Cute Or Creepy?

[lalasmama]

We moved into our current townhouse at Thanksgiving.

At our old house, we would give (and recieve) small gifts for a few neighbors at holiday times-- a little easter basket with some candy, costume jewelry and Hickory Farms at Christmas, etc. Always less than $10 per family. It was never something talked about--the presents just magically showed up. At some point, a neighbor asked, and I figured out what had happened, and joined in.

I would love to start something similar at my new complex. There's only other 2 families with kids, so I was thinking about dropping off some little Dollar Store baskets with some little trinkets when no one was watching...

But then I started thinking... would the neighbors like/appreciate the gesture, or is it a strange thing to do? I thought it was strange but sweet the first time it happened at my old house; I have to admit, I felt very supported by the little gifts that appeared--I loved knowing that our neighbors were thinking of us.

So, would you find this cute or creepy? I would put a little holiday card in it so that they knew it was from their neighbors, so its not like "weird Mr No-Kids from down the street" was dropping off gifts! So, what do you think?

[maestramommy]

Oh, I think that's very sweet! We don't do this with our neighbors, but when we moved in two neighbors dropped off a plate of cookies with a card and their phone number. We were so touched!

Only thing is, I'd make some of the gifts (like Christmas and Easter) more neutral, since you don't know if you neighbors celebrate those two.

[MMMommy]

When you say you would leave a small note, do you mean you would identify that it was you that gave the gift? Are you putting your name on the card? If you are identifying yourself as the giver, I don't see anything creepy about it. Honestly, if it said "from a neighbor" with no name, I would find it odd. Like, if the gift contained candies or food items, and there was no identifying name attached to the gift, I wouldn't let my kids eat it b/c I don't know who or where it came from. But if you are identifying yourself as the giver, I think it is a thoughtful gesture.

One caveat-- I think it would put them in a position of feeling obligated to reciprocate and buy you something. And that might be something they don't want to start and continue from year to year. Sorry to sound Scrooge-like, but I'm just thinking about how the other side might feel and how it might make them feel like they need to go out and buy stuff too (and maybe they can or cannot afford it or maybe they want to or not want to do something like that).

[Raidra]

I think it's a really sweet idea, and if you leave a note with your name, and possibly even a little friendly explanation that it was a tradition in your last neighborhood, it's not creepy at all. I'd definitely keep it secular until you know the neighbors better.

On the other hand, as someone who's really got enough on her plate (though thankfully just shy of being overwhelmed), I'd worry about people feeling obligated if they've already got a lot going on. Holidays can be such busy times that adding one more tradition might be more than a family can handle. Maybe you could make it more like random acts of kindness, thinking that a family can reciprocate when they have the time and cash to spare?