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Christmas

Stockings for adult children

(37 Posts)
LovelyCuppa Thu 06-Oct-22 14:17:07

If you have adult children who are married and have lived away from home for some years now, do you still do a stocking for them? We didn't see my husband's mum on Christmas Day last year, but she gave him a big stocking along with his Christmas present when we saw her the weekend before.

I didn't think much of it at the time, but I'm sorting a cupboard today and I've just found a load of toiletries, pants and other things that he probably liked as a teenager but hasn't liked for years! No harm done but I'm wondering if he'll get another one this year and if he should steer her more towards things he now likes so it doesn't all get wasted again.

Norah Thu 06-Oct-22 14:25:18

We don't do stockings after our children marry.

My husband wouldn't say anything to his mum for fear of hurt feelings. He'd donate the gifts to charity.

What you describe sounds to be useful to Charities.

Happysexagenarian Thu 06-Oct-22 14:36:57

We don't regularly give our AC Christmas stockings, but I often make a stocking as the 'wrapping' for small gifts. I don't personalise them so they can reuse them if they wish. They love them.

I also make and sell Stockings in styles to suit adults and they have been popular, so I guess lots of adults still like to have a stocking.

Perhaps your MIL wanted to recreate a little of 'Christmases past' both for herself and her son. As you say no harm done, and if your DH expressed pleasure at last year's gift he may well get another one this year! But perhaps you could gently update MIL on his preferences for toiletries and underwear now.

Grammaretto Thu 06-Oct-22 14:42:41

If guests stayed on Christmas Eve we would hang a sock up by the fireplace along with the family's and Santa would fill them with goodies. Nobody ever complained grin

Grandmabatty Thu 06-Oct-22 14:56:15

I do stockings for my daughter, son in law, son and mum! I've hinted about stopping but it doesn't go down well. This year, maybe

LovelyCuppa Thu 06-Oct-22 15:03:27

Thank you for all of your comments. Your stockings sound lovely and have clearly been well-received! What I was meaning was that my husband hasn't used any of these items as he has his own tastes now, so should he say something to avoid the waste again. Leaving him to speak up if he wants to, or donating to charity seem the best way forward.

IrishDancing Fri 07-Oct-22 12:43:23

I do a stocking for my adult daughter, always have. Her husband now does one for her too!! I do one for DH and if other family members were here on Christmas Eve I’d do them stockings too - you can see that I like doing Christmas stockings! ? They mostly have “useful” contents with a few surprises.

MissAdventure Fri 07-Oct-22 12:52:24

Yes, I've always done stockings, but this year they will be having a short sports sock.

It really is a waste of money for my boys.

Calendargirl Fri 07-Oct-22 12:57:08

Not stockings, but my dear late mum used to buy pants and socks for my son, her GS.

He had to tactfully point out that the pants she bought were the same size she had bought him for years, and they were now too small. She didn’t mind it being pointed out, but realised that perhaps it was time to give up on that type of useful present.

M0nica Fri 07-Oct-22 13:23:42

We do stockings for everyone staying with us on Chirstmas Eve. However it is a joint project. everyone staying (except the children) buys a small present (under£5) for everyone else.

They get put in labelled carrier bags, and the last thing I do before I go to bed is transferthe presents to the stockings, also labelled.

NotSpaghetti Fri 07-Oct-22 13:43:07

Stockings are still important in our family, irrespective of age.

They only have things in that are actually wanted/useful and are gifts in ordinary socks, not massive Christmas ones.

Only gifted to the family actually staying with us on Christmas eve. Everyone else does their own for their own families.

All the things in them are chosen carefully so no waste and because they are small, no bulky "fillers".

NotSpaghetti Fri 07-Oct-22 13:46:31

the last thing I do before I go to bed is transferthe presents to the stockings - me too M0nica
All ours are wrapped in many-coloured tissue paper. There is also a mandarin orange or a clementine, a shiny penny chocolate coin and a few nuts.

ginny Fri 07-Oct-22 13:53:00

I still do stockings for my 3 DDs. The two that are married have to share with their husbands. These are filled with small but useful gift and a few favourite sweets or foodstuffs. I also add a few bit to the Grandsons stockings.
All seem to be well received.
As children they were always told the stocking gifts came from Father Christmas . The other gifts were delivered by him on behalf of friends and relatives.

