You may have heard about the Boxer Rebellion that took place in China in the late 1800’s. Well, there is a Stocking Rebellion going on at our house this Christmas season.

 Heaven help us if the T-shirts and briefs get wind of this. The whole undergarment drawers might get in an uproar.

As my boys have gotten older, left home, one is married, even-I have been rethinking some of our holiday traditions. Since the stuffing of the stockings has never been tons of fun for me (basic magazine, gourmet candy, razor blades, travel size accessories, ear buds, etc…) I was looking forward to turning this task over to my new daughter-in-law and just have 2 to stuff.  Then next year when another son will be married I’ll be down to 1.

You get the idea.

I asked my sister who has a married daughter what she thought. Last year was the first year my niece was married woman. When my sister tried to give her daughter her childhood stocking, she was met with a “have you lost your mind” look and refused to take it. She wanted her mom to continue the time honored tradition, even though she no longer lived at home and had a husband who could do the deed.

I sneered and gave my sister a hard time about not cutting apron strings.   Last Christmas I was 2 weeks away from the first of my son’s to get married. I boldly proclaimed, “I will NOT stuff his stocking next year…his wife can do that.”

So this was my plan all along: as the boys get married, that is one task I would happily pass on to the new most important woman in their life.

But each time when I was with my sister and she bought items for the married stockings (cause now she is doing the spouse one also) I felt like a loser mother.

And now… loser mother-in-law.

But still I wanted out. So I started polling my gal pals with married kids as to how they handle the stocking dilemma, thinking that SURELY, some of them had ended that task.

Guess what?

THEY ALL STILL STUFF THEM AND FOR THE SPOUSES TOO!!!!

One of my friends, after listening to my arguments for ceasing the stuffing, texted her kids and told them that she was thinking of joining my “Stop the Stockings” campaign since they were both married. The result? Her son texted immediately, and her daughter called within 5 minutes to find out what was going on, because the stocking was her favorite part of Christmas.

She’s 34.

They both encouraged their mom to drop me as a friend or at the very least ignore my ideas.

I felt like Scrooge.

Well, a little.

I must confess…I caved and bought new stockings for my guy’s girls. And the stuff that goes in them.  And in truth, it’s a lot more fun stuffing stockings for girls than for guys.

So for now-I’m a stuffer. But when the grandkids start coming all bets are off.

Happy Stocking Stuffing to mama’s everywhere!

Blessings,

Stephanie