This year my parents are getting booze and coffee. But ritzy stuff. Been a tradition for awhile now that I splurge on real Jamaican coffee every Christmas.
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What the hell are you supposed to get your parents for Christmas?
- Thread starter V23
- Start date
It's awful. My Dad is the type of person who when he does need/want something, he just goes and gets it without saying a word to anyone. Past few years it's been a ton of new slippers for him since he goes through them so fast.
My Mom is somehow better and worse. She doesn't want anything, and while I can continue to go with the usual gift card to the nearest book store, it gets a bit old and I want to switch it up a little.
My Mom is somehow better and worse. She doesn't want anything, and while I can continue to go with the usual gift card to the nearest book store, it gets a bit old and I want to switch it up a little.
I try to look at fun things my mom needs and buy that. It's easier a bit because my sister still lives with her so I have inside information.
My father gets his "Merry Christmas" message answered with "You too" which is more than enough.
My father gets his "Merry Christmas" message answered with "You too" which is more than enough.
They probably want nothing more than spending time with you, so get them theater tickets and go out for dinner with them or something like that.
That's what we would do. A nice double date with the folks.
That's what we would do. A nice double date with the folks.
For our parents, experiences > physical gifts. Usually, we take them out to dinner and an activity of some sort. We took them to the Book of Mormon play a few years ago and they still talk about it like it was yesterday. It is probably the best thing we have ever gotten them. We also plan on taking them to a wonderful seafood restaurant a few towns over. They love stuff like that and really appreciate the time they get to spend with us. We're taking them on a family vacation to a huge family cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this July as part of their Xmas gift.
This shit is legit anxiety inducing 100% because of my mom. My Step-dad is very easy he doesn't really care. My mom is so God dam judgemental. If you get something minimal she complains how she doesn't need it and how it reflects how we feel about her, all of her hobbys are expensive so me and My siblings just opened an account for her that we put money in for anything she wants to use it for. But then she feels some type of way if we don't try to get her something personal. AND her birthday is Dec 29th which she most DEF sees that a Xmas as two different occasions and hates if we lump them together...... Don't get me started on mother's day...I think that I'm recently learning that my mom is narcissistic.
I got my dad a better cage for the new bunny he and my mom got, he hates the one they have for him but they had to buy a cage quickly so they bought locally and couldn't find much. I also got him some batteries because he uses a ton in clocks he sells and a gift card to Tractor Supply because he loves to buy wild bird food.
My mom I got a bunch of low sugar food food because she is newly diagnosed as diabetic type 2, sales books for craft shows, some Jim Shore figurines, a local artsts stuffed dog and some other random stuff.
I also make both my parents freezer melas, my mom hates cooking so every year I make a whole lot of food they can just heat up (like stews/soups) or things they can just put in the oven and cook. They both love it.
My mom I got a bunch of low sugar food food because she is newly diagnosed as diabetic type 2, sales books for craft shows, some Jim Shore figurines, a local artsts stuffed dog and some other random stuff.
I also make both my parents freezer melas, my mom hates cooking so every year I make a whole lot of food they can just heat up (like stews/soups) or things they can just put in the oven and cook. They both love it.
We've stopped exchanging gifts. My parents, my wife's parents, our siblings, and us just all decided to stop giving each other gifts and just do gifts for the kids. I mean, we're all adults. If there's something we want, we just buy it.
Parents are divorced. I'm so glad I had the conversation with my mom that we can stop exchanging gifts after my wife and I had a kid. She gets an updated 8 x 10 of the cutie pie, and we go on our merry way.
My dad is the total opposite. He still insists on giving us gifts, which means he expects them in return. But since we have no idea what he would want, it's usually just an exchange of gift cards. Like, can we please just stop this and focus on kid enjoying her way-too-many presents?
My dad is the total opposite. He still insists on giving us gifts, which means he expects them in return. But since we have no idea what he would want, it's usually just an exchange of gift cards. Like, can we please just stop this and focus on kid enjoying her way-too-many presents?
