Grandmother’s no-gift policy for her grandkids on special occasions leaves the internet divided

Buying gifts for our loved ones is commonly considered a gesture to make them “feel special.” There are occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, holidays, birthdays and many others when people surprise loved one with thoughtful gifts. However, a grandmother has decided not to waste her savings on gifts for her grandchildren. Hailing from Ohio, Tammie Kelton, who goes by @tammie_time_ on TikTok, shared that she has more beneficial plans for her four grandkids other than buying “little plastic toys” for them.

In a video, the 50-year-old explains why she doesn’t really like getting materialistic gifts for her grandchildren, who are 9, 6, 3 and 8 months old. Emphasizing it as an “unpopular opinion,” Tammie begins by saying: “I do not buy my grandkids gifts. They get a ton of gifts from everybody else. I see there are at least fifty gifts on every Christmas morning. They do not miss mine, and it is okay.”

Moreover, the grandma shares that, like anybody else, she also loves watching her grandkids open gifts. But for Tammie, these gifts would not last them a lifetime. “The gift for me will come when they're an adult and can pay for college, put a down payment on a house, or start their own retirement plan, all with my initial investment in their future,” she adds.

That’s why she decided to put $100 into a newly opened bank account for each of them at birth. Since then, the grandmother also started depositing $10 each week in their names. Additionally, she started 529 plans to cover the grandchildren's future education loans. “I started with 529 plans, but then I thought, you don't have to go to college to be successful, right?” Tammie says in the later part of the video.

The grandma revealed that she didn't want to have all the money in a 529 plan. “They still have their 529 plans, but now their money is also being invested in an Edward Jones plan,” she adds in the video. According to TODAY, Tammie transfers the money into retirement savings she set up for the children ahead of the holidays when gifts are exchanged, saying, "Mimi put money into your bank account."

She told the outlet that among her grandchildren, the eldest enjoys watching her bank statement. In return, her grandkids surprise her by giving small crafty gifts. The grandmother concludes her video by sharing a small anecdote. “I remember when my children were younger—all the Legos, the little Barbie shoes, and all the things that ended up getting thrown away,” she recalled, adding, “I’d rather give them something that will last a lifetime or have a lifelong impact on them.” Tammie’s widely circulating clip on social media has managed to garner 591,000 views, sparking mixed responses.

In the comments section, @nix42386 wrote, “My grandparents did that—they gave $500 for every birthday and Christmas. They invested it, and by the time I graduated from high school, I had over $100k. Best gift ever!” Expressing her disagreement, @lily_mom_fun remarked, “Actually, my kids always look for Grandma's gift first because it's always the best. They're now 24, 19 and 16, and they all know that Grandma has investments set aside for them. So no, one doesn't take away from the other.”

You can follow Tammie Kelton (@tammie_time_) on TikTok for more parenting content.