Oi relatives! Combined presents are not a thing

This is a public service announcement to pull your socks up and stop with the lame excuses.

Dear family and friends,

This is a public service announcement to pull your socks up and stop with the lame excuses.

Sure, my daughter was born 18 days before Christmas, but this shouldn’t mean she misses out on two equally deserving presents.

Shop earlier

I’ve been to so many kid’s birthday parties this year I’ve lost count.

At each party, I bought a thoughtful gift after spending time choosing something I knew the birthday boy or girl would enjoy.

Then Christmas came around, and I bought them something small to celebrate my favourite time of year.

But the number of people who have messaged and told me they’re thinking of saving my daughter’s present till Christmas is astounding.

I would let it slide if they advised they were getting one thoughtful gift, but this isn’t the case at all.

Instead, they’ve overlooked the thoughtful present I bought their kid and put my daughter’s birthday into the too-hard basket.

If December is too busy to coordinate two presents, perhaps shop earlier.

As if having a birthday at the end or the start of the year isn't already hard enough.

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Let’s hear it for the December and January babies

After chatting to a whole heap of friends and family born in December and January, it seems they’ve been hearing this lame excuse for their whole lives.

Not only is my daughter a victim of these present swindlings, but my mum, my bestie, my sister’s husband and my husband’s younger brother and sister are also December/January babies, and they’ve also had enough.

One informed me, “It's sucks because you get one good present at Christmas and some afterthought present for your birthday because they're so close. 

“People with birthdays far apart get better presents because people have more time to think of a big pressie between occasions.”

Another revealed, “So often people ‘forget my present at home’ and say they’ll just give it to me when I see them at Christmas. I know this is total BS because I still only get one gift.”

And when I asked Mum, she put it pretty bluntly, “You get either a crappy Christmas present or a crappy birthday present.”

RELATED: Dad slammed for wife’s ‘thoughtless’ birthday present

"Gee thanks, I've always wanted one of those..." Source: iStock

It’s time to do better

On behalf of all December and January babies, it’s time for the rest of us to do better.

Start considering a thoughtful gift at the beginning of November so you have time to give it the time it deserves.

If anything, you’ve got the whole year of EOFY and Black Friday sales to capitalise on.

I’m not saying you need to spend hundreds of dollars but put some effort into choosing.

I love a good ol’ DIY project and have made personalised cards, t-shirts and lunchboxes as gifts in the past.

I also love a visit to the local Vinnies store, where I’ve found books and cute little knick knacks.

So, while she’s too little to complain, I’m not, so take this as notice: your lame combined birthday/Christmas present is not a thing.

Sincerely, 
A parent of a December baby

Originally published as Oi relatives! Combined presents are not a thing