I like to get them nice things they wouldn't think of buying. Usually tech stuff. Airtags were a hit this year
My parents live overseas; if I can't go spend the holidays with them, as with the past couple of years, I send them nice snacks and cookies from a local Italian place.
I have a hard time as well, same for birthdays. They say "WE DONT NEED ANYTHING DONT GET US ANYTHING REALLY!" but I end up getting my mom a nice big jigsaw puzzle and my Dad some random stuff related to star trek, star wars or something else related to golf. I also got my parents a "Festivus" ornament I found at the store last month.
I got them an air fryer and showed them how to use it by cooking a meal for them using food they usually cook in the oven. It's their favorite appliance now.
I usually struggle but this year my mom called me up and told me she wants a laptop for Christmas so at least I knew what to get her. For my dad I just try and find something related to his interests. I have no idea if he actually likes anything I get, but if he won't give me any ideas I don't feel too bad.
I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with them due to the pandemmy to get a guage on what they'd like so I just went with gift cards again this year.
However I like your basket idea...
However I like your basket idea...
I got my dad slippers with no heel so they are easy to slip on, he's had neck surgery and a hip replacement in the last 5 years so he doesn't get around too great and it's hard for him to get shoes on sometimes.
Got my mom some windchimes for her porch and some local coffee.
Got my mom some windchimes for her porch and some local coffee.
Money.
Seriously. I have been doing this for the last decade or so.
For my nephew's birthday, he got some presents from other aunts and uncles and friends, and he got the typical gifts... A few clothes, some toys. The usual. But I have him $20 USD. Seriously. It was the present he liked the most.
I have been giving money to my nephews, friends, relatives, and mother as birthday/Christmas presents, and it is always their favorite present. Kids can use the money to buy whatever they want, and adults can use their money to pay any pending bills or some other adulty things.
Now I'm known as the uncle who always gives money, and I'm becoming the favorite one.
So, yeah. Stop wasting money getting presents or even lame gift cards. Cash > anything else.
Seriously. I have been doing this for the last decade or so.
For my nephew's birthday, he got some presents from other aunts and uncles and friends, and he got the typical gifts... A few clothes, some toys. The usual. But I have him $20 USD. Seriously. It was the present he liked the most.
I have been giving money to my nephews, friends, relatives, and mother as birthday/Christmas presents, and it is always their favorite present. Kids can use the money to buy whatever they want, and adults can use their money to pay any pending bills or some other adulty things.
Now I'm known as the uncle who always gives money, and I'm becoming the favorite one.
So, yeah. Stop wasting money getting presents or even lame gift cards. Cash > anything else.
A Cameo. Find some obscure celebrity or reality star they like and see if they're on the platform.
Really easy one is give them a picture of you together in a nice frame and if you don't have one then give them the gift of an event to go together like some sort of Christmas lights tour or tree lightning ceremony, ECT. then next year you'll have a picture for Xmas '22
My parents are rich and don't need anything that they won't just buy themselves, so for birthdays & Christmas, we just do a zoom call and have their grandkids make cards for them.
You know how the stereotypical bad present for kids is socks? That's because that's what the parents would like to receive themselves! In all seriousness, both my parents were surprised how much they liked compression socks, so get them compression socks with fun unique designs.
Bought mine an air fryer.
Been telling them they need one.
I too am a "parent", so I'd like money gift cards if anyone wants to get me something. Another year of Game Pass works too.
I've actually been thinking about buying my parents a sound bar. They don't know anything about modern TV technology, and it was painful hearing the sounds coming from their TV's built-in speakers when I was there for Thanksgiving :) It's the kind of gift they wouldn't get themselves because they don't even know they need it, and they watch TV every night. That's really the perfect type of gift, something someone needs but don't know they need.
We're close to this. We still get all our parents gifts, but it's usually not super expensive stuff.
I feel you. I deal with something similar. Except my mom doesn't have any hobbies. Almost every present we have gotten her has been returned or left unopened for years. But if we don't give her anything, she gets angry too. Asking her what she wants doesn't work. Every Christmas Eve when we exchange gifts she will go to her room and sulk. The lead up to the evening also involves a lot of fights. Just so exhausting.