Gift Question

18 years ago

I work in a small office, 4 other girls & me. We already had our drawing to see whose name you get in our gift exchange, which will be on the 18th. I've only been here for one previous Christmas & we didn't have a gift exchange last year. But I bought a small gift for each of the girls last year. This year I bought a large gift for the girl whose name I drew & I'm wondering if I should include her in the small gifts I give to the other girls, or should I just leave it at the one large gift? I give out the small gifts on the last day of work, the 21st, & by then we'll have had our gift exchange. I'm thinking I should include her with the small gifts, but then again I'll have bought her 2 gifts & everyone else only one. Hope this isn't too confusing. Any help would be appreciated.

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Comments (12)

enjoyingspring
18 years ago
I would not give her a second gift.
socks
18 years ago
I agree with Enjoying. She gets a big gift.

Put yourself in her place. Would you feel slighted if you just got a big gift? I don't think so.
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naughtykitty
18 years ago
I would include her in the small gift. If you received a different for the gift exchange name you would have given her the small one.
lydia1959
18 years ago
If the small gift is something really small (under $5.00) I would probably go ahead and include her since your last day is several days after the party. OR you could just give the other girls their gifts right after the party, then they'd all go home with a gift.
uxorial
18 years ago
Does everyone else also buy a gift for every person in the office? Or are you the only one who does this? I'm wondering if the gift exchange this year was decided on because the others didn't want to feel "obligated" to buy four gifts (like you did last year).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I probably wouldn't buy gifts for all the others this year, as I'd assume that the gift exchange is being done instead. But if you're buying a gift for everyone because you want to, not because the others all do too, then I would buy a small second gift for your designated gift recipient (assuming you can afford to).
Kathsgrdn
18 years ago
I wouldn't buy small gifts for everyone else. The whole point of the swap is so there is only one person to buy for.
carla35
18 years ago
I think you should go ahead and buy her the small gift too. Otherwise, she's sort of cheated. Look at it this way... It doesn't really matter who it is from but all the other girls will get a big gift (say for $25) AND a small gift ($5) totalling $30; If she'd only get a big gift ($25) then she'd be shorted the extra $5 and she and the others would probably secretly hope you don't get them next year because they'd only get one gift -- LOL

Really though, it sounds like the gift exchange is something totally separate and your wanting to give a little something to everyone for Christmas is a different thing altogether, right?; I would say either don't give those extra gifts at all, or be sure to include her.
donna_oh
18 years ago
I agree with Carla!

Have fun, Donna (^_^)
jannie
18 years ago
I would also give her the two gifts. The big gift is expected. The little gifts are someting you supposedly WANT to do on your own.
Mickey15
18 years ago
I agree with Carla, too.
sue_va
18 years ago
I think it matters as to what happened last year. There was no name drawing. You were new. You bought gifts for everybody. Did the others give to everybody? If they didn't, then you sort of upset the apple cart, and it was decided this year to draw names.

If everyone gave to everyone last year, ask one of the them, privately, if they will be giving to all again, or did the name drawing change that.

I think name drawing is the best idea, with a set $$ limit.

If the name drawing is the rule now, I wouldn't give small gifts to the others.

I like the KISS method in a lot of circumstances.

K I S S = Keep it Simple, Sweetie.

Sue
judy_jay
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for all the replies everyone. I think I'm going on the philosophy that I'm giving small gifts to all (since I bought them already anyway) & a gift exchange large gift to one. We all exchanged small gifts last year, but just didn't have the drawing thingy. This way, no one gets left out, and as someone said, they each get a "big" gift & a "small" gift.

Gift Question

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enjoyingspring

socks

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