I would give a donation to your favorite charity in his name - that way he learns about people less fortunate than him and you look like you are helping him learn about giving to others and the true spirit of Christmas - or buy a star in him name - lol }:) }:) }:) Let him try to keep that shrink wrapped in his room all year - I would go with the donation to your favorite charity.

My daughter had 35 kids for her birthday party this year - instead of gifts I had everyone donate $10 to help feed the poor at Thanksgiving - she got enough from us and 3 families in our church and 60 people at the local mission will have a Thanksgiving meal this year - she is only 5 but when she helped me give the money to the families she seemed happy to be helping others. I also think if you give him the donation card you can show him what it means to help others and that is a gift that is invaluable!!

One of the things SD is getting for Xmas is she is sponsoring an orphaned elephant. I will have to find the website.... I do believe it is $50. She will get some other gifts but she doesn't need anything - to the point where she struggles coming up with an Xmas list - so I thought she would like this. She will get email updates ,etc...

Why is it YOUR respsonsiblity to get SS gifts for Christmas?? My DH is responsible for getting gifts for Skids in my house. Not my kids, not my responsibility, he is their father and as such HE should be choosing and purchasing their gifts. Now I do all of the wrapping and we always put that whatever gifts he gets them are from both of us and I do a stocking for each Skid but that's it.

Funny we just had a conversation about gift cards the other day... I think it used to be socially unacceptable to give a gift card, like you put no thought into your gift and couldn't be bothered, but I really do think it is gradually becoming more acceptable now. We just went to a joint bday party for some friends of ours who have a 1 year old and a 2 year old. I got them each a Toy-R-Us gift card. I felt like I didn't want to buy them clothes as I wasn't exactly sure what sizes they were wearing and I didn't want to buy them junk toys that they might not like or already have so why not let mom and dad/kids pick out what they want? I'm happy with gift cards... if you don't want your walmart card, you can send it my way!

I have a question. How do you even buy gifts for a 6 year old when they have thousands of them in their room already?

All are "boring" of course. I was wondering if there are so many toys in there, could I get away with taking some of them and wrapping them up? I bet it would never be noticed.

I know what you are going through. Last year I went out on black friday to find a bunch of gifts for SSs. Spent hours and $$ trying to find the things that would bring them joy. And in return nothing... zip.. zero not a thank you. SS5 argued with everything I would say. SS10 would just diappear into video game land. Then I did the same for the birthdays... again same reaction. 1st time shame on them, 2nd time shame on me.. there will not be a 3rd time.

DH calls and talks to them every week (They live in another state). And I over hear the conversation going like, I want this, that and this for xmas. Well, DH got laid off last month. I have to cover the CS becuase courts figure imputted income, not actual. I will also be paying to get them out here for xmas as well. I was able to hook them up each with a new DSi through training points at my work.

From my perspective, DONE! Hecho! Fait!, Fatto! СДЕЛАННЫЙ! GEMACHT!

I also tried to be the good gf last year and put a lot of thought and $$ into these ingrates. Not this year though. Nothing. If bf thinks that looks bad, let him put both of our names on whatever he indulges them with. I don't care. The holidays will likely be the end of us anyway. If not it will be because we have learned to better deal with this sort of thing. (meaning he, mostly)

I also tried to be the good gf last year and put a lot of thought and $$ into these ingrates. Not this year though. Nothing. If bf thinks that looks bad, let him put both of our names on whatever he indulges them with. I don't care. The holidays will likely be the end of us anyway. If not it will be because we have learned to better deal with this sort of thing. (meaning he, mostly)

-Tee hee hee. My SS12 is a video game aholic. He plays Halo, a violent first person shooter game. It's lame-o. So I bought him a thoughtful little something. It was The Halo Encyclopedia. A big fat book about everything Halo. He didn't know if he should jump with glee or vomit. It was wonderful watching him open it.

A plane ticket. One way. To the other side of the country?

I got a set of bamboo wooden spoons and white rubber spatulas last year from my YSS. Brand name? Mainstay! I think he spent a total of $5.00 @ Wally World. But do you know what? They are one of the best presents I got. That being said, his older brother gave his father a gift card worth $10 for a restaurant we never visit.

Seriously, you are under no obligation to buy him anything. BUT you could buy him a $10 govt bond. Or the donation to a charity of your choice in his name is a great idea. And if his father doesn't like it, too bad. Ask him what he thought you should have bought him. Although it soulnds like a lump of coal is more appropriate.