'Tis the season to be shopping and planning for your own family as well as giving to the many charities that collect for the less fortunate. Our church has a tree with little gift request tags for kids, the MOMS club is collecting for a group that collects gifts for kids, etc etc. It's fun to pick out a tag and then shop with the kids for gifts someone else wants.
I am happy to help. Really.
But a few of the tags have me feeling like maybe MY kids should have tags on trees. Because I'm not getting them as nice of gifts as those tags are asking for. I mean, dream big, and all that, but shouldn't some social worker let the kids know that perhaps at least one of their requests should be under $100? I'll be damned if I get the kids an iPod. I don't even have an iPod. I'm not buying a 12 year old kid that I don't even know a gift that costs over $100...and that's if I don't include $ for music.
I know I'm a dinosaur...and a cheap one at that...but THIS makes me feel grinchy.
5 comments:
Definitely interesting that someone didn't provide some guidelines to the kids (or an adult didn't edit the actual tags). We actually got an invitation for our kids to be the recipients of some gifts from our local Y. I chose not to fill out the form b/c our extended families are so generous with our kids that it truly isn't necessary. Anyway, the letter I got specifically says NOT to request expensive electronics (like an IPOD). I agree with your feelings on this- hopefully you got to choose a different gift tag!
I blogged something very similar. Kinda nuts. Not grinchy at all.
Oh, I'm totally on board with you on this one. With the Angel Trees, someone I know said they spent like $160 on their "kid" because the Salvation Army expects you to purchase all the items on the list.
And I've heard....but maybe this is urban legend...that people can go to as many charities as they like to request holiday help, meaning they could be double- and triple-dipping. I would assume this is true, since there isn't a huge database shared between charities.
What I'd like to get a lot of these kids cannot be purchased at the Mall.
I find those odd too, but then I am also warmed by the ones with really simple requests... We got a tag from church with a request for "bath toys" for a two year old girl. Let me tell you, that kid's post Christmas baths are going to rock!
Giselle-- I'm worse than you. If it requires batteries I don't even buy it... because batteries add up (I know how often things are accidentally left on) and I don't want some poor kid sitting around with an awesome toy and no way to make it work.
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