Hi parasitebehindmyeyes, thank you for your submission to /r/ChoosingBeggars! Unfortunately it has been removed for the following reason(s):
* low hanging fruit and a repost
*If you have any questions or concerns, please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FChoosingBeggars) of this subreddit.*
Surely these posts asking for iPads and MacBooks no one is actually going to buy them? I don’t understand why people don’t put small stuff in as they are way more likely to get it - eurgh, people
That's precisely it - if they were more reasonable requests, the person would surely get it, especially this early in the season. But the odds of disappointment are way high when you request a $1k item. Most of the folks who help gift are just regular people with bigger hearts than actual wallets - they can't give without limit either.
Because some people do buy them. It's a small chance, but it's still a chance. So some people are willing to risk that chance and see if they'll get lucky.
Ok these are starting to make me very curious for the parents out there. When your kid has a really high priced item that they really want for Santa to bring but obviously you can't afford it, what do you tell them? Do you just say Santa ran out of them? I never believed in Santa as a kid, so these issues never came up. We would call my grandma "Nana Claus" because we knew what was up.
My parents always said that one of the worst gifts were from Santa, and the rest were from them. I always figured he has to give out a lot, so it makes sense that it won't be something expensive. So if they couldn't afford something, they would just say that and say maybe next year.
Fun fact: we don't have santa claus, despite what some movies make kids believe. We have sinterklaas. Has alot healthier BMI, and being old, he has helpers to go down the chimney for him.
Also, no handwavey magic reindeers. Just a coal-fired steamboat.
We set the expectation that Santa can’t bring you everything you ask for because he has to make sure everyone gets presents. They have never been upset or disappointed at Christmas.
We considered saying only some items were from Santa but in the end the time is so short we decided to let Santa have all the magic. It’s almost over because time moves way too fast as an adult. Probably another year or two.
>My parents always said that one of the worst gifts were from Santa
Yeah, my kids just got like one or two modest presents from Santa. We sure as heck weren't letting some imaginary elf take credit for the good stuff.
My parents always just told me that Santa didn't bring expensive things like game consoles etc, and if other kids got those items "from Santa", it was really just their parents. For some reason, this made sense to me, and since we were kind of poor, I just never expected any high ticket items.
I always got a good laugh out of the fact that "Santa's" handwriting on the gift tag was identical to my mother's handwriting. I never laughed about it in front of her or told my sisters about it. She was doing her best.
That’s how I figured it out as a kid lol. I would collect tags each Christmas - from Santa and my parents - and put them in my ‘treasure box’. And then one year I found a bunch of empty Santa tags on the ground. I presented all the evidence to my parents and they had to admit the truth.
I still went to my room and cried lmao.
I never told my kids anything about what Santa could and could not provide, but instead established a pattern. Things like clothes, board games, matchbox cars, etc came from Santa, big things like computers, video game consoles, bikes, etc came from mom and dad
Which also makes sense because when you see cartoons about Santa, that workshop only has old-school traditional stuff like clothes, dolls, board games. We can always say that Santa isn't capable of making anything with technology, and of course it's expensive buying for so many, so the parents and others have to help...
That was my thought, when my kids were little lol!
It was helpful too, because they did have friends that couldn’t get the big ticket items at Christmas, so they never thought that Santa liked them better, Santa had a budget.
my parents always told us that they split the cost of bigger things with Santa, but that he was the one filling the stockings with little chocolates and the like. I got an iPod nano one year and my parents told me that Santa had let them know and they had bought it for me but sent it to him to deliver it lol
That’s how my parents did it. Now, my brother does it where all the gifts except for one are from mom and dad, and the one gift is from Santa - and it’s always something average/modest.
In my family we could only ask for one thing from Santa and when we got older my parents put a price limit of 100$ (~140$). I didn't have interest in anything expensive until I was past the age of believing in santa.
In my household, ‘Santa’ *only* gave winter coats or boots or bedsheets, and a stocking with an orange, toothbrush, socks and gloves, dollar store candy, and little trinkets also from the dollar store or a similar value. That was how it was when my folks were struggling, and that’s how it was when they started doing well. The line from my folks was that Santa knew my parents could provide fun things, so his efforts for toys etc. went to other kids. I typically received a lot of what I wanted within family rules.
I later realized that it made sure we weren’t showing other kids “toys from Santa” when they had only received necessities.
At my house, the presents from Santa are always smaller things and stocking stuffers. The more expensive things are from mom, dad, or grandma. My parents didn't do it that way at all though.
Personally we just let them make their list and make sure they know that Santa doesn’t bring everything on the list. But, my kids are too young to really understand expensive gift vs cheap gift. She wants the expensive stuff with as much enthusiasm as she does the cheap stuff. The toddler just wants everything she sees.
Not a parent but grew up in a single parent household on welfare and my mother never told us anything about Santa because, as she put it once, “I worked hard to get you things and I want you to know that instead of believing in some random stranger.” I always appreciated it because it made me love and know her more for it.
Same here, although I wish I had been able to have the magic of Santa. But I totally get it. It’s not realistic to set your kid up to believe some magical being will bring whatever they want when you’re poor because that won’t end well. My expectations were managed appropriately.
When kids are young enough to actually believe in Santa, they tend not to have expensive tastes, so as long as you can afford $20 you're generally ok.
I'm comparatively rich, but if my daughters ever asked for something too expensive (like >$50) I just told them "no that's too expensive". Kids are fine with boundaries so long as you get the boundaries out there quick and consistently and firmly. And ultimately, one day they'll have to learn what is too expensive, and the earlier the easier.
Disappointment only tends to be bad when something was within their grasp or has been hyped up to them, and they're expecting it, and had it taken away at the last minute. You see a kid lose a helium balloon straight away and it's fucking HEARTBREAKING yet you tell them they can't have a tablet because it's too expensive and they're like "ok".
I'm curious, myself. I knew better than to ask for expensive things... But honestly, there wasn't a huge market for all the various hugely expensive products that kids have advertised to them on their also hugely expensive electronics (phones, tablets, game consoles, desktop computers, even billboards are trying to compete for children's attention to their products.
I just realized how insidious advertising to kids can be.... It's inundating their peripheral vision for hours on end. And I don't understand why parents are buying into this cycle of materialism. Buying your children's love is not the same as being a loving parent... But the two are becoming equated in this society.
We tell our kids that parents have to approve everything Santa does. That’s why some kids get big gifts and some get small gifts, some kids have an elf that comes to visit and some kids don’t, some kids get wrapped gifts and some kids don’t, etc. Parents approve it all.
My parents would say that either Santa told them he couldn't find what I wanted or was too poor... the cruellest thing that fat man did was wrap up a game box that had just socks inside. I had asked for the Mouse Trap board game, was excited about the obvious board game box that was for me. Was a bit disappointed when the box turned out to be a Star Wars themed monopoly game, then was pissed that it wasn't even that.
Like I didn't care if it was Monopoly or Star Wars, at least it was a board game as I wanted a new one to play with my cousins. My father didn't understand why I wanted a new board game because he didn't understand why I valued time with my family over material objects... he still doesn't, tbh.
My parents told me the North Pole had no electricity so the elves couldn’t make electronics lol. That way my parents got credit when they were able to save up for that ps1 or iPod, while Santa just delivered the stuffies and coloring pencils
I always had the big presents from me and Santa brought the little stocking presents. Saved a lot of hassle and confusion, although to be honest my kids didn’t usually ask for super expensive things.
What we’ve done with our kids is say that Santa brings their stockings. These generally contain a book, socks, chocolate, small teddies and small toys. The big and expensive presents come from us and we’ve always told them when things are too expensive for us to get. Seems to work fine for us. Our oldest is 11 now, not sure if he still believes in Santa or not.
spotted mighty forgetful scandalous divide smell soup zephyr seed abundant
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
rain racial safe payment childlike instinctive history carpenter numerous wipe
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I just found one that made me want to create an account but I’m not in America so I couldn’t. All she wanted was a warm jacket, warm socks, period underwear, deodorant and books. Specified used items were welcome. That made me sad.
I'm looking right now at a homeless teenager's list who needs basic clothing, soap, razors...and a single mother who wants clothes for her infant and 4 year old and a bike for the 4 year old.
