Shopping for Christmas?

I dread shopping for gifts. Try as I might, I sense I always get it wrong with people. I gauge that when I don't hear the word 'thank you' or see it in a written form by whatever means: card, letter, SMS, email. So, from that I assume they didn't like it.

I don't know if my brother has dropped out of the gift exchange this year. We buy birthday and Chrismtas gifts for each other's kids. Their children's birthdays are in January and a gift from us was duly given. Come May when it was my eldest son's birthday, we invited them for a tea party we were hosting. I got a double excuse for their absence: their son had a sickness bug, also they'd planned a day out and wouldn't be back in time. Huh?! They're going out even with their son having a sickness bug? If they'd said one or the other reason, I wouldn't have suspected a thing. Anyway, despite them knowing it was my eldest son's birthday, they didn't get him anything. Ok. He didn't notice anyway and he would never have noticed. My youngest son's birthday is in August. Again nothing from my brother. This was highly unusual for them. They're usually well into the gift exchange. Thankfully my youngest son didn't notice. But I'm concerned he'll notice at Christmas and I don't know what to say to placate him if he gets upset.

I just wish there was an easier way for family to communicate with each other about dropping out of gift exchanges. I don't mind in the slightest as I realise it might not be possible every year but I don't like having to play guessing games. The last thing I want to say to my brother is 'Are we doing gifts for the kids this year? Only I noticed you never got my boys' a birthday gift.' That just sounds so petty!

If anyone has any suggestions, please share them.

Many thanks.

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