5 Nonnegotiable Rules I'm Giving My Kids' Grandparents About Christmas Gifts This Year

The other day, I walked into my daughter's playroom. It's full of shelves, baskets, and bins that are stuffed with crap, and there was stuff strewn all over the floor. Normally, I'd make a mental note to remind her to clean it up after school, but I didn't. Instead, I cleaned it. And by cleaned it, I mean I went through it with a trash bag and threw in everything that hasn't been played with for as long as I can remember. I'll hang on to those bags for a little while to make sure she doesn't ask where something went, but the odds of that happening are slim. And when she doesn't ask, I'm donating them. Bottom line: she has too much stuff that she doesn't need, most of which came from her grandparents. And with Christmas coming, I'm putting an end to it before it gets worse.

My parents are the worst offenders when it comes to gift giving. My family has always gone all out for Christmas. We decorate on Nov. 1, the Christmas music plays on repeat in our house, and my parents take the mentality "it's better to give than to receive" quite literally. They just give too damn much. And while it's great they can and want to do that, I'm drawing a line in the sand — er, snow. Now that we have three children, it's time to set some nonnegotiable holiday rules for my kids' grandparents. Keep reading to see them all now.