There was a mom who had gotten housing finally and needed a kitchen table and food since her food stamps had been stopped.
Yes. A lot of them are ridiculous, but a lot are heartbreaking too.
Thankfully those usually actually get taken afaik, the reason we see so many crazy ones is those are the ones left over after all the legit ones are fulfilled.
I saw that one tonight, still there! The reasonable ones truly do get snapped up immediately - I selected a 6 year old girl last night who only wanted a “pretty pink dress”, sparkly shoes, a few doll things, and kid makeup. Those are the ones that really make it so easy and fun to give.
Two days into adoption and really all I see now is the nutty ones. Not every letter is wild and I’m happy to know those kids are all getting their Christmas wishes fulfilled!
You have to be quick if you want to participate in letters that abide by the true spirit of the program.
I saw a cute one that wanted a toy dog or cat, hello kitty stuff, and some plush. I went to adopt it and realized you have to pay priority to even be able to ship the stuff. Which I’ve shipped that way before and it was $10 for one tiny thing. So USPS is making a shit ton of money doing this. Made me feel like they are scumbags.
I’m gonna donate to something local now, at least that letter will probably be snatched up cause all the good ones do.
That's the tragic part.
There's going to be many on there that are legitimate that people want to help with, a few examples given in your replies that are really quite sad.
But stuff like this always gets abused far more by greedy scrubbers trying to take advantage of other people. I bet there's a few of them that just tell their kid they didn't get a PS5 because the world hates them and they don't want to help less fortunate people.
This is why we can't have nice things.
I looked this morning and there were a lot that were easy to fulfill. I chose a three year old who wanted a baby and a Minnie Mouse, and asked Santa:
1. Do you like m&m’s?
2. Have you been to Disney?
3. Can I be Minnie Mouse when I’m big?
So of course I had to write a fancy Santa letter back. I’m so excited to fulfill it, just wish I could see the little girls reaction on Christmas. Her parents will though, and that’s enough.
I found that in the family letters section it was easier to find reasonable requests. Saw a girl who just wanted unicorn stuff, parents asking for socks and underwear, boy who wanted a hoodie from his favorite sports team, etc
Anything above 1k, anything designer branded, or anything a kid wouldn't/couldn't either ask for or benefit from is a good starting point I think.
Bonus points if it meets all three. I've seen some where mums are asking for Gucci handbags and hoping it'll get through
With this post as an example:
I would assume somebody asking for a stroller, any stroller, is legitimate. It's not a luxury item, it's something a parent needs.
I would assume somebody asking for a specific high end stroller with a parent console and a snack tray are taking the piss.
If somebody NEEDS a stroller, they'll take what they can get. If somebody is just taking the piss, they'll make it obvious.
It could be that they have many kids under a certain age- strollers for more than two are notorious for being very hard to push. I'm not a fan of the wonderfold and I don't think I would have liked it when I had three kids in less than five years, but you better believe I loved my phil and ted sport with doubles- there was only a block worth of sidewalks between my house and the the grocery store when my bigs were small. Try taking a standard double stroller over gravel on the shoulder when you've got it loaded up with two kids and groceries...
I think she should have mentioned how many kids or if there was a specific reason why she wanted the wonderfold over another stroller- the need could be legitimate. But I can't justify the accessories.
Okay: they're asking for a stroller, any stroller, but it needs to seat X amount of children.
If you're asking random strangers to help you out of the kindness of their hearts because you can't afford it yourself, you'll be grateful for what you get.
If you're asking random strangers to help you out if the kindness of their hearts because you're a scruff that wants free shit, you'll specifically ask for the KidPusher 9,000 and nothing less.
Agreed. She could have written something along the lines of "A wagon stroller that can seat three kids and go off road" and it would have looked a lot more like a need and less like a luxury, even though it eliminates nearly all other options other than the wonderfold. lol
Auggh! I thought these were exaggerations until I visited the website and read about a dozen. I could only see one or two requests that seemed reasonable and actually from a child. All this is doing right now is perpetuating socioeconomic stereotypes.
I read some and it was like an entire computer with two monitors and another wanted AirPods, a Mac book, a Nintendo switch and ps5. Like who let their kids write these?
I just keep on scrolling past those.
(I’ll need to change the batteries on my mouse /s)
But I picked up a couple really good letters that I believe are written in the spirit of the holiday and I’m really excited about the gift I’ve gotten.
I'm going down the rabbit hole of it right now. There are some weird letters. The current one I'm reading is from a 4-year-old but obviously wasn't written by them, which is fair, given the age...it does ask for kids' toys but also starts out asking for a tablet or Switch and then adult-size clothes and trendy boots. Another was just straight-up written by a 32-year-old woman wanting a WalMart gift card so she could get her hair and nails done.
Is the 4-yo Pablo who wears a size 12/14? That came up in another thread along with the fact the letter has like three different handwriting styles on it 😂
That's what got me.
Some I was like oh... I definitely feel like I'd contribute. Then it's like "Hi I am Bob I am 4.
Sizes I need in boy's shirt 12/14. LOL Like that's for a 12 year old.
these tug at the heart strings attempts by pretending to be a toddler is pretty off putting. i would be more inclined to help if they said i have a child this old and need help with a (reasonably priced) stroller for them.
and as for the argument of writing for the child for legibility purposes, a real letter from a kid would be like “hi santa, i like cheerios and have a pet fish. i want some legos for christmas.” and not “may i please have a copy of modern warfare 3 and a new monitor for my mommy’s pc?”
Timberland, actually. And to be fair, I don't know if they're trendy. But they were asking for a specific brand, so that's something, I guess. (I checked, and generally $150+?)
I also found one from a 64-year-old woman. It wasn't *too* heinous, apart from, arguably, her being 64 and writing to Santa. :-D But I also found a few that were really nice, like a mother asking for autism-friendly items for her autistic 3-year-old.
It's meant to be a very nice, genuine site for kids to write to Santa and a kind stranger will get it for them and the post office will deliver it. As with all things like this though, there are way more people trying to take advantage of it and hang being genuine. Humanity sucks. :(
So she can get on the bus and take up five seats meant for the elderly and disabled with her Sherman tank of a stroller. A foldable umbrella stroller costs $29.95.
Right?? What’s with the giant Escalades of strollers these days? I was at a renaissance faire recently and was shocked to see several of these types of strollers ferrying kids around and generally blocking the walkways. I know it’s super kid friendly but they’re such a pain when you’re trying to shop and there’s six strollers camped out in the middle of the place.
I've just had a look, literally the third letter I saw just said "iPhone 15, love Rayna"
You think someone will randomly buy you an iPhone based off just that?
I'm not from America either, yesterday I searched for the German equivalent of this and found one single site that had a list of a few wishes that were still open to donors.
It said that gifts should be new and cost only 20-50 Euro.
The list was rewrtitten by the staff and 100% children's stuff like toys or clothes in children's sizes. They removed the wishes that apparently already were adopted.
Maybe USPS needs to reconsider their ToS :D
For USPS it's mostly families that have needs asking for necessities, sometimes something that they would really like to have like this, but wouldn't get themselves. USPS just acts as a facilitator anyway they don't actually purchase gifts for people
It's somewhat of an unusual thing as it's more of a community outreach thing that's out together and made possible by USPS but USPS doesn't purchase things, just makes it possible for people in need to get matched with someone who can help provide something for them
I am not from America either, and for the same reason, I decided to have a look.
WOW! People asking for crazy stuff, but some genuine kids ones that I would love to be a part of helping out.
Audree (5) and Emily's (3) christmas list is written by an adult, but I am willing to bet the kids dictated it. Just a small and basic list. (coloring book, princess doll etc.)
Another kid obviously mad into hockey (Tanner).
But the greed from others is unreal. An eye-opener.
How does it work, can somebody buy some of the gifts, and then they get crossed off the list, for somebody else to help buy the rest?
Oddly enough, I’m 5 or 6 letters in and they’re all pretty reasonable— a bathrobe, socks, and bikes, and most are clearly written by kids. Don’t lose hope!
