Since my daughter was born, I’ve had the joy of experiencing a number of holidays for the first time as a mother. There’s something about sharing big days with a child that make it so much more meaningful and exciting. Holidays we’ve shared so far include Halloween, where we laughed at how cute our baby looked in her costume; Christmas, where we bought our honey a myriad of presents, even though she wasn’t old enough to open them; and Easter, where we all cheered when we got a picture of our daughter smiling with her Easter basket.
For those holidays, it was mostly about making the experience enjoyable for our daughter. There have been some other holidays, however, where I’ve wondered how involved she needs to be. These include birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
So far, we’ve limited her involvement to cards. When it was my husband’s birthday, I picked out a card for him from our daughter. I wrote a meaningful message on the inside, pretending she had told me what to say. I did the same thing on Father’s day, and my husband did the same thing for me on my birthday. With Mother’s Day coming up, I wonder if the tradition will continue.
My extended family isn’t big on gift-giving, so when my parents’ birthdays came around, we didn’t get them anything from our daughter. In my husband’s family, gift-giving plays a larger role, so we chose small items to give to them from their granddaughter.
From time to time, I wonder how important it is for us to continue involving her in holidays pertinent to our extended family. I realize it’s always nice to give and receive gifts, but it could easily get out of hand, especially when money is tight. Would feelings be hurt if the tradition stopped, or would no one notice?
I’m curious what other families have decided to do. Do your children give gifts to your extended family during holidays?