holidays, kids

Tisket, tasket

Shanny

I get a few emails each day from various web sites and one really caught my eye today.  They showed a deal on a Wii game saying something like “This would make a great addition to your child’s Easter basket”.  I was floored!  Really?  We’re giving Wii games in Easter baskets now?  Isn’t that a bit much?  What happened to candy and maybe a stuffed animal?  I mean, it’s your money and all, but it just seems that we’re really throwing gifts at our kids more and more these days.  When you give a gift at Easter that is as extravagant as a Wii game then don’t you end up feeling like you have to top that at their birthday and then Christmas and the next thing you know it looks like you robbed a Toys R Us on any given holiday.  Do kids really need that much?  With this adoption we’re at the paperwork/ introspection stage where we’re really analyzing our feelings on parenting.  I don’t know how it will actually be once our kidlet comes home but we are all for a more simple approach.  No over the top birthday parties every year- some of those cost hundreds of dollars just to have the party at those kid party places.  Nothing wrong with cake and pizza at home with the family and a few friends.  I just hope when our kids go back to school after Easter that they don’t catch slack about the lack of electronics and expensive toys in their baskets.  Hopefully the candy and family time will make up for that.  We can’t be the only ones who feel this way, right?

Published by Shanny

I am a married mom to a pughuahua, a French bulldog, & a feist. I'm a Color Street stylist, a major planner, loud talking, and big laughing. I started this blog in August 2001.

5 thoughts on “Tisket, tasket”

  1. You will understand one day if you have boys who don’t like stuffed animals and they only need a couple pieces of candy. You can get a game for $10 now too which is just as much if not less than a stuffed animal. BTW, it’s not up to us, the Easter Bunny brings it. 🙂

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  2. Shanny,
    You are not the only ones who feel this way. Sheridan’s birthday parties are with family only as we refuse to spend money on the over the top parties. Christmas and Easter are celebrated for the Christian reasons, not the commercial ones. Sheridan has yet to feel that he has missed out on anything. I credit that to the way we have raised him – he doesn’t have these over-the-top expectations for frivolous things. He also realizes that the money that would be spent on a 2 hour birthday party is equivalent to a 7 day cruise. Puts things in perspective very quickly.

    I commend you and CSP for really thinking about these things BEFORE the kidlet comes home. Be confident in your decisions. Only you know what is best for your child.

    Love ya,
    Kim

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  3. You are not the only one. My kids are 5 and almost 8 and they get candy in their easter baskets and… that’s it. Easter is not a gift giving holiday. We also don’t do the Easter Bunny thing. It is enough to deal with Santa and all that.

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  4. We never got candy…maybe a chocolate bunny and some jelly beans, but my Mom LOVED buying gifts and we have never been big candy eaters. We got “Stuff” in our easter baskets. Usually a CD or two, maybe a nintendo game or DVD, hair spray and make up when we got older, coloring books, crayons, reading books, socks, etc.

    We also had everything from the expensive birthday parties to sleepovers or cake and ice cream parties with family. I think it all depended on how much money was in the budget that year. Alot of times we would have big huge Birthday parties at the park, like a cook out type thing, the weekend inbetween Laura and my birthdays.

    I am not going to lie, we were spoiled, we open Christmas gifts for hours and hours. The last Christmas we had with my mom I counted and we each had over 40 gifts (and Nikki had like 15)! It was insane, but it made my Mom happy! We never expected alot, we never were greedy or entitled. It also didn’t make us any worse off as adults. We both know the value of money and saving for whats important (like vacations…LOL), but we as also both kid spoilers when it comes to gift giving! Last year alone this was Alyssa’s set up from Pete and I: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldeelox9/4490663343/in/set-72157623646013865/

    I think as long as the kids appreciate the gifts and don’t expect then, then spoiling is ok.

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  5. I look at it this way. My kids are really good. They arent brats and get great grades. They are rarely in trouble.They both are amazing and generous people.So,I love to spoil them a little if I can afford it. They are past the easter bunny stage, but they always get a new dress for church, So I usually buy them some shoes to go with it.Easter morning I usually put a few candy treats, maybe an itunes card,a book by a favorite author,that hand sanitizer from bath and body works, into the shoe box and leave it out for them.
    I do big birthday parties though. I cook all thier favorite foods, make a big cake, invite friends and family.I always pick a theme and I love to get creative. I have done luaus, princess, teddy bear tea parties, fairy parties, finding nemo,(thats what Jasmin requested for her sweet 16!lol) When Caitlin was 2 we did an Elmo blowout.SO much fun! I love to make them feel special and important on thier day.They are only kids once. So why not celebrate?

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