It’s always been our family’s tradition for both grandparents and parents to each give Easter baskets to the grandchildren. The Easter Bunny leaves an Easter basket for each child in their home filled with surprises and also leaves an Easter basket for each grandchild at their grandparents’ home, filled with good treats and small gifts.
A few months ago, a young mother emailed me asking leaving more than one basket is done by other people, too. She said she never heard of it. I know that my friends and I all do this, but I can’t speak for others elsewhere. The young mother thought that the Easter Bunny should leave baskets only at her home for her children to make it a special tradition for the parents to give to their children.
Apparently, her father and his girlfriend wanted to have Easter baskets for the grandchildren, too. She had asked her father and his girlfriend to honor her request of having the Easter Bunny leave baskets at only her home. They told her they were going to give Easter baskets, too, and implied they would give higher priced gifts than the mother usually included.
I believe the grandparents are wrong for going against her wishes. My advice is to try to find a compromise, allowing the grandparents to participate in some way with the grandchildren. Perhaps the Easter Bunny can leave Easter baskets at the children’s home as the mother wishes and the grandparents can give them the gift of a (not too expensive) fun experience creating memories to share for years to come. It may eliminate the feeling of competition for which I felt was an underlying force.
What advice do have for this young mother? What advice do you have for the grandparents?
The grandparents should definitely give in to the mother’s wishes and skip the second Easter basket. On the other hand, if the parents are fine with a second basket, I see nothing wrong with giving one. I have sometimes given a second Easter basket at my own house, but usually I just give a small Easter-themed toy or game.
As a grandparent I am a strong believer in family traditions and respecting “what the parents” want. If grandparents want to give their grandchildren a gift, why not stick with the Easter theme such as stuffed bunnies, books, etc. and put it in an Easter Bag!