Christmas is a time of giving, and trying to find that perfect present for the one you love can be difficult - especially if you fall on hard times.
But where do you draw the line?
Some people might set tighter budgets if their pockets are especially short during the run up to the holiday season, however, not everyone will be pleased with the choice.
Just like this recently single mum who received the shock of a lifetime from her ‘ungrateful’ daughter’s behaviour on Christmas Day.
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A Reddit user recently posted about her predicament, asking whether she made the right decision when disciplining her daughter after an argument over gifts.
User Affectionate_Tea1801 had recently divorced from her husband but wanted to make Christmas special for her girls, twins 11, and a 16-year-old.
But as a single mother of three children, she was finding it difficult to afford the same level of gifts as she had when there were two incomes in the home.
So she opened up to her children about their financial situation and asked them to come up with a Christmas wish list.
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The user explained that now that her ex-husband wasn’t providing financial support and didn’t contact his daughters, it was up to the mum to work long hours as a nurse so that she could provide for them.
She said: “My 11-year-old wanted a Nintendo Switch with the latest Pokemon game, and my 16-year-old wants the iPad Pro with the pencil.”
However, with tightening belts comes a need to compromise as the mother couldn’t afford such expensive presents on her own.
She explained the situation to her eldest and believed they ‘came to an understanding’ and the mother decided to purchase a Samsung tablet for her daughter as to keep in line with her £400 shopping budget.
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According to the mum, her eldest wasn’t happy with the compromise and aired out her frustration upon receiving it, shouting that she misses her father.
During the fight, the Reddit user quipped: “I told her that if she misses her father so much, call him, knowing that at this point that phone number is disconnected.”
After their awful fight, the daughter stopped talking to her mother as the cheaper alternative gift caused a rift between the pair.
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But it was then that this mum decided to teach her teenager a lesson for her bratty behaviour.
The user penned: "If this is the attitude I get for making sure she get something for Christmas, I'll return the tablet. She's old enough to get a job anyway.”
And the post divided opinions on Reddit as some were sympathetic to the single mum, whilst others weren’t so kind.
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One of the many people who agreed with her wrote: “She didn't need to be at rude to her mother when she can see her mother is clearly in a hard time too. Daughter was pretty cr*ppy to throw those words out and deserved the lesson.”
While another said they'd 'never would have lashed out at my mom like this over a damn gift'.
But some others were less than pleased with her treatment of her teen who is going through a tough time: “Spoiled? Nah. She’s grieving, and was just abandoned by her father. She needs compassion and understanding.
"Teenagers have outbursts. It’s what they do. They’re having hormone fluctuations and are still learning effective ways to cope.
"This particular teenager also has extra going on. This was just cruel.”
And someone else said that she shouldn't have said that to her daughter, adding: "Your daughter is going thru some s**t right now and your response is to antagonize her. That’s just cold."
What do you think?
Featured Image Credit: SDI Productions/Betsie Van der Meer/Getty ImagesTopics: Parenting, Christmas, Reddit, Social media, Sex and Relationships, News