Holiday over Christmas, to buy presents?

I’ve been away for the last 3 christmases and I still take presents. The first time one of the kids still believed in Father Christmas so we took a lot of presents in a suitcase and put our clothes in the ski bag. The second year the suitcase with the presents in went missing on the flight and didn’t arrive until Boxing Day! That was quite stressful. The third time I took much less and put the presents in my hand luggage but some of them were electrical eg air pods and got stopped in security!

I always do a simplified Christmas dinner a few days before we go away and me and husband exchange presents then so we don’t need to take them

we are doing the same but going away from 19th dec to 2nd jan.
i told family and friends only money and what is small enough to fit into a particular gap in my luggage. I have to pack for all of us (the kids have no clue) so it’s even trickier.
My kids have a few stocking filler type things that are small enough to fit into the glove box and I’ve deliberately bought a few small things that can be wrapped when we are there.
We will use Amazon to get some gifts to the children and we are planning on taking things like the Christmas tree and baubles to the local charity shop when we leave.
For everyone else, I am having 2 days off in December to be able to shop and wrap. I’ll drop them round my parents/in laws houses and trust them to distribute them.

If the holiday is a surprise I think you need to buy some gifts.
Unless they've asked for a big holiday instead of gifts.
BTW your dh is a mean twat either way.

Do this, although a nice holiday can be a Christmas present especially at their ages, when you get round to telling them say we are going on to.. as a Christmas surprise. And do holiday Christmas day stocking.

Surely your children have already talked about what gifts they would like for Christmas. A holiday is an adults present.

Yes. We also get presents for nephews and nieces and younger cousins and leave them with grandparents before going on holiday.

Of course they should still get presents!

Presents when home I would say.

doesn’t need to be tonnes.

surely they will have some at home to open from others as well? Family or friends?

When you are a child your presents for Christmas and birthday are the main way you can actually get things for a whole year - once you have a job then a holiday is equivalent to a present because you’d have to pay for the holiday yourself otherwise, like everything else you want, but children generally get to join any family holidays that take place and also gain ongoing personal possessions at Christmas.

Still get them presents, don’t get the dad anything though the miserable bugger.

He sounds a bundle of joy. I take it that rule applies to you both too?

A holiday is a lovely treat - fun for everyone and a great surprise! But it’s not a present, not for kids at least. They didn’t ask for it, they have no say in choosing where to go or what to do. They’ll certainly enjoy it but it’s the parents’ decision to go. So for that reason, I’d still get them presents.

Weve been on holiday on many Christmases. We go then as jts convenient with School holidays and time of work. They still get their presents... a stocking while there, their proper ones when we get home.

We've been away before at Christmas and literally everyone has one small Christmas present as you got to carry it there and back. I'd go for something they can possibly use on holiday. Enjoy. Honestly that holiday was the best Christmas and we all literally only had the one present each

Stockings! £30 of gifts don’t have to go mad

We go away for christmas and just take small stockings to open. They have a fabulous week and dont miss the commercial uk christmas

I agree, a holiday is a massive surprise but I think they should have something to open too!

Where are you taking them? I’ve seen some parents do themed gifts for a holiday so for example if you’re taking them Disney a few token Disney themed gifts like a Lego set or a t shirt.

Stockings. Nothing g at all would be very dreary.

You’ve got to have something to open! Just something small each, and personally I’d do a mini stocking anyway - a nice new pair of socks, stuff one into the other and add a few little bits.

Is it the case that the only way you can afford a family holiday is by not buying any christmas presents for the children?

If not, since when does going on a family holiday mean the kids don't get any presents at all.....
I can understand wanting to reduce it a bit but surely you would still buy a few small bits? A stocking etc?

Definitely buy presents, otherwise you run the risk of them remembering this Christmas not as “the year we went to X” but “the year we didn’t get any presents”!

I am in a similar position as we are going to New Zealand at Christmas to see family and was going to start a thread asking for advice on what kind of presents to buy and take with us.

I'd buy some small things which fit in a stocking (if you still do stockings).