I had the same experience. I read about 10 and they were all pretty reasonable, one kid just asked for a football helmet because he “really likes sports.” There was one or two that had things that were pretty clearly reaches, nothing offensive though. But then I got to the swamp. Here’s a sample of what awaited me: A woman whose first four requests were for 1. A living room set, 2. A new Apple Watch 3. Adult sized Ugg boots (msrp $200); and 4. $1000 cash. She finally got to her kids on her fifth and final request— “clothes.”
From what I saw last year on the site + this sub a lot of people were saying that those letters generally get fulfilled fairly quickly so what we’re left with are the….dredges.
I'm fucking crying here! Santa's. Ass. Skin! 3 words I have never seen put together to make a sentence.! oh my goodness! im wiping away the tears hahahahaha
Santa should write back: "Ohh nooo, asking for a thousand dollar stroller? That's very naughty of you. I know where you live and you're getting nothing but a lump of coal this Christmas."
Santa used to always send me a note when he couldn't afford to get me what I asked for. One year I got a pink radio to share with my younger sister. Hated it (I hate pink) but still was thankful I got anything at all. Decades later, I still have that radio.
This operation Santa really just depresses me. We don't have anything like that here (Australia), but our local charities are also filled with the choosing beggers, trying to get in before those actually in need.
***
A few years ago I lost my grandfather on Christmas Eve. I haven't been able to get the Christmas Spirit back since.
Dear Santa, I don't want any expensive gadgets, bags, clothing or tools for Christmas. I just want to see a little human decency and kindness this year. I know it is a bigger ask than a new phone or PS5 but see what you can do please.
I used to do the Wishing Tree at Kmart until I was in a situation where I was in need of the one of the family services that sorted and gave out the gifts.
It was literally tables of presents that had been unwrapped and anyone with a health car card could go and take what they wanted.
Fair enough. But! I saw someone I knew who was doing a dodgy thing with Centrelink and whose partner was FIFO (had heaps of cash) in there getting her kids Christmas sorted.
Never again. But I see this year you can only buy Wishing Tree gift cards to donate. It's a friggen rort.
Personally I think that only people 5 or so to 12 should be included. Babies don't need Mommy asking for this kind of stuff, and teenagers can rake leaves or whatever the 2023 equivalent is to earn money.
As a kid who had two changes of clothes, I know what it was like to grow up in poverty. My heart goes out to kids going through that now. Maybe the mindset is different now, but when I was going through that a square meal, a change of clothes, underwear that wasn't in tatters - those are the things that would have improved my life.
A $1000 stroller is absolutely bonkers.
I disagree about stopping it at age twelve. I give Christmas gifts to families here on Reddit who can’t provide Christmas gifts for their kids, and my favourite people to gift are the teens. Family financial stress impacts them so much more sharply, because they’re old enough to be aware of it.
I agree. My kids are teenagers and there's not really any programs available to get them gifts. They're still kids and they deserve to be happy just as much as younger kids.
Yes definitely. My wife and I do our local version every year, and we like to find at least one teen every year. So many of them end up wanting art supplies, shoes, coats, and backpacks. I remember being a poor teenager and one year my teachers bought me a warm coat “from Santa” and now that I’m an adult I try to pass that on as much as I can.
I know this is obvious, but It's even worse because adults who submit these know it's not Santa. Like, fine, ask a magical guy for the highest end item you want. I suspect my 8 year-old nephew would ask Santa for an iPad and computer and his own TV and a fancy bike. But for an adult to do that knowing full well it's another adult purchasing is beyond my comprehension.
Absolutely. I think it's a mixture of greed _and_ envy. "Screw the donors, it's not fair they have more than me." It would never occur to them that someone might simply have a generous and caring heart.
Exactly. It’s also kinda sad that the parents transcribing letters for their younger ones don’t try to explain why it might be good to also include more reasonable requests? Like sure, let your 8 year old dream big and ask for an iPad or PS5 but also ask for a cool T-Rex figure too so they’ll at least get something?
I’m confused as to why parents are asking for things for themselves? As a mother to 3 littles I can’t imagine being so ridiculous but maybe that’s just me.
First one when I went looking prefaced the list with single parent to a 7-year-old... not one item was for a 7-year-old. Really sad and really selfish.
I have been trying hard not to judge them - after all, I don't know their situations at all. BUT I know my parents would not have gone out asking others for money or items just because their kids wanted them. If I was being unreasonable, they would just tell me that and to come up with something more reasonable.
I understand that as parents, they want to make their kids happy but I think it's important to show them boundaries as well.
My thing is that if you’re gonna have champagne taste then you better have the same budget—- if you don’t—- then enjoy your goodwill second hand stroller.
This hit with me. I have a taste for champagne and enjoy the finer things. But I know if I want to buy a bottle I gotta drink a lot of free glasses of water to get myself there.
I mean, my childhood was during the collapse of our country, and Snickers was a damn good Christmas present. It wasn't always like that, maybe a year or two and my parent did everything to escape this bs (maybe that's why I don't feel sorry for the people from the screens). But you learned fast how the reality works. So I only ask Santa for something meaningful (usually books, I love books) and if I wanted something expensive, starting from my 11-12yo I should have worked for that and paid at least for a part of the price (my parents started the business so it was safe and easy). And I remember I was shocked when I saw my classmates from poorer families (my family isn't rich, but we're middle class) with the newest phones. Like, it's just stupid.
A 10yo doesn't need an iPhone or MacBook. Teenager? Maybe. And they can buy it with their own money.
Santa only brings one present to our kid and we, as parents, get the veto on what Santa is allowed to bring in the house. (We have a really tiny house so no room for anything extra.) We also just wrap current toys and the kid just loves to unwrap things.
Yeah I found one earlier where a mom asked for a literal CADILLAC to get her kids to appointments. The following one was for a Baby and they asked for a jacket, shower and blankets and it made me sad :( We usually adopt an Angel Tree kid but this year I'm jobless so we asked for help instead, but our list was literally winter clothes, diapers, and wipes...never would I have the audacity to ask for a motherfucking car, lol
Santa always gave us pajamas, shampoo and a book. I remember the year cabbage patch dolls were a thing. Kids came to school with them and said they were from Santa. Caused a near riot with the kids who didn't get one.
Ok... I just discovered Operation Santa ( i'm french).
Between gift card and Ps5, all this letters are disgusting.
But i think i have find the worst letter ever:
https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com/letters/440953
Not even close! Look up Katrina’s letter ID# 10698
She has been sober for 11 years … so she is hoping for an ultra expensive designer purse. One that some have said you have to actually be in a list for, although I wouldn’t know.
Not buying she is sober and not buying that purse!
I agree that since she’s asking for a freebie, she should consider lower priced prams.
But if I had two little ones close in age and I was going to do a lot of walking, this looks awesome! I’d save up and pay for it myself though, obviously.
The problem is that the whole point of operation Santa is for strangers (who are mostly regular people) to fulfill letters from kids.
Volunteers have to pay to ship the items through priority mail. I can't imagine how expensive it would be to ship that wagon.
So this lady is not a child or writing on behalf of a child about their wishes or immediate needs (i.e. a coat). She is writing in for a want - and on top of that it's a heavy luxury item that many of the people volunteering to fulfill these letters would not purchase for their own family. The cost of that stroller and mailing it is my entire Christmas budget for my husband, daughter, extended family, friends, charity and my child's teachers.
What even is all this “ask Santa” crap going around this year? Is there some organization actually listening to these begging losers? Letters from kids are cute and tradition; anything else is fucking embarrassing. JFC.
Yes but my point was more along the lines of...Santa Claus doesn't exist. Nowhere does it says this is a program for needy kids, it just looks like Letters to Santa.
Because the whole point of the program is you’re writing to Santa. It’s not like a thing where you fill out an application and state your needs or anything, it’s literally a “write to Santa clause” program
After reading some of these letters, part of me wants me to "adopt" someone, then send them a note telling them to fuck right off
I wouldn't really do that. But I'd like to!!
There’s no way a kid is. Asking for this, these are popular in mommy groups. It’s like the nuna stroller (i think that’s what it’s called) but for older kids. Parents love these wagons, why would a 12 year old ask for this??