NotSpaghetti Fri 07-Oct-22 15:30:10

Only stockings come from Santa in our family.
Other gifts are from the person who gifted them.

NotSpaghetti Fri 07-Oct-22 15:31:28

Posted too soon - so ours are like yours ginny

Barmeyoldbat Fri 07-Oct-22 15:50:25

I made my and adult gc stockings with their names on and decorations. I then filled them and included as a main present a gift voucher as well as puzzles, a comic or puzzle book, sweets and various other nick knacks, they loved them and have asked to have them again this year.

Georgesgran Fri 07-Oct-22 16:06:25

Always did stockings for my Adult DDs.
A mascara, socks, chocolate, individual bath bomb, pre-paid card for Costa/Starbucks. All useful and not gimmicky.
However, the past 3 years have been different and they haven’t stayed on Christmas Eve, so it’s sort of died out, which is a bit of a shame.

Flaxseed Sun 09-Oct-22 20:20:20

I moved on from stockings to ‘Couples bags’ now.
Just a nice (recyclable) gift bag with items such as car air fresheners, scented candle for the home. Pair of socks each, chocolates and other gifts that are useful or a gift voucher for Costa or a restaurant
They love them

lixy Sun 09-Oct-22 20:42:11

I really enjoy making up stockings for AC and their partners. My children have the ones they have always had, and I made one for each of their partners when they stayed over Christmas Eve night.
They do stockings for their children,
I just feel that they are still our children even though they are all grown up and they all enjoy a bit of special chocolate and a sugar mouse! Nothing expensive, just little things. We deliver them on Christmas Eve.

Lovelycuppa perhaps your OH could engineer a conversation about how tastes change as we get older, especially as we are all having to tighten the purse strings, but I buy things for stockings throughout the year so maybe have the conversation next Summer!

Norah Sun 09-Oct-22 20:46:56

I'm surprised so many AC&GC spend CE away from their own home and tree - receiving stockings at GP home.

We drop their pressies off well before Christmas Eve.

Differences make the world go round.

M0nica Sun 09-Oct-22 23:05:01

My DS, DDiL and DGC spend one Christmas in their own home, where DDiL hosts all her family on Christmas day, as they all live within a few miles of each other and the next Christmas they all come down to us, who live 200 miles away.

The children love spending Christmas in both places. Many of our Christmas day traditions are aligned and the children also enjoy the differences.

Norah Mon 10-Oct-22 07:21:52

M0nica Nice approach. What do you do the opposite year?

M0nica Mon 10-Oct-22 07:41:44

We have a single AD daughter, who always joins us for Christmas and DS and family come down to us 3 days after Christmas and stay for the New Year.

A couple of years ago DH was in hospital over Christmas, it was during the COVID restrictions so, although he didn't have COVID, he couldn't be visited, so there was just me and DD. We are a family who love Christmans so all the decorations were done as usual, and the Christmas food was prepared as usual, and, of course, three days afterwards, all the rest of the family arrived.

Norah Mon 10-Oct-22 08:00:33

M0nica, Our 4 daughters and their children (our GC) plus grandchildren (our GGC) are local to us. No need to ever stay over at holidays. They stay once in a long while, never holidays. The children have always had tree and gifts at home (we drop off our gifts, to them, several days earlier).

Our children always had tree and gifts at home also.

They eat here quite often, as adults, usually not until late dinner.

Other peoples ways are always interesting.

Witzend Mon 10-Oct-22 23:30:01

Everyone sleeping in this house on Christmas Eve gets a stocking, regardless of age or whether they’re family. It’s the law here. ???

It might consist of just one nice new sock, with the other sock and a few little bits - probably largely edible - stuffed inside it, but the stocking law must be adhered to.