Community Chat

[CouponQueen]

She probably meant sisters boyfriend kids in topic line..no biggie to me either way.. Now I read Gatos post I tend to agree lol

[Say Nay]

On 12/21/2014 CouponQueen said: She probably meant sisters boyfriend kids in topic line..no biggie to me either way.. Now I read Gatos post I tend to agree lol

Making room on the bench for CQ

[stevieb]

On 12/20/2014 Deb1010again said:

I'd give the live-in boyfriend's kids a $20 gift card each. You've known your niece/nephew(s) all their lives, so I think it is absolutely appropriate to give them more ($50 gift card).

It's not like all the gifts you're giving to the kids are on behalf of "Santa". Which would mean the kids would feel they're all on equal footing. In your case, the other kids don't see you as often and know you're closer to your niece/nephew(s).

In essence, this. While I might give a bit more (or less) depending on finances, I see no reason why it all has to be equal... As noted, as of right now, these are not your relatives and you've known them for a short period of time. A gift of your choosing or gift card in whatever amount you want to spend is adequate and need not match what you'd give your sister's own children. A few years down the road, if the boyfriend and his kids are still around, you might feel differently...

[LyndaGee]

On 12/20/2014 SugarNSpice said:

On 12/20/2014 LyndaGee said:

On 12/20/2014 Its Better To Be Naughty said:

On 12/20/2014 Shorty2U said:

I would spend less on them (maybe 25 or 30?) being they are not your relatives. But then again they are children and now that I think of it I might feel bad and spend more. (lol).

PS) This reminds me of how I was cutting back this year and getting my kids/grandkids 100 dollar gift cards EACH and a few gifts EACH totaling like 165 EACH (Instead of the usual 250-260 each). I ended up going over on my limits for each because I felt bad! (lol)

was going to cut back too...then I get the guilts and now everyone has a much as previous years. grrr...

Me, too! I'm a softie this time of year.

I splurge on gift giving for my immediate family. We love Christmas and I do everything in my power to make it magical for my family each year. My parents always went above and beyond... I try to make them proud and keep the magic feeling of the holidays alive.

That sounds beautiful, Sugar N Spice.

[bikerbabe]

If they been living together under the same roof for three years they consider themselves a family. Give equally to all the children.

[barrel racer]

I don't see why you would feel obligated to give them a gift, especially since they are no relation to you.

[sunshine45]

i would give equally to all of the kids.....especially if i can afford it.....and especially considering their situation.

when it comes down to it, i would rather give to the kids than give to adults IF i had to cut back.

[lulu2]

If I could afford it, I'd spend a similar amount.

[shoekitty]

I think many people tend to think, well they aren't like "real family", but to me that isn't true. It is sort of like giving less to a brother or sisters adopted, or foster child. That is JMHO. If you are close to your sister I might bite the bullet and give the kids the same as blood relatives. Kids are kids. Kids have such a special joy about Christmas, and I think ithey would be floored and excited to receive a gift from you like the other kids.

The other side is, if your brother's kids are not there, and it is not a well known fact how much you give those kids,,,give what you think you believe is right.. I might find out what the kids really want, and see if you can get a super bargain on a gift. If not cash or a gift card is nice for any kid. You gotta love those 8 year olds, 20 bucks is a fortune to them.

A trick I use with my grandkids is taping the cash (all in one dollar bills) end to end with magic tape. You would be surprised how many feet 30 dollar bills is (like 15 feet!!). Then I take the taped bills and roll very tight, place in a toilet paper tube or small box, wrap it up with tons of curled ribbon. I tell you the look on their face when they see all those bills is priceless. They roll and unroll it many times . They get joy from it, and less money seems like a fortune. And you take the time to do something special. It can make up for less money than the others.

If your sister is living with him, it has to serious on some level. Married or not there are many people who don't stay married 3 years. I guess one has to think, does the fact they aren't married make a difference in what I give, or is it because they are not blood relatives. IDK