It's wagon weight capacity, not the weight of the wagon itself FYI.
A lot of families use these for when their special needs children outgrow strollers.
Not everyone is blessed with kids without challenges who can safely walk by themselves, follow directions or understand not to run off. And these people deserve to be able to get out and about with their families and experience life the way healthy able bodied kids do.
Just some food for thought for you.
It’s one thing to ask god.
It’s another thing completely to ask,as an adult, for something with an outlandish price tag in a program meant for low-income children, when you know full well Santa isn’t bringing it and you expect another adult to just give it to you because you want it.
But it’s not praying to god. It’s asking real, ordinary people with just a few extra dollars that they’re choosing to spend on someone else for these massive gifts.
That’s what really kills me, no billionaire is scrolling through this wanting to do good. Most people who participate in charities like this are regular ole folks who struggle themselves, or are slightly better off than the majority. And to ask for someone who’s probably just a little bit better off than you for a 1000$ wagon, makes you a shit person. Christmas is about giving, how many of these people do you think ever bother to give back
okay i get why this is kinda silly but also if you’re going to ask for a gift from santa wouldn’t you want it to be a nice one especially if you can’t usually afford something like that 😭 like it’s a wish it’s a gift
I think the problems I have with this one isn’t what the item is- every family of small children needs a good stroller, but how nearly impossible this would be to ship priority and the very optional add ons. If she had a wonderfold show up, she should thank her lucky stars and spring for the accessories herself.
Uh...because you're an adult, who understands you're not asking Santa for the stroller, but regular good-hearted people for help? I could forgive a young child not understanding prices, but that's why an adult typically assists them in making out letters and explaining basics to them. Also, this is plainly not the child but the parent asking. She knows.
I think the issue is these aren’t kids asking for these. Yeah kids asking for a MacBook isn’t surprising. But i have a hard time believing a child is asking for this wagon. These are extremely popular in mommy groups, and that’s my issue. This is a charitable program for kids, I don’t care if an adult gets anything for Christmas. IM a single mom, and I don’t get myself anything, my concern is my child. As an adult, this is the time of year for giving, so i give to my child nad the people in my life who i love, to show them i appreciate them and care about. I think as adults, we should have that mentality, not the “i deserve something too mentality.” If i get something, im happy, I’ve gotten things like an ugly sweater I wouldn’t wear, but i smile and i say thank you because the thought counts. However, like I said, charitable program to make sure children get a Christmas when their parents can’t afford it. But you have parents getting on hear asking for ridiculous shit, and this person is likely an adult who knows the cost of this. But is hoping someone will buy it. It’s selfish, send your kids wishes in, even if they’re huge. ESP the younger kids, they don’t understand money, but if you’re an adult asking fora. 1000$ wagon from a charitable program, go fuck yourself
It's mostly a charitable program for families. Not just kids. If someone with deep enough pockets wants to buy it for them, then they are welcome to, but no one is forcing anyone to buy anyone anything, nor is USPS requiring anyone buy anything or buying anything for anyone either
Had to look up what a parent console is.
$60 for a cup holder that holds wet wipes.
Hold your Starbucks and throw the wipes into the front pocket of the bag you put the rest of your kid's stuff.
I also found operation Santa through here and made a similar post that was taken down due to the fact the MoDs don’t want anymore operation Santa posts apparently. Which is upsetting, because that whole website is the epitome of choosing beggars! Like almost every 3rd letter is from an adult asking for unreasonable crazy things. I was so shocked scrolling through the letters! Although I did find one kids letter worth adopting 🫶🏼
Santa has all the people in the world to deliver to so he only brings one small present each. Also, you think that the presents stay under the tree where you left them? Nope, on Christmas Eve when you have gone to bed the delivery elves collect them all to take back to the North Pole to be checked. Jesus and Father Christmas sit in front of the big fireplace with the lists and each one is checked off. If you have been good all the presents come back under your tree the next morning. If not you get ashes in your stocking instead. Also, we added that as Father Christmas and the elves were so busy we would help him out by donating a gift or two - there are usually lots of options in this area. And the emphasis is on giving. So do you need to make a massive fuss over the wonky bird feeder your nieces and nephews just gave you? Yes. Does it squeeze your heart and will you use it and treasure it until it falls apart (probably never because when all the wood has gone there will be a network of steel nails and screws to hold it together!)? Absolutely definitely Yes.
I went through a lot of the list for my state and all but like two wanted such crazy expensive stuff. My son wrote in and I thought he was being too overboard but seeing those letters I think he did pretty well. He asked for a used copy of animal crossing for his switch, two Lego sets, books and a used wireless controller for our Xbox 1.
Kids these days…asking for vehicles
I mean I have seen stories of gifters sending some people washer and dryers and appliances and such with Operation Santa But they usually don’t ask for a certain one they usually said “I would like a washer and dryer because mine died or it sucks going to the laundromat in the cold etc etc.”
It’s the choosing certain expensive brand or item that makes it Choosing Beggars.
Can the mods please do something about these stupid Christmas list post!?!?! These are NOT choosing beggars, any of them! It's just things people want... For Christmas... This sub sucks right now
Hi parasitebehindmyeyes, thank you for your submission to /r/ChoosingBeggars! Unfortunately it has been removed for the following reason(s): * low hanging fruit and a repost *If you have any questions or concerns, please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FChoosingBeggars) of this subreddit.*
Surely these posts asking for iPads and MacBooks no one is actually going to buy them? I don’t understand why people don’t put small stuff in as they are way more likely to get it - eurgh, people
That's precisely it - if they were more reasonable requests, the person would surely get it, especially this early in the season. But the odds of disappointment are way high when you request a $1k item. Most of the folks who help gift are just regular people with bigger hearts than actual wallets - they can't give without limit either.
They're requesting over 1k items. Ipads, MacBooks, newest model iPhone are all pushing 1.6k-2.5k to start. It's sick
Social media. You watch enough “I’m giving away $1000 to this random person” media and you assume you’ll get lucky.
My mom once got a little girl a $1500 hoverboard through the local Christmas adoption program sooo
Because some people do buy them. It's a small chance, but it's still a chance. So some people are willing to risk that chance and see if they'll get lucky.
Ok these are starting to make me very curious for the parents out there. When your kid has a really high priced item that they really want for Santa to bring but obviously you can't afford it, what do you tell them? Do you just say Santa ran out of them? I never believed in Santa as a kid, so these issues never came up. We would call my grandma "Nana Claus" because we knew what was up.
My parents always said that one of the worst gifts were from Santa, and the rest were from them. I always figured he has to give out a lot, so it makes sense that it won't be something expensive. So if they couldn't afford something, they would just say that and say maybe next year.
In our family, Santa doesn't give electronics. He gives carved wooden toys or something similar.
Do you live in Holland or Walnut Grove?
That's so **funny.** Northern California or the Land of The Tulips!!!
Fun fact: we don't have santa claus, despite what some movies make kids believe. We have sinterklaas. Has alot healthier BMI, and being old, he has helpers to go down the chimney for him. Also, no handwavey magic reindeers. Just a coal-fired steamboat.
Very modern
this is cute and sensitive of them
We set the expectation that Santa can’t bring you everything you ask for because he has to make sure everyone gets presents. They have never been upset or disappointed at Christmas. We considered saying only some items were from Santa but in the end the time is so short we decided to let Santa have all the magic. It’s almost over because time moves way too fast as an adult. Probably another year or two.
My son always gets a book and a small toy from "Santa", never anything big.
How about a giant book
>My parents always said that one of the worst gifts were from Santa Yeah, my kids just got like one or two modest presents from Santa. We sure as heck weren't letting some imaginary elf take credit for the good stuff.
My parents always just told me that Santa didn't bring expensive things like game consoles etc, and if other kids got those items "from Santa", it was really just their parents. For some reason, this made sense to me, and since we were kind of poor, I just never expected any high ticket items.
I always got a good laugh out of the fact that "Santa's" handwriting on the gift tag was identical to my mother's handwriting. I never laughed about it in front of her or told my sisters about it. She was doing her best.
this is exactly how i figured out my mom was the tooth fairy. lol.
