If there’s one thing grandparents excel at, it’s spoiling their grandkids, especially during the holiday season.
Even if Mom and Dad say “no,” Grandma and Grandpa will undoubtedly get the kids anything their little hearts desire.
However, one grandma is issuing an important warning to other grandparents: Don’t overdo it with the gifts, and listen to your kids’ holiday guidelines.
The grandma encouraged other grandparents to avoid buying their grandchildren a heaping pile of gifts they don’t need.
In a TikTok video viewed over 25,000 times, grandma DeeDee Moore said one of the best ways to help your kids during the stress of the holiday season is to grant their wishes regarding gifts for the grandkids.
“75% of the parents that we surveyed wished grandparents would respect their wishes about gifts,” Moore explained, referencing the data her company MoreThanGrand collected.
According to the grandma, the primary reason parents said they wanted to limit grandparent gifts at Christmas was a lack of space.
“Parents often don’t have the physical space to accommodate the toys indulgent grandparents buy,” Moore explained.
Even if it may not seem like much, as a grandparent it is important to remember that you are not the only one buying your grandchildren gifts.
“Let’s do a little math here. Say your grandson has four other grandparents and four aunts and uncles. Each of these people gets him one gift for a second birthday,” the grandma said.
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“That’s already nine gifts, plus something from Mom and Dad, and we’re up to 10.”
“But if all of those grandparents buy him three things, and two of the aunts get him an extra little something, that’s 22 presents for a two-year-old who would be just as happy with a box.”
Instead of buying your grandchildren gifts against their parent’s wishes and overwhelming their spaces with unnecessary toys, the grandma offered a better solution.
“While your grandchildren are faced with getting too many gifts, many children are in the opposite situation,” Moore noted. “Take some of the things you bought to Toys For Tots or another organization that provides gifts for less fortunate families. That is the true spirit of giving.”
Additionally, parents flocked to the comments section to offer their own alternatives for gift-giving.
More often than not, parents need other contributions for their children other than toys.
“My in-laws opened a college fund for both my kids. Instead of stuff, they put more money in the account. I’m so grateful!” one TikTok user shared.
“My mom (baby’s grama) told us that in lieu of toys, she’ll be gifting contributions to our baby’s education fund. That is so thoughtful and helpful,” another user commented.
“Memberships. Classes. Experiences. And if all that fails, family games and broad spectrum crafting supplies (my list to everyone),” another wrote.
Chances are your grandchildren will benefit more from having a college fund than they will from having a new toy.
Parenting is challenging enough as it is. The least grandparents can do is make it easier for parents by respecting their wishes and abiding by their boundaries when it comes to their children — especially during the holidays.
We promise, that as long as you’re present and show up to your grandchildren’s recitals and soccer goals, your grandkids will love you no matter how many gifts you buy for them!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
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