Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for November 30, 2012

Now that I think about it… didn’t Jolly “Saint Nicholas” use to give away money on Christmas…??

They should give Holly her wish, with a choice. Along with it comes the "Freedom to live without the oppression of living in a warm house, with all her needs taken care of, (food, clothing, etc.)

In the last panel, ‘Val’ sounds like my oldest daughter when something is being discussed that she doesn’t want to discuss—‘MOVIN’ ON’!!!!

I’m sorry, but for once I have to agree with the kids. While I don’t think that everyone should spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas gifts (and far too many people go overboard), limiting children to one gift under $50 seems Scroogelike—especially since I’m sure Val and her sister weren’t similarly limited when they were younger. My parents were far from wealthy, but if we got one big gift (like a dollhouse or a bike) we still got some smaller gifts so we had more than one thing to open.To play devil’s advocate, though, we DID only get gifts at Christmas—it seems kids today get new stuff every other week. But it doesn’t seem that way in this strip, so I’m still having trouble with the edict.

I bet parents who do the limit the presents thing don’t limit the amount of beer they guzzle, drinks they swill or cigarettes they smoke. It’s just a case of the “ME” generation growing up and not wanting to leave their “ME” space…

I also agree with Phoebe. One large gift and a few smaller ones, and then a stocking, with crayons, etc. My girls were very young (4 & 6, maybe) when my first husband died and we had to move in with my parents. They gave each of the girls a dollar’s worth of pennies, wrapped in about six or seven boxes, a few pennies in each box. They still talk about how much fun it was – and they are over 40.

I agree with Phoebe as well. It’s possible to celebrate Christmas with more than one gift without going overboard.@Dampwaffle – How do you go from giving presents to drinking beer and smoking cigarettes?? That was quite a leap of logic.

I just find it harder and harder to think of gifts for my 8 grandsons who are all teens and older. So money is good with a small gift.

In ways I agree with the mom on gift giving limited but for children bad carma. The sisters and mom could limit to one for themselves.My family is grown and we meet with sister/husband, our mom, and now sister/husband mom. We draw names with smaller cash limit. Gift card work wonders.For Dampwaffle I get what he gets at. Parents who claim not much money spend on unneccesary smoking and beer.

I’m agreeing with the one larger (any definition of ‘larger’) and numerous smaller ones. It is just fun to unwrap something to see what is inside, that it is for us is a bonus. I love the pennies wrapped separately…what fun!

My eldest son received a rock from a friend for his birthday because that is all the kid had to give (widow’s mite). That rock moved with us because it was the best gift he said. I’m sure it is still in his stuff…he’s 32yrs. old. It wasn’t painted or anything, just a rock off the ground. When he didn’t show up my son asked me to call him and the boy said he didn’t have a gift and I told him that my son wanted HIM at his party not the gift so I drove over and picked him up. He had wrapped the rock in a scrap of paper, it might not’ve been gift wrap either. None of the kids at the party scoffed at it. Talk about a beautiful moment for a bunch of 8-9 year old boys.

I would take 1 gift if its something I really wanted

I find this series of strips to be pretty depressing. If they want to enjoy a more meaningful Christmas with the girls they should focus instead on the giving aspect of the holiday. Rather than focusing on how much money they are spending they should encourage the kids to search out a meaningful gift to give to their parents/siblings etc. They might want to think about that themselves too… It’s funny how the gifts that are really thoughtful and meaningful don’t necessarily cost a whole lot. They seem very grinchy to me.

I was really surprised 1 year about my daughter. She was 10 at the time. We were not well off but always tried to get the kids (2) something they wanted with in reason and like most have said- a few small gifts. My daughter that year had gone through surgery and some radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid and lympth node cancer and basically was cured. We asked her what she would like for Xmas and all she said was that we had given her life and she was happy. She never expected anything after that. That really put me back on track of what Christmas really meant and what should be all year round. The kids still got presents but I think the best one we ever had was the doctrors being able to save her.

Maybe because the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree? Also, I don’t find it depressing. I think it gives people a chance to discuss, as we are here, what is truly meaningful about the celebration of Christmas!

I’m siding with the girls on this one. If you raise the girls with a yearly expectation of a loot haul on a particular day of the year, and then just randomly decide to take it away without discussion or persuasion, you’re essentially punishing your children.