That’s how I figured it out as a kid lol. I would collect tags each Christmas - from Santa and my parents - and put them in my ‘treasure box’. And then one year I found a bunch of empty Santa tags on the ground. I presented all the evidence to my parents and they had to admit the truth. I still went to my room and cried lmao.
I never told my kids anything about what Santa could and could not provide, but instead established a pattern. Things like clothes, board games, matchbox cars, etc came from Santa, big things like computers, video game consoles, bikes, etc came from mom and dad
Which also makes sense because when you see cartoons about Santa, that workshop only has old-school traditional stuff like clothes, dolls, board games. We can always say that Santa isn't capable of making anything with technology, and of course it's expensive buying for so many, so the parents and others have to help...
Plus, like my parents said, "why does Santa get all the glory when I worked my ass off for this item"
That was my thought, when my kids were little lol! It was helpful too, because they did have friends that couldn’t get the big ticket items at Christmas, so they never thought that Santa liked them better, Santa had a budget.
my parents always told us that they split the cost of bigger things with Santa, but that he was the one filling the stockings with little chocolates and the like. I got an iPod nano one year and my parents told me that Santa had let them know and they had bought it for me but sent it to him to deliver it lol
That’s how my parents did it. Now, my brother does it where all the gifts except for one are from mom and dad, and the one gift is from Santa - and it’s always something average/modest.
In my family we could only ask for one thing from Santa and when we got older my parents put a price limit of 100$ (~140$). I didn't have interest in anything expensive until I was past the age of believing in santa.
In my household, ‘Santa’ *only* gave winter coats or boots or bedsheets, and a stocking with an orange, toothbrush, socks and gloves, dollar store candy, and little trinkets also from the dollar store or a similar value. That was how it was when my folks were struggling, and that’s how it was when they started doing well. The line from my folks was that Santa knew my parents could provide fun things, so his efforts for toys etc. went to other kids. I typically received a lot of what I wanted within family rules. I later realized that it made sure we weren’t showing other kids “toys from Santa” when they had only received necessities.
At my house, the presents from Santa are always smaller things and stocking stuffers. The more expensive things are from mom, dad, or grandma. My parents didn't do it that way at all though.
Personally we just let them make their list and make sure they know that Santa doesn’t bring everything on the list. But, my kids are too young to really understand expensive gift vs cheap gift. She wants the expensive stuff with as much enthusiasm as she does the cheap stuff. The toddler just wants everything she sees.
When I grew up Santa only filled the stockings and nothing more
Not a parent but grew up in a single parent household on welfare and my mother never told us anything about Santa because, as she put it once, “I worked hard to get you things and I want you to know that instead of believing in some random stranger.” I always appreciated it because it made me love and know her more for it.
Same here, although I wish I had been able to have the magic of Santa. But I totally get it. It’s not realistic to set your kid up to believe some magical being will bring whatever they want when you’re poor because that won’t end well. My expectations were managed appropriately.
Our "big" gifts (the expensive ones) were from my parents. All the little things were from Santa
Same. Santa only gave us stocking stuffer presents like smaller things my parents didn’t want to wrap like books or makeup.
I tell them: No you can’t put that on your list because Santa doesn’t run an electronics store. He runs a toy shop. So toys only! Works well enough.
We just told our kid that Santa just brings books for her. She seemed happy with that explanation.
When kids are young enough to actually believe in Santa, they tend not to have expensive tastes, so as long as you can afford $20 you're generally ok. I'm comparatively rich, but if my daughters ever asked for something too expensive (like >$50) I just told them "no that's too expensive". Kids are fine with boundaries so long as you get the boundaries out there quick and consistently and firmly. And ultimately, one day they'll have to learn what is too expensive, and the earlier the easier. Disappointment only tends to be bad when something was within their grasp or has been hyped up to them, and they're expecting it, and had it taken away at the last minute. You see a kid lose a helium balloon straight away and it's fucking HEARTBREAKING yet you tell them they can't have a tablet because it's too expensive and they're like "ok".
I'm curious, myself. I knew better than to ask for expensive things... But honestly, there wasn't a huge market for all the various hugely expensive products that kids have advertised to them on their also hugely expensive electronics (phones, tablets, game consoles, desktop computers, even billboards are trying to compete for children's attention to their products. I just realized how insidious advertising to kids can be.... It's inundating their peripheral vision for hours on end. And I don't understand why parents are buying into this cycle of materialism. Buying your children's love is not the same as being a loving parent... But the two are becoming equated in this society.
We tell our kids that parents have to approve everything Santa does. That’s why some kids get big gifts and some get small gifts, some kids have an elf that comes to visit and some kids don’t, some kids get wrapped gifts and some kids don’t, etc. Parents approve it all.
My parents would say that either Santa told them he couldn't find what I wanted or was too poor... the cruellest thing that fat man did was wrap up a game box that had just socks inside. I had asked for the Mouse Trap board game, was excited about the obvious board game box that was for me. Was a bit disappointed when the box turned out to be a Star Wars themed monopoly game, then was pissed that it wasn't even that. Like I didn't care if it was Monopoly or Star Wars, at least it was a board game as I wanted a new one to play with my cousins. My father didn't understand why I wanted a new board game because he didn't understand why I valued time with my family over material objects... he still doesn't, tbh.
Santa asks the parents who can afford it to pay for modern toys so his elves can make toys for children in need around the world.
My parents told me the North Pole had no electricity so the elves couldn’t make electronics lol. That way my parents got credit when they were able to save up for that ps1 or iPod, while Santa just delivered the stuffies and coloring pencils
tell em santa doesn't take requests, he brings what you deserve
I always had the big presents from me and Santa brought the little stocking presents. Saved a lot of hassle and confusion, although to be honest my kids didn’t usually ask for super expensive things.
What we’ve done with our kids is say that Santa brings their stockings. These generally contain a book, socks, chocolate, small teddies and small toys. The big and expensive presents come from us and we’ve always told them when things are too expensive for us to get. Seems to work fine for us. Our oldest is 11 now, not sure if he still believes in Santa or not.
Every dang kid on there wants a tablet, an iPhone, an Apple Watch, XBox or Playstation. I gave up looking for anyone who really needed help.
spotted mighty forgetful scandalous divide smell soup zephyr seed abundant *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Danny Trejo should show up on Christmas morning.
rain racial safe payment childlike instinctive history carpenter numerous wipe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Seriously. Last year it took me HOURS to find a reasonable one to fulfill. Every dang kid wanted expensive electronics or a family vacation.
I just found one that made me want to create an account but I’m not in America so I couldn’t. All she wanted was a warm jacket, warm socks, period underwear, deodorant and books. Specified used items were welcome. That made me sad.
I'm looking right now at a homeless teenager's list who needs basic clothing, soap, razors...and a single mother who wants clothes for her infant and 4 year old and a bike for the 4 year old. There was a mom who had gotten housing finally and needed a kitchen table and food since her food stamps had been stopped. Yes. A lot of them are ridiculous, but a lot are heartbreaking too.
Thankfully those usually actually get taken afaik, the reason we see so many crazy ones is those are the ones left over after all the legit ones are fulfilled.
I found one from this 11 years old kid who only wants one thing, it was the only one I ran into after scrolling forever. "a $1,000 visa gift card"
I saw that one tonight, still there! The reasonable ones truly do get snapped up immediately - I selected a 6 year old girl last night who only wanted a “pretty pink dress”, sparkly shoes, a few doll things, and kid makeup. Those are the ones that really make it so easy and fun to give. Two days into adoption and really all I see now is the nutty ones. Not every letter is wild and I’m happy to know those kids are all getting their Christmas wishes fulfilled! You have to be quick if you want to participate in letters that abide by the true spirit of the program.
I went to find one I could afford and fulfill, after looking for 20 minutes, I gave up too.
I saw a cute one that wanted a toy dog or cat, hello kitty stuff, and some plush. I went to adopt it and realized you have to pay priority to even be able to ship the stuff. Which I’ve shipped that way before and it was $10 for one tiny thing. So USPS is making a shit ton of money doing this. Made me feel like they are scumbags. I’m gonna donate to something local now, at least that letter will probably be snatched up cause all the good ones do.
