Kids gifts to Grandparents

Not everything children do is,with love and effort though.
2 brown splodges of paint isnt.

I love that the grandchildren give me some of their artwork, write their names all wonky etc, but don't feel the need to keep it. I give fulsome praise and gifts in return but I still have no desire to keep the cards. (I don't keep store bought cards from friends/family either). So no, I don't think this is odd and I wouldn't prefer any store bought cards etc from grandkids either.

I've never had any children of my own. So when my wife's adult children started having children of their own I never expected anthing for me, only for her.
But then, when they were a few years old, those grandchildren gave her AND ME homemade cards and gifts and even wilting flowers.
And I, a grown man, cried.

Oh how strange. I love all the home made cards and presents from my grandchildren and I have two adult sons and love it if they draw pictures for me in my birthday cards as they're still my babies. Call me sentimental.

I would be so happy to receive "wonky" gifts made with love if I had been lucky enough to have children or grandchildren.

Call the rest of us unsentimental...
Either is fine, because everyone is different.
My grandchildren are less sentimental than me.

Yes. Think of all the love that goes into making these things just for you

Well, just to put another slant on homemade gifts… my three children were ‘encouraged’ to make adult relatives a gift every Christmas… the sort of thing described in this post; stencilled cork mat sets, tea towel door holders, pottery boxes etc etc. Once they were in secondary school I left them to it and they had to get their own ideas and buy the resources. The eldest loved doing it and would organise her younger bother and sister.
Both the girls are very ‘crafty’ and creative as adults… and even the boy, who makes things out of wood, enjoys making rather than buying. Only this week the youngest (25 years old) told me how grateful she was that I made them do this Christmas gift making as she doesn’t think she would have the skills to do so much in her own flat and for her friends if I hadn’t encouraged this activity as a child- and if the adults hadn’t expressed such joy at the gifts, wobbly or not! So stick with it! Fake the appreciation if you must but look for the love in each gift!

You can do that without having boxes full and a loft filled up, and photos and computers rammed full.

Grammy666

Oh dear .. I seem to be very odd ... btw ... they have their own money and I still say I would MUCH rather have a recycled gift from a Charity shop than wonky plate.. a gift chosen by the kids on a subject they know I love .. I can't see the objection .. we are not all dotty Grans in a Rocking chair gazing lovingly at
shelves of whatever .. Also I wonder if the kids would be pleased if I gave them a knitted scarf complete with holes and dropped stitches ....

You asked the question and got our answers. We are not sad rocking chair grannies. Just ones who love and appreciate the effort that goes into little hands creating presents. The idea of giving scarves with dropped stitches is puerile.

We are writing up our family history and little wonky things and charming letters and cards all add to the interest of the story. so glad they were kept.

No you are not odd.
It depends how many grandchildren that you have. I have 11 all under 10 and I couldn't keep everything they make in a year. If you have 1 or 2 grandchildren there is a lot less.

Then I suppose it could depend on where you live, too..
Fine if you have plenty of space, not so good of you're already short on storage space.

I only have two GC and everything I am given I keep. My study is full of artwork. I am privileged to have very artistic GC so every piece is a delight.

I keep some things and I always add the name of the creator and the date so we can all look back in years to come

Extremely odd - a very unnatural grandma I'd say. Love,love,love anything made by my grandchildren and keep it all. Can't ever imagine preferring a bar of soap, chocolate or flowers - unless they're handpicked flowers and home made chocolate etc.

Very odd - love the bits/pieces my grandchildren make me - some on display/some stored.Sounds harsh but maybe ought to think about the many older people without grandchildren .I get loads of - for want of a better word - 'crap' every year from family/friends 'supposed' to know me - books in genre I don't read,bath bombs,mugs,socks,etc - I simply re-gift or donate.Give me my granchidren's efforts any day - made with love each and every one.

Yes you are. The things they create are the real treasures because of the love and effort that went into them. And just because they gave them to you.

Mine never make me anything. Their mums bearly even buy me anything. I understand how getting them all the time might be a bit annoying but you're coming from a place of abundance. Sometimes that makes us unappreciative. Perhaps imagine how you would feel if you got nothing. X

Still have my own children's creations. Even moved house with them.

Maybe if they have inherited your type of sensitivity they would not like the imperfect knitting. But that just shows rudeness and perhaps bad upbringing. My knitting's not perfect, but no one minds. At least I tried. Thought that counts.

@ Grammy666 I think you are a bit odd actually?

What a ungrateful person you are I've got poem's, drawings, my daughter even made me a pottery tomato which I still use to this day to put my odds and bobs in.

This is me according to my four year old grand child, it’ll stay on the fridge until I get a new look?

I made a padded felt picture for my grandma when I was about 10. It hung in her house until she died and now it’s in my parents’ house. I feel a little rush of love every time I see it.