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We have stockings up but nothing goes in them

I voted twice. DH and I fill each other’s at home. We have stockings at our parents’ houses that they fill.

Everybody! My husband does the bulk of it, but my parents and my brother also add stuff. We all buy stuff for everybody’s stockings.

In our family only the kids get their stockings filled. BUT this year we decided that, instead of doing big gifts for each other, DH and I would fill a stocking for each other. If it goes well we may make it a tradition.

I voted that I do it, partner does it, and that my parents do it. In theory I do DH’s and he does mine. The reality is that I do about 75% of mine. My mom gives DH a few things to put in it since we don’t see her until later in the day on Christmas. Then DH may put in one thing. In some ways it annoys me but DH is horrible at picking out gifts, so if he did it the whole thing would be filled with candy and lip balm because he can’t come up with anything else. I got tired of DD and DH having good stockings while mine sucked, so I just started doing it.

My husband is not the gift giving type (his family never did gifts either) - I'd say I get a birthday or Christmas gift maybe a third of the time. Part of me wants to be really bummed over this, but the minimalist part of me says practically speaking it's probably for the best, so I just go with it. The thought of him filling up a stocking with stuff is completely laughable I also can't imagine my dad filling a stocking for my mom. Never had any idea so many people's partners did this!

My husband does mine and I do his—this year we let the kids also help decide what goes in the stocking for the other spouse.

My husband basically buys anything for himself he actually wants, so any kind of gift for him is difficult. Just since Black Friday, he’s bought himself a new drone and a new electric scooter—I feel like his Christmas is done? Haha even though he bought it for himself and has already opened it all.

So for his stocking, we picked up some of his favorite chocolates, I got some flashing lights for his scooter and a clip on strobe for his clothes for night/low visibility scooter rides. And I think I’m going to get him a Costco membership and stuff the receipt down in the toe of the stocking (we aren’t members, but I think he’d like checking it out).

I find the number of people who have to do it themselves kind of depressing! This is kind of a threadjack but does it not make you angry that your spouses are just like “uh, I’m not good at presents”?

DW and I do each other’s. She does her parents’ stockings (my parents are Jewish) and I do DS’s.

@erinbaderin: I remember multiple Christmas's when my parents would have huge fights because my mom wanted my dad to put a lot of thought into picking out something she would really like, and my dad would go out at the last minute and pick up something that wasn't to her taste. I think my mom saw it as him not caring about her enough to put effort into getting something thoughtful, and my dad saw it as why would you expect me to know anything about women's fashion or perfume or whatever; and why do you care if I pick it out a couple of days before Christmas....

I remember sitting there as a kid vowing I would never get into a fight about a gift someone did or didn't get me. Turns out gifts are definitely not my husband's love language. His family never gave gifts, so it's not something he thinks about. And TBH, I'm one of those people who buys something for myself if I really want it, and hence probably not an easy person to shop for anyways. At the end of the day, I figure we save money/clutter, if I really want something I buy it, and I figure he can show he loves me in other ways...

Same situation as @catgirl; in theory, my DH and I do each others. In practice, I know what I want and am already doing the shopping, so if I see what I want and can get a good deal, why not help him out and take that off his plate? Prevents me being sad that I don't have what I want in my stocking (when uninstructed, DH usually just gets me candy because that is what was in his stocking when he was growing up), and prevents DH from overpaying because he'll just see something that fits the category and go "ok done" no matter the cost.

DH himself is diabetic so he doesn't get a stocking filled with candy anymore This year it's the NYT Best of Tuesday crosswords, and a rupee shaped stress-ball (like from Zelda, not the Indian currency). "He" bought me blue-light filtering glasses for work.

DH fills mine but I do give him lots of ideas.

At home, it would be me if we had stockings up. (I vow to decorate next year, DD is old enough to understand Christmas now and LOVES decorations)

My parents always have stockings for us, so they fill those. 99% of it is chocolate lol sometimes a gift card or small present will be in there but usually just candy.

@Corduroy: My husband has selective hearing too lol *sigh*

Only the kids' stockings get filled at our home, but last year my oldest was upset that the adults got nothing hahah so cute. So this year I got a Terry's Chocolate Orange for each adult stocking.

We fill each other’s. DH can be hit or miss with how well he does but he’s getting better over the years. We usually each buy a couple things for our own. I’d rather pick something up when I see it then try and get him to go get it.

I mostly buy the kids but he’ll get a few things too if he sees something.

@Corduroy: Hopefully he gets out and does some shopping for you!!