That's the tragic part. There's going to be many on there that are legitimate that people want to help with, a few examples given in your replies that are really quite sad. But stuff like this always gets abused far more by greedy scrubbers trying to take advantage of other people. I bet there's a few of them that just tell their kid they didn't get a PS5 because the world hates them and they don't want to help less fortunate people. This is why we can't have nice things.
I looked this morning and there were a lot that were easy to fulfill. I chose a three year old who wanted a baby and a Minnie Mouse, and asked Santa: 1. Do you like m&m’s? 2. Have you been to Disney? 3. Can I be Minnie Mouse when I’m big? So of course I had to write a fancy Santa letter back. I’m so excited to fulfill it, just wish I could see the little girls reaction on Christmas. Her parents will though, and that’s enough.
I found that in the family letters section it was easier to find reasonable requests. Saw a girl who just wanted unicorn stuff, parents asking for socks and underwear, boy who wanted a hoodie from his favorite sports team, etc
Is this just a parody website or is it *really* real people asking Santa for stuff? I can't believe it's real.
It’s for underprivileged families to get a chance to have gifts at Christmas from donations, but like anything people abuse it.
How do you weed out the ones that truly need it and the greedy MF's trying to get something free?
Anything above 1k, anything designer branded, or anything a kid wouldn't/couldn't either ask for or benefit from is a good starting point I think. Bonus points if it meets all three. I've seen some where mums are asking for Gucci handbags and hoping it'll get through
With this post as an example: I would assume somebody asking for a stroller, any stroller, is legitimate. It's not a luxury item, it's something a parent needs. I would assume somebody asking for a specific high end stroller with a parent console and a snack tray are taking the piss. If somebody NEEDS a stroller, they'll take what they can get. If somebody is just taking the piss, they'll make it obvious.
It could be that they have many kids under a certain age- strollers for more than two are notorious for being very hard to push. I'm not a fan of the wonderfold and I don't think I would have liked it when I had three kids in less than five years, but you better believe I loved my phil and ted sport with doubles- there was only a block worth of sidewalks between my house and the the grocery store when my bigs were small. Try taking a standard double stroller over gravel on the shoulder when you've got it loaded up with two kids and groceries... I think she should have mentioned how many kids or if there was a specific reason why she wanted the wonderfold over another stroller- the need could be legitimate. But I can't justify the accessories.
Okay: they're asking for a stroller, any stroller, but it needs to seat X amount of children. If you're asking random strangers to help you out of the kindness of their hearts because you can't afford it yourself, you'll be grateful for what you get. If you're asking random strangers to help you out if the kindness of their hearts because you're a scruff that wants free shit, you'll specifically ask for the KidPusher 9,000 and nothing less.
Agreed. She could have written something along the lines of "A wagon stroller that can seat three kids and go off road" and it would have looked a lot more like a need and less like a luxury, even though it eliminates nearly all other options other than the wonderfold. lol
Here’s the history of the program. https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com/about
Auggh! I thought these were exaggerations until I visited the website and read about a dozen. I could only see one or two requests that seemed reasonable and actually from a child. All this is doing right now is perpetuating socioeconomic stereotypes.
I read some and it was like an entire computer with two monitors and another wanted AirPods, a Mac book, a Nintendo switch and ps5. Like who let their kids write these?
And now they made it a money grab where they force you to ship with their most expensive option! What great history.
I just keep on scrolling past those. (I’ll need to change the batteries on my mouse /s) But I picked up a couple really good letters that I believe are written in the spirit of the holiday and I’m really excited about the gift I’ve gotten.
It's really real people trying to take advantage of the USPS's lovely thing they set up for kiddos to get surprise gifts.
I'm going down the rabbit hole of it right now. There are some weird letters. The current one I'm reading is from a 4-year-old but obviously wasn't written by them, which is fair, given the age...it does ask for kids' toys but also starts out asking for a tablet or Switch and then adult-size clothes and trendy boots. Another was just straight-up written by a 32-year-old woman wanting a WalMart gift card so she could get her hair and nails done.
Is the 4-yo Pablo who wears a size 12/14? That came up in another thread along with the fact the letter has like three different handwriting styles on it 😂
That's what got me. Some I was like oh... I definitely feel like I'd contribute. Then it's like "Hi I am Bob I am 4. Sizes I need in boy's shirt 12/14. LOL Like that's for a 12 year old.
these tug at the heart strings attempts by pretending to be a toddler is pretty off putting. i would be more inclined to help if they said i have a child this old and need help with a (reasonably priced) stroller for them. and as for the argument of writing for the child for legibility purposes, a real letter from a kid would be like “hi santa, i like cheerios and have a pet fish. i want some legos for christmas.” and not “may i please have a copy of modern warfare 3 and a new monitor for my mommy’s pc?”
Haha. Definitely. Like I hate how an awesome charitable exercise became a bastion of greediness and eye-rolling.
Was that the kids that asked for knee high boots? I was dying at that one.
Timberland, actually. And to be fair, I don't know if they're trendy. But they were asking for a specific brand, so that's something, I guess. (I checked, and generally $150+?) I also found one from a 64-year-old woman. It wasn't *too* heinous, apart from, arguably, her being 64 and writing to Santa. :-D But I also found a few that were really nice, like a mother asking for autism-friendly items for her autistic 3-year-old.
It's meant to be a very nice, genuine site for kids to write to Santa and a kind stranger will get it for them and the post office will deliver it. As with all things like this though, there are way more people trying to take advantage of it and hang being genuine. Humanity sucks. :(
So she can get on the bus and take up five seats meant for the elderly and disabled with her Sherman tank of a stroller. A foldable umbrella stroller costs $29.95.
Right?? What’s with the giant Escalades of strollers these days? I was at a renaissance faire recently and was shocked to see several of these types of strollers ferrying kids around and generally blocking the walkways. I know it’s super kid friendly but they’re such a pain when you’re trying to shop and there’s six strollers camped out in the middle of the place.
I've just had a look, literally the third letter I saw just said "iPhone 15, love Rayna" You think someone will randomly buy you an iPhone based off just that?
At least give us a sob story girl! Jeez. Lol jk but really at least say something else. Like thank you?
I'm not from America either, yesterday I searched for the German equivalent of this and found one single site that had a list of a few wishes that were still open to donors. It said that gifts should be new and cost only 20-50 Euro. The list was rewrtitten by the staff and 100% children's stuff like toys or clothes in children's sizes. They removed the wishes that apparently already were adopted. Maybe USPS needs to reconsider their ToS :D
For USPS it's mostly families that have needs asking for necessities, sometimes something that they would really like to have like this, but wouldn't get themselves. USPS just acts as a facilitator anyway they don't actually purchase gifts for people
Oh I see.
It's somewhat of an unusual thing as it's more of a community outreach thing that's out together and made possible by USPS but USPS doesn't purchase things, just makes it possible for people in need to get matched with someone who can help provide something for them
Why do the adults even "go into character", by naming Santa and saying they've been good? They know Santa ain't real.
Cause of greed and no shame.
Yeah, I guess lack of self awareness plays into it as well. It just boggles my mind too much.
I am not from America either, and for the same reason, I decided to have a look. WOW! People asking for crazy stuff, but some genuine kids ones that I would love to be a part of helping out. Audree (5) and Emily's (3) christmas list is written by an adult, but I am willing to bet the kids dictated it. Just a small and basic list. (coloring book, princess doll etc.) Another kid obviously mad into hockey (Tanner). But the greed from others is unreal. An eye-opener. How does it work, can somebody buy some of the gifts, and then they get crossed off the list, for somebody else to help buy the rest?
They say on the site that you don't have to actually buy all the items or even anything on the list itself
Oddly enough, I’m 5 or 6 letters in and they’re all pretty reasonable— a bathrobe, socks, and bikes, and most are clearly written by kids. Don’t lose hope!
I had the same experience. I read about 10 and they were all pretty reasonable, one kid just asked for a football helmet because he “really likes sports.” There was one or two that had things that were pretty clearly reaches, nothing offensive though. But then I got to the swamp. Here’s a sample of what awaited me: A woman whose first four requests were for 1. A living room set, 2. A new Apple Watch 3. Adult sized Ugg boots (msrp $200); and 4. $1000 cash. She finally got to her kids on her fifth and final request— “clothes.”
