Cards for Kids for Special Occasions

Personally, when I was growing up, all I ever got from my family members was birthday and Christmas cards. And usually, only the birthday card was specifically addressed to me. The Christmas cards would come to the family.

I can't believe that you send cards for every holiday. That seems a little excessive to me, and it's completely rude for his sibling to complain that it's not enough for you to send just one. They're lucky you care enough to send a card at all!

If it were me, I'd probably just send one card to the entire family, with the kids names on it and leave it at that. The kids will be happy to have been thought of, no matter what, and the parents are the ones with a problem.

While I do think gift giving is out of control. We are talking about kids here. My kids like to each have thier own card as they put them in a box to keep. They are then able to go through the box and have ways of remembering people. If there is only one card and two kids how do they choose who gets the card. Go to the doller store and get the 2 for a doller cards. Kids don't care how much they cost they just want someone to remember them.

I think that what you are doing is great. Please don't stop just because the parents are ungrateful. That is too bad. The kids probably love to receive the cards in the mail, even if it is addressed to the both of them. I could not agree with you more about the gift giving expectation being out of control. There should not be a gift giving expectation. Your husband's sibling is way out of line. Hopefully, it won't rub off on the children. They are lucky to have an aunt and uncle like you and your husband.

I know what you mean! My husband and I have 12 nieces and nephews - with number 13 due this week and number 14 due in May! We have one child of our own now and after years of sending these items to my siblings' children (bc they all had kids early and I have waited until I was 28) I will be interested to see if they send anything to our daughter (who will be 11 months old at Christmas) - it can get very expensive buying for that many kids! We've even had to cut back to only birthday and christmas cards and then only $10 gifts (like McDonald's gift certificates or Walmart gift cards)... it IS the thought that counts. I really feel like we should ALL be teaching our kids that it is great to be remembered! I agree that if your husband's sibling has a hard time with it they should just get over it. You are being a great aunt just for taking the time to remember your nieces and nephews!

I can't believe they would actually complain that you sent one card! I got one card for both f my daughters and was thrilled! at is wrong with people?

My advice? It's just a card. They'll probably just toss it in the trash anyway so don't worry if they cause a ruckus over sending one card for both. To make things easier on you I would omit the gift and just send a card. After all we don't want to punish the child because the parent is crazy. Don't send a gift...just a card for both that way the children will still feel acknowledged and the parents can shut up. Sorry to sound so harsh but really...you didn't have to go out of your way to buy a card for their kids they should be happy that you even thought of their children. Save gift giving for Christmas and Birthdays. My brother and sister-in-law do that. They'll send a card for halloween or valentine's day but get a gift only for Christmas or a Birthday. We have a rather large family with lots of kids so it gets expensive.

Don't worry yourself over it...

My husbands family is this way. If you don't send each individual in the family their own invite, card, gift etc., you are sure to get a guilt trip from someone. That's why we've chosen to stay out of it all total. If we give out anything for the holidays it's a card with pictures of our kids. I certainly celebrate the nieces and nephews birthdays, and we try to send gifts for Christmas as well. It's extremely rude to take a good deed and turn it around into something bad. Either ignore the parents of these children or just cut back to sending birthday and Christmas gifts.

I think it's a little much to send something for everything holiday. I started doing that at first with my first nephew but when more arrived on the scene plus more of my own I stopped. I do get them something for Christmas and Birthdays but that's it. I would be totally offended if someone complained about not getting enough! I've taught my kids to be happy with what they get and if someone comes to a birthday and doesn't bring a gift then they should be happy that the person gave there time. My kids go along with this (even if they are disappointed about no gift they don't show it,lol) Cards seem like such a waste of money to me anyhow. $3 for a card that gets tossed? I'd rather buy them something small and just write happy birthday on the packaging. Enough is enough!!! I say ignore the greedy sibling and do what is right for your house! My brother use to only buy for his godchildren and never any of the other neices and nephews. Only recently did he start getting something for all his neices and nephews and I was fine with the limits he made for his house.

This is just my opinion, if your siblings can't appericate you guys aknowleging them and that they are important to you two, then i would just send cards. And like you said, It's the thought that counts. And it shouldn't matter to the siblings, its for the kids. Just keep doing what you guys are doing and if things keep getting worse, just send cards.

it sounds like the sibling is just being greedy and selfish. i was taught not expect gifts and made to write thank you notes whenever i got something. you are doing better than most people just sending cards at all for holidays other than Christmas.

My family just sends one card for the family. Separate cards for birthdays only.

R.,
I think you are doing quite well by sending anything at all on holidays other than Christmas and birthdays. What is most disappointing is the fact that it was the kids' parents who were upset about it. That shows they are the ones who are greedy/unappreciative. That will not teach their children to appreciate the small things - or the thought, which really is what counts. I personally think it's fine to send one card. I do believe it would be better, of course, to send separate gifts on Christmas and birthdays, however, you should not feel obligated to spend a lot of money on them. There is no law/rule that says you have to send anything at all. If the parents want their children to have certain things, that's their responsibility, not yours.
Hopefully one day the kids will realize what an amazing aunt they have for sending cards so often. I think that's awesome!
Best wishes to you and your family - especially for the up-coming holiday season.

