weekend. I've hardly done any Christmas shopping either because all the boys want is new parts for their scooters and they need to be taken to the shop to have those put on - they and I can't work out when we're going to do that! So it's a bit bah-humbuggy here at the moment. I'm not really looking forward to Christmas much this time because I'm going to be working between Christmas and New Year, which I've never done before - it being summer here I'm used to having 2-3 weeks' holiday after Christmas. Oh well, it should be a nice time anyway (if I remember to buy the food!), and come January 6 I'll be off work for my 3 weeks.

[Blessed]

Christmas is quickly approaching, again.
You know, I use to kind of think "gift giving" was a free act of kindness.
Really the way it works in society it is more an expected social norm.

And, I really hate it, find it demeans my gift, when such is just seen as an obligation I'm fulfilling.
Likewise, I really hate people giving me or my kids gifts who I feel are really doing it out of obligation.
So, when someone in my family told me specifically what to get them, it really kind of irked me.

Then I started realising what we call "gift giving" is actually "obligatory giving" and we just call such gifts.

So what are your thoughts? And thoughts on the following picture?
Do you feel this ruins the meaning. I guess I liked the idea that if I give something to someone, it's because I want to.
In reality, I'm seeing many give because they feel obligated to. And the sensitive part of me actually feels kind of ripped off and hurt that this bubble of how I saw gift-giving has been pricked. Such that I may give everyone nothing to make a point, and tell them they can save their money and do the same for me if they're doing it just because they feel some customary obligation to do so.

gift-you-told-me-to-buy.png

Yes, it's a little irritating but when Christmas morning comes you'll be happy the presents are around the tree.