Christmas gift equality

thelongroad

I need some input on a Christmas gift situation...

 My BIL and his wife always buy our children gifts for Christmas, but we agreed years ago that the adults don't exchange to save money. They don't have kids.  Would you still buy BIL/wife a gift from the kids or just leave it alone? They live within walking distance to us but we aren't especially close. They watch our kids once a year or so but we go months without contact. 

I think that I'm especially unsure this year because we have had a rocky relationship this past year.

amiamish

We agreed with my brother and SIL not to exchange gifts, but they still buy for the kids. We told them not to spend more than $10 on the kids though. We do give gifts that we make, for instance the reindeer ornaments, my kids made them this year and will be giving them to Auntie and Unkie.

DandRAgain

For my side of the family, for the longest time it was just my 2 girls and then it was my 3 and they had 1 cousin.  Still, I have the most kids and so I usually spend a bit more than my bro and sis when it comes to presents because I know they are spending a LOT for my 3.

For DH's side....there are 6 kids total. And all are kinda matched up age wise...so we just do an "exchange" where my oldest and oldest cousin exchange.  My middle and next cousin exchange.  And my youngest and the youngest cousin exchange.  It works out fine.  They get so much stuff from grandparents that they really don't need more stuff from aunts and uncles.  And its fair. 

I'm not sure what I'd do....maybe something homemade from the kids?  Or just something?  BUt I wouldn't worry about going all out.  Christmas is for the kids (mostly) anyways, right???

 

melmax

I would (and do).  My sister and her DH buy for my two girls, and until they have kids of their own, we get them a joint gift. Once they have children, we will just buy for their kids. We are super close with them too.

lsufan

I think if you want to, it would be nice but certainly not necessary (not that any gift giving is truly necessary, I guess.)  

Temp970088312507122

My brother buys for my girls but he doesn't have kids yet. We tell him not to do anything for DH and I, but we get him something "from the girls."

Littlejen22

I would give them something small, maybe a food basket of some sort but something.  I think that the fact that you are not close is all the more reason to give a gift, if you were super close you might really know that they just want to give and don't want anything in return.  Oh, is there any chocolate places near you that you could get some non-name brand chocolate?