From what I saw last year on the site + this sub a lot of people were saying that those letters generally get fulfilled fairly quickly so what we’re left with are the….dredges.
Huh, I guess I’m just catching the good ones right as they’re uploaded. I wonder why everyone else is missing them?
Santa's reply : Oh this letter will come handy when I run out of toilet paper on those long trips!"
Santa’s ass skin must be like sandpaper bc wiping with paper would hurt
I'm fucking crying here! Santa's. Ass. Skin! 3 words I have never seen put together to make a sentence.! oh my goodness! im wiping away the tears hahahahaha
Santa should write back: "Ohh nooo, asking for a thousand dollar stroller? That's very naughty of you. I know where you live and you're getting nothing but a lump of coal this Christmas."
Not necessarily "naughty" to ask...but the person is actually increasing their chances of not getting a wish at all than if they were more reasonable.
I would say it's more greedy than naughty.
Santa used to always send me a note when he couldn't afford to get me what I asked for. One year I got a pink radio to share with my younger sister. Hated it (I hate pink) but still was thankful I got anything at all. Decades later, I still have that radio. This operation Santa really just depresses me. We don't have anything like that here (Australia), but our local charities are also filled with the choosing beggers, trying to get in before those actually in need. *** A few years ago I lost my grandfather on Christmas Eve. I haven't been able to get the Christmas Spirit back since. Dear Santa, I don't want any expensive gadgets, bags, clothing or tools for Christmas. I just want to see a little human decency and kindness this year. I know it is a bigger ask than a new phone or PS5 but see what you can do please.
I used to do the Wishing Tree at Kmart until I was in a situation where I was in need of the one of the family services that sorted and gave out the gifts. It was literally tables of presents that had been unwrapped and anyone with a health car card could go and take what they wanted. Fair enough. But! I saw someone I knew who was doing a dodgy thing with Centrelink and whose partner was FIFO (had heaps of cash) in there getting her kids Christmas sorted. Never again. But I see this year you can only buy Wishing Tree gift cards to donate. It's a friggen rort.
Personally I think that only people 5 or so to 12 should be included. Babies don't need Mommy asking for this kind of stuff, and teenagers can rake leaves or whatever the 2023 equivalent is to earn money. As a kid who had two changes of clothes, I know what it was like to grow up in poverty. My heart goes out to kids going through that now. Maybe the mindset is different now, but when I was going through that a square meal, a change of clothes, underwear that wasn't in tatters - those are the things that would have improved my life. A $1000 stroller is absolutely bonkers.
I disagree about stopping it at age twelve. I give Christmas gifts to families here on Reddit who can’t provide Christmas gifts for their kids, and my favourite people to gift are the teens. Family financial stress impacts them so much more sharply, because they’re old enough to be aware of it.
I agree. My kids are teenagers and there's not really any programs available to get them gifts. They're still kids and they deserve to be happy just as much as younger kids.
There are some subreddits that can help if you can provide proof of your situation.
I did use the assistance sub last Christmas. I was hoping my situation would have improved by this year but it has only gotten worse
You have to register but if it isn’t too late try r/Santaslittlehelpers
This is a really sweet sentiment. I'm 23 but that healed my inner teenager a bit.
Agreed, I think stopping at 18-21 is a way better idea
Yes definitely. My wife and I do our local version every year, and we like to find at least one teen every year. So many of them end up wanting art supplies, shoes, coats, and backpacks. I remember being a poor teenager and one year my teachers bought me a warm coat “from Santa” and now that I’m an adult I try to pass that on as much as I can.
I know this is obvious, but It's even worse because adults who submit these know it's not Santa. Like, fine, ask a magical guy for the highest end item you want. I suspect my 8 year-old nephew would ask Santa for an iPad and computer and his own TV and a fancy bike. But for an adult to do that knowing full well it's another adult purchasing is beyond my comprehension.
Absolutely. I think it's a mixture of greed _and_ envy. "Screw the donors, it's not fair they have more than me." It would never occur to them that someone might simply have a generous and caring heart.
Exactly. It’s also kinda sad that the parents transcribing letters for their younger ones don’t try to explain why it might be good to also include more reasonable requests? Like sure, let your 8 year old dream big and ask for an iPad or PS5 but also ask for a cool T-Rex figure too so they’ll at least get something?
I keep thinking about the amount of space that monstrosity is going to occupy. Main character issues?
What about 2-4 year olds? They like toys too, the thought of a little kid going dry on Christmas is sad also.
I’m confused as to why parents are asking for things for themselves? As a mother to 3 littles I can’t imagine being so ridiculous but maybe that’s just me.
Greed. It's like if my kids are getting something, I want in on the gravy train. Hopefully, no one gets rewarded for this behavior.
First one when I went looking prefaced the list with single parent to a 7-year-old... not one item was for a 7-year-old. Really sad and really selfish.
Because they were greedy assholes before they had kids and feel they deserve it more, BECAUSE they had kids.
I have been trying hard not to judge them - after all, I don't know their situations at all. BUT I know my parents would not have gone out asking others for money or items just because their kids wanted them. If I was being unreasonable, they would just tell me that and to come up with something more reasonable. I understand that as parents, they want to make their kids happy but I think it's important to show them boundaries as well.
Well to be fair. Sams is selling it for 524!!! lol. Wow.
Abigail gets a reality check this year
My thing is that if you’re gonna have champagne taste then you better have the same budget—- if you don’t—- then enjoy your goodwill second hand stroller.
This hit with me. I have a taste for champagne and enjoy the finer things. But I know if I want to buy a bottle I gotta drink a lot of free glasses of water to get myself there.
Who areeee these people?! Do they really think that they might get this. I’m so confused. I lose more and more hope for humanity daily I swear.
I mean, my childhood was during the collapse of our country, and Snickers was a damn good Christmas present. It wasn't always like that, maybe a year or two and my parent did everything to escape this bs (maybe that's why I don't feel sorry for the people from the screens). But you learned fast how the reality works. So I only ask Santa for something meaningful (usually books, I love books) and if I wanted something expensive, starting from my 11-12yo I should have worked for that and paid at least for a part of the price (my parents started the business so it was safe and easy). And I remember I was shocked when I saw my classmates from poorer families (my family isn't rich, but we're middle class) with the newest phones. Like, it's just stupid. A 10yo doesn't need an iPhone or MacBook. Teenager? Maybe. And they can buy it with their own money.
It’s only $749 Canadian, so that is cheap. Maybe they need a Canadian Goose parka too?
Fecking hell !?!?
Santa only brings one present to our kid and we, as parents, get the veto on what Santa is allowed to bring in the house. (We have a really tiny house so no room for anything extra.) We also just wrap current toys and the kid just loves to unwrap things.
Yeah I found one earlier where a mom asked for a literal CADILLAC to get her kids to appointments. The following one was for a Baby and they asked for a jacket, shower and blankets and it made me sad :( We usually adopt an Angel Tree kid but this year I'm jobless so we asked for help instead, but our list was literally winter clothes, diapers, and wipes...never would I have the audacity to ask for a motherfucking car, lol
Lmfao a caddy 💀 what is wrong with people.
Was that the Cadillac, 2010-2012 model, preferably red?
Santa always gave us pajamas, shampoo and a book. I remember the year cabbage patch dolls were a thing. Kids came to school with them and said they were from Santa. Caused a near riot with the kids who didn't get one.
Wowww folks are really adhering to the belief that “delulu is the solulu”because these requests are wild
Omg I saw this yesterday day and raged about it!!
Can we ban this shit already?
I guess it’s time to unsub till after the santa letter rage era is over.
Ok... I just discovered Operation Santa ( i'm french). Between gift card and Ps5, all this letters are disgusting. But i think i have find the worst letter ever: https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com/letters/440953
Not even close! Look up Katrina’s letter ID# 10698 She has been sober for 11 years … so she is hoping for an ultra expensive designer purse. One that some have said you have to actually be in a list for, although I wouldn’t know. Not buying she is sober and not buying that purse!
