Complaining about free gifts? That's a bold move.
I'm sure everybody's familiar with the Angel Tree program around Christmas. Facilitated by the Salvation Army and other charitable organizations, Angel Trees help provide gifts for low-income families who otherwise wouldn't be able to have presents underneath the Christmas tree for their kids.
Parents submit a list of their children and their clothing sizes, as well as some toys they want, and folks can pick an angel off the tree and buy the gifts for that child for Christmas.
Sounds like a great idea, right? Who could possibly be upset about that, right?
Just kidding, it's 2024, of course there are always going to be people who complain.
Over on TikTok, several videos have popped up from moms who are upset about the gifts that their children received from the Angel Tree program, with some complaining that their shopper bought things that weren't on their list and some just mad that they didn't get as much as they thought they should.
https://www.tiktok.com/@saltyoccasionallysweet/video/7450317336067804459
https://www.tiktok.com/@miaahll/video/7450214532909239582
https://www.tiktok.com/@xoxogossipmom1/video/7452867764961758506
https://www.tiktok.com/@thesandravshow/video/7450582028401167662
A lot of the videos complaining about Angel Tree hauls are saying basically the same thing: If you can't afford to buy what's on a child's wish list, don't take an angel from the tree and leave it for someone else to fulfill instead.
But this take isn't sitting well with a lot of people. I mean, after all, these are people who are buying gifts for a child they've never met just to help out the parents and make sure that the kid has some presents at Christmas.
And people are taking to TikTok to blast the parents who are complaining about the free gifts that were bought for their children, with many claiming that the parents had a full year to plan for Christmas gifts rather than expecting somebody else to buy whatever your children wanted for you:
https://www.tiktok.com/@torigirl4126/video/7450869819248790815
https://www.tiktok.com/@neurodivergent_nate/video/7452072382740565290
Yeah, I don't think it's working out well for the moms who are complaining.
And look, I get why they're upset. A parent wants their kid to have exactly what they want for Christmas, and it has to be hard when you're not able to give that to them. But to take that out on random strangers who are helping you out by providing gifts for your kids, and complaining that they didn't get enough or didn't get the right thing? That just seems way too entitled for me.
The Angel Tree is a great program to help out families in need, because no child should wake up on Christmas morning without presents under their tree. But complaining about what other people bought for your child is just going to make people not want to sign up to help out with the Angel Tree in the future.
Of course along with the ungrateful parents, there are also plenty of videos going around from families who are in tears at the generosity of complete strangers for buying gifts for their children - which just goes to show you how much it means to these parents who need helping giving their kids the Christmas they deserve.
https://www.tiktok.com/@cassbenelliesgarden/video/7450346989738380587
