How Do Your Kids Handle Receiving 'Crappy' Gifts?

[Cafe MichelleP]

Teaching Kids to Accept Bad Holiday Gifts Is Pretty Funny (PHOTOS)

Posted by The Stir Bloggers

Amber Dusick of Parenting, Illustrated With Crappy Pictures is hands down one of the funniest bloggers out there today. She will make you pee your pants laughing and help you not take this whole parenting gig QUITE so seriously.

We love her and know you will, too. She has graciously agreed to take part in our "12 Days of Gratitude" series featuring some of our favorite bloggers musing on the concept of thankfulness. See below:

I'm still recovering from the holiday break. It is hard to get back into the swing of things after you've slacked off for so long. 

Really? I'm expected to put clothes on my kids again? Can't January be a pajama month too?

 

So before I jump into completely other random things I thought it would be weird if I didn't say something about our little holiday break. So I will say something…

We gave Crappy Boy a particular gift and he really didn't like it:

We already know he suffers from appreciation deficiency. But this was something else. This was him suffering from honesty.  

Turns out, pretending you like a terrible gift and saying "thank you" doesn't come naturally.

Fortunately, this happened at home. I still had time to encourage proper manners before we saw our extended family. 

I had a lot of teaching to do. I taught him that some kids don't have toys and he should be happy with what he has. I taught him that it is the thought that counts. I taught him about hurting feelings of other people. 

I also briefly mentioned something about returning and exchanging items. 

Then we left to be with family. His new knowledge would be put to the test. I was feeling very confident as a teacher. 

At first, I thought he was going to ace the whole exam.

He said thanks when I could tell he didn't like it.

But then something went wrong.

And this time? It was the teacher's fault. Oops.

Despite being embarrassing, it was also funny. Because embarrassing things are always funny. The gift-giver just laughed and said the gift-receipt was in the bag. Isn't it great when people are cool like that?  

Anyway, I was still concerned for Crappy Boy's apparent lack of skill in appreciating gifts and accepting them gracefully. Crappy Papa & I talked about it. Do we spoil him? Does he have an unhealthy sense of entitlement? Do we remember being like this when we were five?

Turns out, we were. I remember being upset over receiving the wrong kind of big girl underwear (I wanted The Smurfs but got something stupid, yes, I'm still bitter!) and Crappy Papa told me that he cried with tears over some lacing toy thing because he hated it so much. 

So we decided to cut him some slack. We were expecting way too much.    

The next day he received a card in the mail with cash in it. 

And he surprised us when we were least expecting it. 

Isn't that great when kids are cool like that? 

Do you have a crappy gift story?

[natesmom1228]

My son is always grateful for whatever he gets.

[jen113000]

My kids have always liked everything they've got.

[disneymom2two]

This is how we handle it as well.  My son's 14 and my daughter's 7; neither have ever been rude when. receiving a gift.  My mom bought a sweatshirt that matched hers for my son when he was 6 or 7; it was definitely more of an old lady sweatshirt (pale blue with a robin on it) than a little boy sweatshirt. My sister was surprised at how polite he was when he thanked my mom.  I exchanged it at the store later.

 I've taught mine to say Thank You for every gift they are given.  I tell them even if you have 5 of them already, or it's a baby toy, or you don't like the color or whatever...always take the gift, look the person in the eye and say thank you. 
If its something that can be exchanged I will try to exchange it, if not we give it to another child or donate it to an organization.
So far they've never embarrased me.  They are really good boys.

[iansusie]

My kids seem pretty grateful... This Christmas they were put to test unintentionally when the tablets they received did not work properly (they were returned and Santa sent cash to buy new ones) and their other big present didn't arrive on time... 

they said they were lucky Santa came!

[K8WillBLast]

 This as well.  I have 7 kids & I've never had an issue with them being ungrateful for whatever gift they've received, even if they don't like it. 

Quoting meooma:

 I've taught mine to say Thank You for every gift they are given.  I tell them even if you have 5 of them already, or it's a baby toy, or you don't like the color or whatever...always take the gift, look the person in the eye and say thank you. 
If its something that can be exchanged I will try to exchange it, if not we give it to another child or donate it to an organization.
So far they've never embarrased me.  They are really good boys.

 

[hollydaze1974]

Hey, he knows some family members or friends don't have as much money as others. He's known that since age four. He know Nana will probably always give him socks and boxers. He makes the same " this is awesome!" Face at those as he does a lego set or the Nook he got this year.

Teaching them how to filter those little mouths and have " that look" when it looks like the filter os about to fail has really helped us.

[yayay15]

So far we haven't had to deal with it. My kids are 7, 5, and 3. My kids love everything they get. When it comes to it, I will tell to just say thank you and be grateful.

[Hottubgodess]

My son does not have a filter due to Asperger's Syndrome.  :)  

[gracie0221]

my dd loves anything she gets, but she is only 6 and doesn't know better, I guess..or maybe she is just grateful 

[madmueller]

My sister in law took photos of her mustang "vintage car" and made a poster of it for my boys for christmas - you can see her in the photos - my boys opened the tube it came in and literally were rolling on the floor laughing - my husband even smerked at it - but it was the thought that counted..needless to say, the boys didn't want to put it up on their walls :(