I have always done seperate cards for each kid in our family, only because of their different personalities. I have one daughther that is just a girly girl and the other is a major tom boy, so she doesn't like all those cute cuddly cards. Plus, like some other people that I have read we to keep cards in seperate boxes and have used some in scrap books. Now that my kids are 12 they just love seeing mail with their name on it because it really makes them feel important. When a child is so young they really have no idea or even care about the card so at a young age I don't see what the big deal is on one card, but the older they get it would be nice for seperate cards.

I agree with everyone...how very rude of the siblings to act that way!
I can tell you I am the youngest of 42 grandchildren, all grown with children of our own, but our grandparents never got us stuff for holidays, birthdays...there were too many kids to keep track of (and of course me being the youngest, they were too old to do anything back when they were alive).
It never ceases to amaze me how greedy some people are. I have a step-aunt that asks everyone IN THE INVIATATIONS for her kids birthday parties to please make sure they enclose receipts with gifts so they can exchange them or get them refunded. The family decided they were so ridiculous about it we all started sticking receipts to other completely different items (a pack of gum, socks, etc) in the gifts just to mess with her.
Last year she finally quit asking.
I also strongly agree that Hallmark cards and most other cards are way too expensive. If I'm gonna buy a $4 card I better be able to give it to them 4 different times. I myself am not a card giver largely because they say things that for me seem over the top generally, especially the mushier ones. But, when I feel it's warranted, I just got to the dollar store for the kids in our family because none of them care about the card, only the money that may be inside.
I would do whatever you feel is right. Send the gift; if she doesn't appreciate a shared gift, the kids will. With that thought I would try to get something that the children can do together; a game (like Chutes and Ladders or Life or something), a puzzle, coloring books, things like that. That way they can play together. Wal Mart has great deals on all the above mentioned! Ignore the ugly attitude; your just being a good aunt!

From where I sit, that seems extreemly selfish, and rude!!! I have twin boys and i reccomend to everyone only to buy one card. More time than not they would have bought two of the same cards anyway. I think they should be thankful they're gettting anything at all. We have resorted to giving gift on birthdays and christmas as well, and nothing in between. good luck!

YES. Gift-giving is out of control. I even think Christmas gift-giving is out of control. This year we're going to try as much handmade stuff as possible. We do not give gifts on every holiday - only birthdays and Christmas is a gift-exchange (except we all buy for all kids.) I think it's sweet of you to send a card. If someone sent my two daughters one card I would find that completely acceptable and very thoughtful (as I most likely would not be sending that person's child a card.) Cards are expensive too! We often skip gift cards or make our own - even on birthday gifts.

It doesn't sound like someone is very grateful for any gift at all! I would just keep doing what you are doing. If the sibling is uptight about one card... make two cards yourself and send them both in one envelope or buy 99 cent cards. Cards are expensive and postage can be too. (And I highly doubt they keep the cards... who does?) I have a niece and nephew (in one household) and I send one card for the both and they don't say a word. I also don't send a card for every occasion. We send thank you's, Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays (of course separate cards for b-days). My sister and I have made a deal that when the kids get older we are going to stop gift giving and just pull a name from a hat and buy one gift for one family member. If the sibling keeps making remarks, I would suggest your husband stand up for your family and let him/her know that it is very rude and they should be grateful with anything they get. It's the thought that counts.

your not the only ones to of noticed it, I say just send one card, if they don't like it that's their problem. as the mama of 2 young kids almost the same age I wouldn't be bothered in the least if only one card was sent to them. (that much less to paper to throw away a month down the road after its dogeared from being carried around.... lol)

It all depends upon how you want to do it. Really you chose to send the card so why would your husband's sib get upset. You could have sent nothing. i think our society as a whole has become a group of people that expect to recieve (the "gimme's" as my sister and I refer to those persons). My grandparents always sent separate cards for myself and sibs. My kids grandparents also do them separately. Part of that could be because we have a boy & a girl. No boy wants Belle on their holiday card. I guess, I would say you need to probe a little bit and find out if the sibling is just being greedy or if it's maybe because with 1, the kids fought over who was going to open it. If it's the latter, then that's more of a management issue on their part. Let one open the envelope the other take it out....or something. I made a card ribbon (specifically for xmas), but I can hang cards on it and then it's not going into one or the others rooms making the other feel left our. They should appreciate that you remembered them, not that they GOT something. A card isn't that expensive that you coul send one for each. As far as gifts, that's totally up to you. If their ages are such that mutal shared gifts aren't and option, then maybe reduced it to something you get at the dollar store, a trinket...Afterall, it's not Xmas or Birthdays. I think today's society looks for more "approvals" today because families are more spread out and not as many people around are as "close" in order to remember things that having a big family around would be for making a "fuss." If you sibling still has trouble just being grateful, then that's an issue they need to deal with and maybe it would be smarter to suspend the whole idea for a while.