grandparenting

Hearing someone say, "I don't get Christmas gifts for my grandchildren," might elicit a knee-jerk anti-Boomer eye roll, but when you hear Tammie Kelton's reasoning, it actually makes perfect sense.

In a video that quickly went viral on TikTok, Kelton first explained that her four grandchildren have nine sets of grandparents, plus extended family, so nobody would be left wanting in the toy department.

Kelton went on to say that, in lieu of traditional gifts, she invests a flat amount each month into college savings accounts that have since been converted into custodial investment accounts. She also doles out Christmas and birthday "bonuses."

Her reasoning is simple: "I just want them to have a better future, or a better start at adulthood than what I had."

Plus, it's worth noting that Kelton also had this alternative gift-giving conversation with her son before actually doing it. What a concept!

"So, you thought you hated me…but maybe not so much anymore," Kelton quipped at the end of her clip.

Down in the comments, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

"This is the best gift you could give. Please no more toys!"

"Mom of 3 here who HATES toys for Christmas. I would love this so much."

In a subsequent video, Kelton laid out future plans, including matching any money her grandchildren give her to invest once they turn thirteen. If one makes $100 babysitting and wants to invest $50, for example, Kelton would then invest another $50. That way, they can start building their own money savviness early.

Just think about how different each person's life might be if they had someone like that in their corner from a young age? My goodness. And yes, there's something to be said for the way a kid might light up after receiving a gift on Christmas Day. But as Kelton and many other adults can attest, most of those trinkets won't even be remembered in a few years' time. Plus, it often doesn't take a huge gift to get the same effect. Honestly, have you tried giving them a literal box?

As we can see from the now-grown viewers who watched Kelton's video wistfully, a bit of a nest egg, however large or small, would have been far preferred.

"I wish someone would have done this for me," one person lamented.

"We begged grandparents to do this, but they insisted on buying clutter every year," wrote another.

A few even shared that their own grandparents had this kind of foresight, and how much it helped them later in life.

"I hated it at the time opening a piece of paper that said Clemson fund every year," one person admitted. "I'm now at Clemson and so grateful!"

Another shared, "My grandparents did this for me. For college and now in a Roth IRA! So very thankful!"

For those who are on team "Practical Gifts," this idea is good food for thought.