She And Her Wife Are Making Their Kids Write Research Papers Justifying Each Expensive Christmas Gift They Want, And Her Family Thinks It’s Ridiculous
This thirty-eight-year-old woman and her wife, who is forty-one, have three kids together– a daughter who is fifteen and twin boys who are fourteen.
And now that all three kids are teenagers, they are also apparently “at the stage” where they are asking for pretty expensive gifts for Christmas.
“Their grades are okay, they do their chores, and are mostly kind to each other,” she noted.
On top of that, some of the gifts her kids asked for were reasonable– such as socks, hair care products, sports stuff, etc.
According to her, though, they each also wanted a ton of other expensive items, too– including new iPhones, name-brand clothes and shoes, game systems, bags, and jewelry.
And after she and her wife added up how much everything would cost, they were shocked since the entire list came out to a few thousand dollars.
Now, don’t get me wrong– she claims that she and her wife both have jobs that enable them to technically afford all of that stuff. But they still think to spend that much money is just ridiculous.
So, she and her wife came up with a plan.
They told each child that for the expensive gifts, they had to write an extensive research paper about the companies that manufactured them.
annanahabed – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The research would need to include points such as where the companies source their materials, how much the companies profit each year, and how much the companies pay their employees.
“The research has to be detailed, and they have to justify why they want the gifts and how it would improve their lives,” she added.
After she told her kids about the new Christmas gift requirement, though, they were obviously not pleased.
She claimed that they “of course, cried about it” before bringing up some valid issues with the plan.
For instance, her daughter pointed out how she would have to write six research papers alone. Plus, her sons were upset that they could not share the work since they wanted some of the same items.
Word of her and her wife’s plan also spread to the rest of the family, and they received a ton of mixed reviews. According to her, some family members are on their side.
But many other people have called her and her wife both terrible parents and jerks. Her aunt even threatened to call Child Protective Services (CPS) on them, and both she and her wife’s mothers said that the kids should just get to be kids. So, they should give them gifts without expectations.
However, she does want to clarify that she will be buying the kids what they need without any research needed.
For example, her daughter needs new eyeglasses and will be receiving that gift. But, she believes there is no way in hell her daughter “needs” an iPhone 14 or the Kylie Jenner makeup products “when Target exists.”
She also claims neither of her sons truly needs several pairs of gym shoes– which they included on their Christmas lists. But they do need a pair of basketball shoes to play the sport in.
“I know Christmas is about giving, but we think it’s fair to have them work for it,” she explained.
So, despite her children’s upset, she and her wife have given the kids until December 5 to hand in their research papers. And if the kids do not finish the reports, they will not get said gift.
Still, though, after dealing with all of the backlashes from her family, she and her wife have been forced to reevaluate their holiday gift plan.
And now, she has been left wondering if making her children write research reports for Christmas is way too extreme and makes her a jerk.
Do you think parents should make their children complete homework assignments if they want expensive Christmas gifts? Are her family members right about the research papers being extreme, or is it a good way to teach kids the value of time and money? If you were in her shoes, would you ever go through with this plan?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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