In family homes across Britain, Christmas morning will kick off with excitable little ones rushing downstairs to tear into piles of gift-wrapped goodies under the tree.
But apparently not all parents are enthusiastic at the prospect. One mother sparked a debate on Mumsnet when she asked if it would be unreasonable not to let her children have any new toys this year.
The mother of two was concerned about her daughters’ bedrooms ‘overflowing’ with toys and that she’d asked relatives to avoid ‘cumbersome’ gifts, adding that she was wary of ‘spoiling’ the girls.
But while some mothers said they were similarly reluctant to add to mounting clutter, others confirmed her fears it would be ‘cruel’ to deny her girls new toys on Christmas morning.
A mother asked Mumsnet users if she was being unreasonable to not want her children to get any toys for Christmas this year (file image)
User CallMeMaybeee prompted a flood of responses, and some parents agreed that they found piles of toys unnecessary, and even suggested solutions for dealing with the influx of extra clutter.
But others said that she was being unfair to her children and ‘ruining Christmas’.
One user said: ‘ I personally think Christmas is all about the toys for kids. There are a certain amount of years your house will have a lot of toys, but it’s not forever’
Another said: ‘Most kids have far too much. We didn’t buy our kids anything for xmas last year!’
Above is the original question posted. She asked if she was being cruel to not want her children to have any toys this year for Christmas
Her question prompted a mixture of opinions, with some agreeing with her
Rather than criticise her decision, some of the mums passed on their tips for making space for the new influx of toys come December 25.
One user suggested teaching her children to embrace Advent, by choosing a toy was a good deed and helpful for making space. This means for every day of December they choose a toy to donate.
Another user was outraged by the question, she said: ‘One feels sad for your children, surely they will not give a fig about the uncluttered space when they are discussing toys at school.
‘Sounds incredibly selfish on your part.’
However not all agreed with her, for some users, the question caused outrage
She was told to ‘not ruin Christmas’ for her children and that she was ‘sucking the joy’ out of the magical day