This year, I’m judging my sister for how much money she’s spending on Christmas presents for my nieces. I’m judging her hard.
I know what you’re thinking, as an aunty, it’s not my place. It’s none of my business. My opinion doesn’t dictate what’s right and wrong, or how much is a ‘reasonable’ amount of cash to be poured into ‘making the day special’.
But let me set you the scene of Christmas last year. One of my nieces, the younger of the two, had a complete and utter meltdown on Christmas Day because we ran out of presents for her to open. My observation was she didn’t so much care about what she was getting, as the act of unwrapping the gift itself.
Once she opened something, she looked at it for a second, tossed it into the pile of other presents, and then continued on in search for something else to open. To the point where she started opening other people’s gifts just to get the buzz and excitement from opening. She copped a royal telling off and spent the entire afternoon in tears.
I don’t blame my niece for behaving this way because at the end of the day, it’s my sister who has spoiled her well and truly to the edge of no return. And this year it’s no different. She’s buying them a jungle gym to go in the backyard, which cost about $600. She’s then gone out and purchased every other item on their shopping lists, no matter how big or small, as well as issued a list of what all close family and friends should buy for them.
Top Comments
Ok, I really don't like the assertion that giving a child a lot of stuff 'ruins' them.
I was very spoilt when I was a child. You know why? My parents worked incredibly long hours and struggled for family time, so they made up for it in gifts. Not healthy, but that is what they did. Everybody told me as a child that I would be ruined because I was so spoilt, so much so that I was diagnosed with depression as a teen because I thought my extended family hated me because I was spoilt as a child! I have spent a long time trying to prove to people that I am not a spoilt brat.
Did it ruin me? Absolutely not - ever since I was a child I wanted to help people and give back to the community. I spent my time at uni volunteering, and now I work for a leading non-profit that helps the community. Helping others is my life. I work hard for what I own, I budget and save and never expect things to just land in my lap. And the best bit is now that I am earning good money I can afford to spoil my parents, like they did for me.
Please, let us stop saying that kids will be destroyed because of what they are given - it can be really damaging fot people to grow up thinking that they are destined to be brats. It has taken me years to realise that I am a good person due to this.
What would you have preferred out of curiosity? Family time or gifts?
My sister does this too and it’s because she compensates because her and my brother in law work all day every day and hardly see the kids so she compensates with gifts. My husband and I are high income earners but we buy our children one small gift (less than $40 each) and we bank money for them instead. My 3 year old already has about 12K in her account just because we never buy them a lot of gifts just one and bank the rest of the money. We also don’t do kids parties, instead we take them somewhere on a trip for their birthday, usually overseas or locally and try to experience new things. Toys are a huge waste of money.