Do your children save up to buy you a present?

travelgran

I'm talking young children here. I was the only child of a single mother but had a small amount of regular pocket money from around the age of starting school. Silver 3d pieces (shows my age!) were saved for the crazy golf when we went to the seaside but some was always saved for Mum's Christmas present, bought, paid for and wrapped by me.

Do children do this independently anymore or if presents are given are they paid for by another adult?

Just curious.

Tulip09

My children always buy me a selection box and a Broons annual. They have done this for years. I think i must have commented on it once and they took that to mean they should buy it. It has now turned into a mini tradition although i dont really like the broons, they think i love it and they love watching my 'delighted' face as i unwrap it:rotfl:

balletshoes

my daughter doesn't get pocket money, she is 9 now and I don't expect her to buy me a pressie, never have. She did buy me some flowers and a card for my birthday last month, she really wanted to as a surprise so she asked OH to give her some money and he took her to the shops .

I didn't buy, nor was there any expectation to, for my parents at birthdays or christmas when I was a child. We made things at school to bring home, and for mothers and fathers days too.

skylight

No. They are too young anyway and the 16yo does sometimes if she can be bothered! My Mum tends to get a couple of small presents for me from the kids.

gizmodo_2

Before getting pocket money (and after actually) all the presents for mum bought by dad were wrapped by me and signed from both me and dad, I remember going Christmas shopping with Dad so we picked the presents together.

When I started getting pocket money (about 12 I think) I always bought mum and dad birthday, christmas and anniversary presents out of my own money. I did it off my own back though, not because I was told too. Not sure how young you mean though...

Amanda65

My three have always bought Xmas presents for me and OH, each other and my mum and dad (their only grandparents). There is a limit of £5 per present but they can sometimes spend less (have got very canny with 3 for 2 offers :rotfl:) and now DD's are working part-time they often spend more out of choice.

They genuinely get pleasure from choosing, wrapping and giving the gifts and I think has made them realise that it is good to give as well as receive.

jcr16

my little ones always get there daddy something.Usually i'll go out with the two older ones and were go round the shops and they will choose him something. then jointly they will choose a pressie for their nannies and grandads. Now our youngest is 2.5 is starting to want to buy things for other's. well he has done for a while. if we go anywhere he always pick something up and say it for his bro or sister. this yr he has said he wants to buy daddy present, daddy harr-bow ( haribow,lol) i'll let him choose which pack he wants. although he will want to give it to him straight away. so won't buy till xmas eve,lol.

as for me, due to hubby working hours. he usuallys go to site's such as amazon or play and he will let the kids choose something.

the older children love wrapping the pressies.and then keeping them somewhere safe until the day.

moggylover

Both of mine do, when they were very small my mum used to buy me some chocolate or some such and get them to wrap it and put their names on, but once they started getting pocket money they would ask her to take them shopping and get me something else.

I have always tried to make them stay sensible and only spend something up to £5 on me, but this year my 12 year old has absolutely insisted on buying me a very large slow cooker/crock pot that I had been admiring in Tesco, and when I objected to him spending so much he informed me it was his money, he had saved up, and he wanted to spend it on me:o I still did not want him to spend that much, but am so very, very touched even though he did point out that he would benefit as well because I was sure to try out some lovely new recipes:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

My oldest is not as good with money as his brother, and has a streak of his father in him that makes him prefer getting to receiving and to loathe shopping, but he still does get me something and usually makes sure it is something I like.

I really believe that children need to have some money of their own from quite an early age which they are allowed to dispose of entirely as they wish. Doesn't need to be much, but it really does help them to understand about not being able to spend it twice, and the younger they learn this the better.

Loopy_Girl

My daughter gets pocket money each week from her Grandad and she does save up for a little gift for me for Mother's Day, Christmas etc (she's 9). She does get taken to the shops by aforementioned Grandad and she chooses something and he pays for it but she really likes to get me something all by herself.

Last Mother's Day I got a lovely teddy bear and once the book people were in school and I gave her a tenner to get some books and she spent £5 of that on one of those 'Guess How Much I Love You' books.

She very thoughtful like that and tells me it is because I work so hard looking after her all on my own and working.

Quite often as well if she is allowed to take her pennies to the shop for a mag, she will surprise me with a small bar of chocolate.

Bless her:blushing:

kegg_2

When they were younger i ended up with something hand made in school or bought for pennies from the chrismas fayre. Now they are a bit older they go shopping on their own but ask me what i want, as i dont want them spending their money on me i always say fluffy socks which they can buy for a couple of pound in store twenty one.

travelgran

Some interesting responses. It wasn't because I 'ought to' but because I loved the secrecy and the wrapping, giving etc.
Actually the secrecy bit wasn't too good because, being the only child, I had no-one to share the pleasure with so I usually showed it to my mum as soon as I bought it, having previously asked her
'If I show you will you forget?'

And do you know, by the time Christmas or her birthday came round she always had forgotten and it was a complete surprise to her all over again!!

Age? - I should think about 6/7 onwards. Old enough to go to the corner shop on my own then.