Dear Snarky,
I need help with my husband. Every year he goes out and buys himself expensive stuff, like a new pick up, and then says,“ Consider it my Christmas present.” Then Christmas morning he whines that he didn’t get a big present. When his “big present” is the brand new truck parked in the driveway! I used to just put up with it, but now we have a daughter and last year she was sad because “Daddy didn’t get a big present.”
How do I stop my husband from being a pouty Christmas baby?
Signed, So Over It
Dear So Over It,
I would approach Christmas morning with a multi pronged attack. First, I would buy a couple of small gifts that are a match to your husband’s already purchased “big present.” Using the pick up truck as an example I would have gotten some car accessories or even a car wash kit from Walmart. This way he has something to open and the gifts reinforce the fact that he already bought himself a $30,000 truck.
Next, any items your husband has already bought for himself and declared that they are his Christmas present need to be photographed. Then you should print out the photo and put it in a gift box. This is a reminder to your hubby just what his big present is and a way to let other family members know that Daddy did an “early bird self purchase” of something that was very, very, nice.
Merry Christmas and good luck!
Snarky in the Suburbs 