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At what age do grandchildren give their grandparents presents themselves?

(58 Posts)
mernice Sat 27-Dec-25 14:44:41

Have 4 GC aged 23, 24 and 26 x2. One , the girl has sometimes bought gifts but nothing regular, the boys don’t but I wouldn’t want them to. They buy for their siblings and parents. I give them all money or perfume/ clothes which they have specified when asked. and I’m happy about the situation.

Septimia Sat 27-Dec-25 14:43:33

Our GD chose our present from her last year but was included with the adults this year.

petra Sat 27-Dec-25 14:30:52

It’s never been a thing in our family.
There’s nothing we need or want and whatever we do want we buy at the time.

Grandyma Sat 27-Dec-25 14:30:28

My own 2 DD’s were given a small amount of money from about the age of 5 or 6. They would choose a small gift for each of their close family members. Gift wrap them and thoroughly enjoy giving them out at Christmas. They each now have children of their own and have carried on this tradition. I think it’s important that children learn to give as well as receive.

shysal Sat 27-Dec-25 14:29:44

My 6 GCs are in their 20s but not all earning yet. I always give them money but they have rarely thanked me let alone given me anything. Once the younger two have graduated I shall have a rethink.

AuntieE Sat 27-Dec-25 14:26:20

Never would be my guess if they are all more or less grown up now,

As a child too young to handle money, I went with my mother to the shops and she looked at presents for my grandparents.
She would pick out one or two small things, and ask me, and later my younger sister, what we would like to give our grandparents, aunts and other grown-ups who gave us presents and who exchanged presents with our parents.

As schoolchildren we were given a little extra pocket money in December to use for buying Christmas presents and were firmly told that we could not come and ask for more!

Before going to the shops we made out a list each of those we had to buy presents for (including sister) and then did our Christmas shopping.

This way we learned early that giving presents is an exchange of gifts.

Nowadays a lot of children never learn this as they are included in the gifts their parents buy.

We were too, when we were babies and afterwards if the presents were to distant relatives or acquaintances rather than close relatives or friends. The gift tag would be inscribed as "from the X family" or " from Dr. and Mrs.X and their daughters."

Magenta8 Sat 27-Dec-25 14:20:21

Mine all do. I suspect that their parents buy for the younger ones but I am sure the ones that are 13 or over buy presents independently.

I still spend far more on their presents than they do on mine but I think that is usually the way with intergenerational presents.

Cabbie21 Sat 27-Dec-25 14:14:39

Rather than just being included in gifts bought and given by their parents?
My grandchildren are all young adults. They still get gifts from me, but none of them has started to give me a gift themselves.
Maybe when they have left home and live independently.?
Or never? Or if they have a special relationship with one grandparent in particular? I have no idea. My own grandparents had all died by the time I was 12 so it is outside my experience.