unreal. the fact that she would tell you she gave the stuff away is just plain rude.

my fiance buys his daughter 1 gift, something she usually demands. this year i guess its a pair of boots she wants. she doesnt deserve them but he's going to get them for her anyway. i did her stocking last year, i told him he's on his own this year.

my DH nothing, he is in prison..but as for me, I already bought them clothes and gift cards. Its up to them what they want to do with it. I do it all for my DH.

DH buys a card and sends a check or gift card. Less than $100 total between his 2 kids.

My skids wrote out their Christmas lists a couple of weeks ago and I was floored. I seriously hope DH is not planning on getting them anything off their lists. For example, SD6 asked for a mini ipad, and ipod, an American girl doll (they cost over $100.00) a fridge for her room filled with food, a doll that goes pee, a diaper surprise doll (poops out jewellery or something) and a bunch of other stuff. The worst part is these skids get 3 Christmases, and this was just the list for DH. I am not planning on doing the shopping for the skids this year, so I don't know if they will have anything under the tree. DH always leaves everything until the last minute, and typically relies on me to shop for all of their presents. I have been giving him subtle hints that time is running out that he really should get shopping. Even let him know I was done shopping since I was only buying for him, my bio's and my grand-daughter and son in law this year.

For the past two years DH has gone wild for SS6, buying him tons of stuff that Skidly will never use because he's only here EOWE. None of it was terribly expensive, but together it added up to at least $200. MIL always buys Skidly tons of junky stuff that if it were my kid I wouldn't want in the house. Most of that goes unused too. What kills me are the Legos. DH always buys Skidly these advanced Lego kits. Since Skidly is a bit on the slow side, he's never able to put the kits together himself. So for the past two years, DH has been doing them for Skidly. Skidly will play with whatever's been constructed, bash it apart, and then never look at it again. And for months afterward, I'll end up stepping on the pieces or finding them under furniture.

Last year SIL asked us what Skidly wanted for Xmas. DH suggested Legos. I then suggested that she get beginner Legos and made the comment that they might be easier for Skidly to put together. She looked at me like I was the devil. Umm, newsflash Skidly isn't a budding engineer, might as well buy him something that suits his ability level.

DH was much better this year because I suggested that he scale back on the spending. No point in buying stuff that's never used. As a result he spent under $100, but still he managed to buy some Lego kits.

DH will probably get her a gift card to some stupid store at the mall. Her Bday is around now too, and he just gave her a new lap top. She does need one for school, so whatever.

We had a big discussion about the gift thing while we were recently on vacation. I asked if he was picking her up anything and he said, "NO. I have no idea what she does with anything i give her so, NO." We then discussed the thousands of dollars in clothes etc over the years that no one has ever seen. SD15 shows up looking like her hot mess BM. yuck!

The good thing is the gift card will be minimal, maybe $40.

I give nothing, haven't gifted her in 3 years. Never will moving forward either.

omg, the post about driver ed freaked me out as that was one thing i had not thought about!

im sure when the time comes, BM will want half. i think we can argue that away that SD isnt responsible enough to operate a car.

This is for my own bios... But I tend to mix toys/gifts and needed items. They both need some winter clothes, PJs and boots. So they are getting boots, pjs and winter clothes mixed in with wants and a stuffed stocking. I like it because they can see (and learned at about 5yrs old) that even needed items are gifts from the parents. As long as they can dress for the season they don't need a ton of clothes. I think the law is 3 changes of clothes. So everything a parent does is a gift in someway. My kids have learned to be thankful for funny little soap dispensers!!!! Normally I take my kids to the dollar store to buy for other people. This year my son said Mom, I have a lot of money saved up from allowance, I don't want to buy family gifts from the dollar store. Can you take me to Target? I'll spend my own money. I actually helped him pay since his attitude was awesome. And told him, one of my gifts to you is helping you do this.
So often parents let their kids believe everything is a must, a given. My parent has to get me clothes type attitude. I don't want my kids to think they owe me anything, just to see how much I do do for them.

DH will be sending the PASed "SS"15 a card reminding him that he loves him. It'll probably go directly in the trash. I'd say he wouldn't even bother to open it, but he'll want to check and see if there's money or a check.

He'll be disappointed.

SS9 is getting another XBox 360 for our house ((when he was 7 he got one, ruined it within 2 months by overheating it from not putting his clothes away and throwing them on top of it)). His BM bought him one for her house this summer, my MIL bought him one for when he's at her house so now SS9 will have THREE XBox 360s. DH spent over $300 on SS9 for Christmas this year whose only at our house EOWE. Can anyone at all say SPOILED? Plus MIL got him a soccer goal, a basket ball goal, etc. Again, SPOILED MUCH? This doesn't even include what his BM is getting him. We spent less than $100 on BS this year (but in reality, he's 2 and we saved $50 on his presents because of random Black Friday specials). I have asked why SS9 has to have all this stuff when he's not around. Whoops, wrong question to ask DH and MIL. Forgot he's the perfect child who needs to have the luxuries of life while at everyone's houses and because he wants this stuff so he wants, he gets.