Grandmom brilliantly explains why she never gives any gifts to her grandkids: 'I would've rather...'

A wise grandma sprinkled some of her financial wisdom with an unpopular opinion on the internet. For most families, a visit to the grandparents or birthdays and occasions are spent in anticipation of gifts for their children. However, Tammie Kelton (@tammie_time), a grandmother to four, revealed that she never smothers her grandkids with gifts. While they are not deprived of presents, owing to the generosity of other relatives and friends who bring over toys, Kelton believes in investing in the children’s future over spoiling them with temporary joys. 

In a viral TikTok clip with a million views, Kelton explained her viewpoint while hinting at her motive to have a lifelong impact on her grandchildren’s future. “I do not buy my grandkids gifts. They get a ton of gifts from everybody else,” the 50-year-old grandma said. Clarifying her stance, she stated that on Christmas mornings, the little ones are overwhelmed with gifts from others and barely notice their grandma’s empty hand. “They do not miss mine, it’s okay,” she added. Though she does enjoy the kids excitedly unwrapping their gifts, Kelton noted that her gifts would come once they were adults. 

“They can pay for college, put a down payment on a house, or start their own retirement plan with my initial investment into their future,” the grandma, who is based in Ohio, said. She has four grandkids, aged nine, six, three, and eight months old. Moreover, the wise grandma had already started to invest in their future since their birth, recovering their Social Security numbers from their father. “I would go into the bank, and they would get $100 for their birth and then $10 per week to that point,” Kelton recalled, adding she used the amount to open accounts for her grandkids. She even thought of their education plans and contemplated saving for college funds. “But then, I thought you don’t have to go to college to be successful.” 

She did start 529 plans for the children, but did not want to save all the money in these plans; granted, they did not want to pursue college. According to Investopedia, a 529 plan is a tax-advantaged account that is used to pay for qualified education expenses. Instead, Kelton invested some of her savings into an Edward Jones plan. “I just remember when my children were younger, all the Legos, all the little Barbie shoes, and just all the things that just got thrown away. And I would just rather give them something that will be a gift that can last a lifetime or have a lifelong effect on them,” the wise grandma shared. 

Later, she got candid about her close-knit bond with her grandchildren. “I just don’t want to buy them little plastic toys that will get thrown away,” Kelton told TODAY.com. Her grandkids lovingly call her ‘Mimi’ while she informs them every time she puts money into their bank accounts. In return, her grandchildren give her small but special crafty gifts during holidays. Kelton prioritizes gifting the kids with experiences and money rather than replaceable items that they would soon outgrow. 

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