My parents and I always had a simple process. They would ask me ahead of time if there was anything special I wanted for Christmas. And if there was, I would tell them. If they couldn’t afford what I asked for, they would tell me. We worked out ahead of time what my “big” present would be. And then they filled in with small surprises and stocking stuffers. They did their best to get me something I truly wanted. I don’t ever remember being disappointed, but I think my requests were reasonable.



