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Obviously it's far different than for me and kids today where we got things like electronics, video games, etc. But for you, what kinds of gifts did you get? And not sure if you felt different, but I know how disappointing it was when I'd open up a present just to get clothes lol.
Dolls, books. I would always request books, as I loved reading. I was disappointed when I would open up a present, only to find socks & new underwear lol. But they were good practical & helpful to the family gifts. I think as a teen, it became gifts of toiletries, bubble baths & perfumes etc. Nothing like the extravaganza of today.
the top three that i remember while i was 10 or younger:
1. Roy Rogers cowboy hat and two "6-guns".
2. Luis Aparicio "signature" baseball glove.
3. my grandfather's briefcase which became my "book-bag"
until it finally fell apart in High School. sort of like Alex's
in the Family Ties TV show.
For birthdays when we were little, we'd get a new doll or teddy bear (not both), along with new pajamas/socks/undies. For Christmas, we'd get the same thing, along with a tiny box of chocolates, a candy cane, and an orange.
When we got older, we'd get something simple like a jigsaw puzzle, along with new pajamas/socks/undies.
Birthdays weren't a huge deal. We usually had a cake with candles and a handful of kids come over for some fun and games. No complaints here. For Christmas we usually got sports equipment. My sister loved getting dolls. We always got a long sock stuffed with nuts, fruits and hard candy that huge over the fireplace.
I, too, was sorely disappointed if I ever received clothing as a gift. To me, that wasn’t a gift, it was a boring necessity. Here are some of the things I remember receiving as a child:
Jigsaw puzzles
Books
Horse figurines - my favorite was a very large plastic pinto horse with a saddle and bridle (it was my only birthday present that year, but I was thrilled)
Paint by number sets, and one crafty thing that was like paint by number but used small colored stones that you glued in place
Barbies and clothes
Hand puppets - I remember Heckle and Jeckel (two crows), and Casper the Friendly Ghost
Colored pencils
New crayons and a coloring book
Stuffed animals - my favorite was a white poodle
Dolls - my favorite was a large Revlon doll with platinum blonde hair
A red and black plaid lunchbox
A bedroom wastebasket (seeing the package under the tree, I was sure it was a drum, and I was so excited until I opened it)
A wooden puzzle made of geometric shapes in different colors that you could arrange in various patterns
A kaleidoscope
A set of perfume and bubble bath for little girls
A ceramic oil lamp and a bottle of cinnamon scented oil (I was afraid of the oil and never used the lamp, but it was a wonderful gesture, because the lady who gave it to me knew I loved to hear her tell stories about her life as a child in the olden days when they used oil lamps)
And then there was the year I was in fourth grade and I told my mom I only wanted two things for Christmas - an umbrella with a straight handle, and an egg cup (I’m sure she wondered who replaced her 10 year old daughter with an elderly British lady)
Books (lots), dolls, board games, horse figurines and models for my collection, various other toys, bicycle(s), and usually specific clothes that I wanted. For example one year I wanted a royal blue wool coat with a grey mouton lamb collar; got it, too. Another year it was a white skirt quilted with sparkly gold thread. I have a picture of me wearing it to dinner after my birthday because my birthday was on a weekday that year and my dad had to work. Money was always a welcome gift because then I could buy what I wanted with it. My mom always tried to get me to save it, and sometimes it did go into my piggy bank but not for long, LOL!
For my 16th birthday I was told I could pick the restaurant (something my dad usually did) and I chose the Forum of the Twelve Caesars in NYC. My mom took me shopping beforehand for whatever dress I wanted and I picked a gold lamee cocktail dress. My dad gave me a white orchid corsage before we left and because I didn't want to poke a pinhole in the dress I wore in it my hair. I still remember what I ordered: Caesar salad, truffle-stuffed squab, and crepes Suzette for dessert. The restaurant was amazing and so was the food.
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Another year it was a white skirt quilted with sparkly gold thread. I have a picture of me wearing it to dinner after my birthday because my birthday was on a weekday that year and my dad had to work. Money was always a welcome gift because then I could buy what I wanted with it. My mom always tried to get me to save it, and sometimes it did go into my piggy bank but not for long, LOL!