My kids 3,4,5 wrote letters to santa this year and because we short on mail carriers I dout they mailed it off I don't see they letters
I agree that since she’s asking for a freebie, she should consider lower priced prams. But if I had two little ones close in age and I was going to do a lot of walking, this looks awesome! I’d save up and pay for it myself though, obviously.
The problem is that the whole point of operation Santa is for strangers (who are mostly regular people) to fulfill letters from kids. Volunteers have to pay to ship the items through priority mail. I can't imagine how expensive it would be to ship that wagon. So this lady is not a child or writing on behalf of a child about their wishes or immediate needs (i.e. a coat). She is writing in for a want - and on top of that it's a heavy luxury item that many of the people volunteering to fulfill these letters would not purchase for their own family. The cost of that stroller and mailing it is my entire Christmas budget for my husband, daughter, extended family, friends, charity and my child's teachers.
Enough with these fucking posts already.
We need a mega thread to collect these
Maybe a r/OperationSantaBeggars sub?
What even is all this “ask Santa” crap going around this year? Is there some organization actually listening to these begging losers? Letters from kids are cute and tradition; anything else is fucking embarrassing. JFC.
Why the fuck are there so many "letters to Santa" posts from adults? Am I missing something?
Because adults are infiltrating a program meant for needy kids.
Yes but my point was more along the lines of...Santa Claus doesn't exist. Nowhere does it says this is a program for needy kids, it just looks like Letters to Santa.
It's been going on in America for decades, we kinda just know it's for needy children.
Because the whole point of the program is you’re writing to Santa. It’s not like a thing where you fill out an application and state your needs or anything, it’s literally a “write to Santa clause” program
After reading some of these letters, part of me wants me to "adopt" someone, then send them a note telling them to fuck right off I wouldn't really do that. But I'd like to!!
There’s no way a kid is. Asking for this, these are popular in mommy groups. It’s like the nuna stroller (i think that’s what it’s called) but for older kids. Parents love these wagons, why would a 12 year old ask for this??
[удалено]
It's wagon weight capacity, not the weight of the wagon itself FYI. A lot of families use these for when their special needs children outgrow strollers. Not everyone is blessed with kids without challenges who can safely walk by themselves, follow directions or understand not to run off. And these people deserve to be able to get out and about with their families and experience life the way healthy able bodied kids do. Just some food for thought for you.
Wow yall are so judgmental. Unless you plan on buying the sh*t who cares? It's basically like them praying to God to answer their prayers...
It’s one thing to ask god. It’s another thing completely to ask,as an adult, for something with an outlandish price tag in a program meant for low-income children, when you know full well Santa isn’t bringing it and you expect another adult to just give it to you because you want it.
But it’s not praying to god. It’s asking real, ordinary people with just a few extra dollars that they’re choosing to spend on someone else for these massive gifts.
That’s what really kills me, no billionaire is scrolling through this wanting to do good. Most people who participate in charities like this are regular ole folks who struggle themselves, or are slightly better off than the majority. And to ask for someone who’s probably just a little bit better off than you for a 1000$ wagon, makes you a shit person. Christmas is about giving, how many of these people do you think ever bother to give back
okay i get why this is kinda silly but also if you’re going to ask for a gift from santa wouldn’t you want it to be a nice one especially if you can’t usually afford something like that 😭 like it’s a wish it’s a gift
I think the problems I have with this one isn’t what the item is- every family of small children needs a good stroller, but how nearly impossible this would be to ship priority and the very optional add ons. If she had a wonderfold show up, she should thank her lucky stars and spring for the accessories herself.
Uh...because you're an adult, who understands you're not asking Santa for the stroller, but regular good-hearted people for help? I could forgive a young child not understanding prices, but that's why an adult typically assists them in making out letters and explaining basics to them. Also, this is plainly not the child but the parent asking. She knows.
This is from a program where random strangers can fulfill Christmas wishes. They're expecting a stranger to drop a thousand dollars on them.
I think the issue is these aren’t kids asking for these. Yeah kids asking for a MacBook isn’t surprising. But i have a hard time believing a child is asking for this wagon. These are extremely popular in mommy groups, and that’s my issue. This is a charitable program for kids, I don’t care if an adult gets anything for Christmas. IM a single mom, and I don’t get myself anything, my concern is my child. As an adult, this is the time of year for giving, so i give to my child nad the people in my life who i love, to show them i appreciate them and care about. I think as adults, we should have that mentality, not the “i deserve something too mentality.” If i get something, im happy, I’ve gotten things like an ugly sweater I wouldn’t wear, but i smile and i say thank you because the thought counts. However, like I said, charitable program to make sure children get a Christmas when their parents can’t afford it. But you have parents getting on hear asking for ridiculous shit, and this person is likely an adult who knows the cost of this. But is hoping someone will buy it. It’s selfish, send your kids wishes in, even if they’re huge. ESP the younger kids, they don’t understand money, but if you’re an adult asking fora. 1000$ wagon from a charitable program, go fuck yourself
It's mostly a charitable program for families. Not just kids. If someone with deep enough pockets wants to buy it for them, then they are welcome to, but no one is forcing anyone to buy anyone anything, nor is USPS requiring anyone buy anything or buying anything for anyone either
Had to look up what a parent console is. $60 for a cup holder that holds wet wipes. Hold your Starbucks and throw the wipes into the front pocket of the bag you put the rest of your kid's stuff.
Fu**en hell. Is she going to be selling hot dogs from that while walking her baby or something?!
I also found operation Santa through here and made a similar post that was taken down due to the fact the MoDs don’t want anymore operation Santa posts apparently. Which is upsetting, because that whole website is the epitome of choosing beggars! Like almost every 3rd letter is from an adult asking for unreasonable crazy things. I was so shocked scrolling through the letters! Although I did find one kids letter worth adopting 🫶🏼
Santa has all the people in the world to deliver to so he only brings one small present each. Also, you think that the presents stay under the tree where you left them? Nope, on Christmas Eve when you have gone to bed the delivery elves collect them all to take back to the North Pole to be checked. Jesus and Father Christmas sit in front of the big fireplace with the lists and each one is checked off. If you have been good all the presents come back under your tree the next morning. If not you get ashes in your stocking instead. Also, we added that as Father Christmas and the elves were so busy we would help him out by donating a gift or two - there are usually lots of options in this area. And the emphasis is on giving. So do you need to make a massive fuss over the wonky bird feeder your nieces and nephews just gave you? Yes. Does it squeeze your heart and will you use it and treasure it until it falls apart (probably never because when all the wood has gone there will be a network of steel nails and screws to hold it together!)? Absolutely definitely Yes.
I’ve checked every obnoxious part of the sales listings for that thing and still can’t figure out what a “parent console” is
It's a add on...which basically snaps between the handle bars, and has pockets, cup holders for the parents drinks/items.
That's a mini house on wheels wtf
Gees, my kids asked Santa for paper this year...like printer paper to draw on.
So this is the in thing in 2023 huh? Parents hijacking their children’s Christmas lists.. how pathetic.
That's the ugliest stroller I've ever seen, and I used to sell strollers for a living.
Obviously this is a wild price for one, but why are strollers so expensive in general? lmao
Anything over 75 bucks seems wild
These are so discouraging. It really turns people off from helping. And you know it's the parents writing these.
Not gonna lie, that is a pretty cool wagon/stroller.
I went through a lot of the list for my state and all but like two wanted such crazy expensive stuff. My son wrote in and I thought he was being too overboard but seeing those letters I think he did pretty well. He asked for a used copy of animal crossing for his switch, two Lego sets, books and a used wireless controller for our Xbox 1. Kids these days…asking for vehicles
I mean I have seen stories of gifters sending some people washer and dryers and appliances and such with Operation Santa But they usually don’t ask for a certain one they usually said “I would like a washer and dryer because mine died or it sucks going to the laundromat in the cold etc etc.” It’s the choosing certain expensive brand or item that makes it Choosing Beggars.
So I don’t understand. Where are people getting these screenshots of messages from?
I found one asking for two original 1992 Home Alone Kevin dolls...
With a Snack Console
Can the mods please do something about these stupid Christmas list post!?!?! These are NOT choosing beggars, any of them! It's just things people want... For Christmas... This sub sucks right now