Mumsnet Talk

Last year I bought my DS and DD (5 and nearly 3 back then )a fair amount of stuff.

Without wanting to be precise about amounts etc, there was one large main present, a stocking, several parcels in addition to many other gifts from aunties, friends etc.

I know this was more than many people can and do get for many reasons, tbh it was an exceptional year and I was fortunate to have a bit of a windfall which I spent on the kids knowing I would not be doing it every year as I dont usually have the money.

Today I had a clearout and tidy up of ds room and it struck me that much of this stuff meant not much, had not been played with much at all. They had stuck with the same stuff they always liked before. So I asked when ds got home, very casually, what he got off Santa last year.

And the only thing he could remember was Strawberry Haribo. And the wooden santa puppet. And after prompting, his main present. But mainly it was the Haribo that he remembered.

That is it really, I just wanted to pass this on to anyone who feels the urge to go out this week and spend or borrow money they have not got as I have done in the past.

I always remember getting far too much at Xmas and never really appreciating it. I think its far better to get children fewer more useful things than excess.

I have only bought one present to each of my 3 older children for around £10 and the baby gets nada. That's how mean I am. Totally agree with you.

It is not just the kids who cannot remember what they got for Christmas - I had to really really wrack my brain to remember what I got for Christmas last year! I think that proves how ridiculous all the over spending and commercialism is.

totally agree. I used to spend tons as had money but one year ds2 played all day with the pound shop soldiers from his stocking.
A friend of mine's got into debt to buy a dinosaur worth £225 that I just know her dd won't play with for that long.

I don't have as much cash now but have got the kids things I know they'll play with.

Thank you for that. Will make me put my purse back in my bag over next few days every time I see some cheap piece of plastic crap I think might amuse them for half an hour, even though I promised myself I would stop shopping weeks ago. Well said!

excellent point - shall forward to my mil

Good point Freckly.

Last year my dd used one craft kit for months on end that her Aunt bought. Much of the rest of it has been forgotten (apart from the chocolate coins in her stocking!)

A mate of mine has bought her dc 2 presents each this year (costing around £10 per child) plus small stocking fillers. As she says, they get enough presents from relatives.

Get things you were going to get anyway, like books that they'll like and that will get read over and over.

Mind you, it's nice to get one piece of plastic tat that will make their eyes light up when they rip off the paper.

I have just got back from Toys'r'us and couldn't find a single thing that my dts would play with and get my mnoneys worth out of, so I'm back off to Wilko's tomorrow and buy their presents for £10 and be done with it.

They have loads of family and friends, I'm sure the kids won't miss out.

I may put the money to one side towards a better holiday next year, not camping!

I ebayed a lot of ds xmas pressies from last year from me. A lot not even played with and when ds opened his wardrobe he asked if i had tidied his room this year he has practical things , football boots , kit , socks etc and a couple computer games. Have learnt not to waste my money eventually!!

Thanks, freckly. We moved house in February this year. And I am ashamed to admit that we filled a whole skip. And that some of what went in that skip had been bought at Christmas just 6 weeks before. I made the kids watch as they took it all away, and made the point then and there that we all needed to make much more careful choices about how we spent our hard-earmed £££££s!

Zipa - loving the holiday idea. Holidays they will remember, my Little Pony etc, maybe not!

Lightshines at throwing 6 week old toys in a skip!!
Could you not have charity shop/donated them ??
Reminds me of when we took dc to park and there was a skip with lot's of toys in kids on park were having free for all and i wanted to offer them on freecycle saying go to skip at ...........

I agree it is really shocking - we did also take masses of stuff to the charity shop, recycled clothes etc, but some of what went in the skip was things like stocking fillers, craft sets where they had made the things then did not want to keep them. I am not proud of it - and this year made a careful budget, cut out almost all short-term junk.

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Good point. But I do remember always being disappointed with how little I felt I got [horrid child] And I never felt I ever really got a great xmas present [getting bitter now]

I agree that the cheap stocking filler crap is just not worth it.

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I cleared out the DS's palyroom. I got rid of 3 bin bags worht ( 2 to charity) - the boys haven't even noticed.

Not sure! Something Big and This Year. Instead, I got Plasticraft.

My mum and dad were lovely, btw.

Excellent point, freckly, and I totally agree. I bought the last of ds's Christmas present today - two gorgeous photo board books in a charity shop, 20p for the two. I'd rather spend a little money on things I know he'll love, rather than expensive plastic crap that has no play value.

Lucky you! Peas for lunch sounds cool - there is a fab book about peas - 'Eat Your Peas' by Kes Gray, illustrated by Nick Sharratt. 'Pizza Kittens' by Charlotte Voake is funny on peas as well - Dad makes loads!! Lauren Child does peas in 'I will not ever never eat a tomato' No idea how I became a pea expert!!

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