It can sometime feel impossible to continue to live up to the ever-growing standards of Christmas festivities we're now expected to give children.
And with social media, the one-upmanship can feel exhausting.
But this, this one has ended us. Apparently you're also supposed to give children DECEMBER FIRST BOXES or December 1 presents or Advent-starting gifts. Whatever you call them it... sorry, it's too much.
That's on top of the advent calendar (whether it's chocolate or a home-made one filled with INDIVIDUAL TINY PRESENTS), Elf on the Shelf shenanigans, Christmas Eve boxes (also, apparently, now a thing) and, yknow, CHRISTMAS DAY SACKS (from Santa of course).
Sick of all of this, TikTok user @cerimarie1990 took to social media to call on everyone to just STOP AND CALM DOWN.
We love it...
'This goes out to all the Facebook mums, it’s the first of December, it ain’t the 25th, so I don’t know why it’s become a thing you need to buy them presents with their advent calendar,' she says.
'I went out to B&M yesterday and got her a pound calendar - that should be enough. But oh no, she’s come home from school today, ‘So and so’s got pyjamas and a DVD’. Why?
'So you’re telling me now, I have to buy something on the first of December, Christmas Eve fucking boxes as well as Christmas Day? You’re taking the piss.
'So please, just stop. I have other things to do.'
Aaaaaagreed.
We understand everyone wanting to get extra Christmassy this year, after the horror show of 2020, but there are ways to get Christmassy and into the spirit without hundreds more presents (and pounds).
Yes kids will have to get used to differences between people without getting jealous as they grow older, but let's face it, when they're little, you know behaviour like this is only going to cause upset and jealousy. It's part of being a kid. And for it now to be exacerbated with another expectation is irritating.
So you’re telling me now, I have to buy something on the first of December, Christmas Eve fucking boxes as well as Christmas Day? You’re taking the piss.
December 1 boxes are apparently a thing - where you give something 'Christmassy' to start the month. You can even get them on Etsy. Can't you just whack on some Mariah Carey and have a Christmas disco like the rest of us?
Of course, when it comes to Christmas, everyone has different traditions. And different cultures do things at different times - lots have presents and celebrate big on Christmas Eve. In Iceland Jóltide Lads come to visit every night from December 12, leaving children little presents on the windowsill, for instance.
If you're just celebrating your traditions and culture, of course that's fine. But doing everyone's traditions just to BUY LOADS OF STUFF - not so fine.
So, this Christmas, invest in the spirit of giving... GIve a fellow mum an evening without a headache and ease off.