Has DH gone overboard for DC's birthday?

[memblemumble]

I'd say so. It'll be her third birthday. DH said he'd pick out the stuff to give me one less thing to think about. He's not clueless and I trust his judgement but I think it's overboard. I suggested saving some for Christmas but he says it's not necessary. He's ordered:

A baby born bottle house with an extra doll
Fishing game
Princess vanity case
Ballerina doll (that moves)
Ballerina costume
Toy till and some accessories to go with it
Toy camera
A fire engine that you sit on and it moves
Some paints
A fur real bunny
Some instrument toys

I'd say that's a bit much and keep 3-4 for Christmas? He says it's not too much but she's only 3?

He has done a brilliant job , I don't think it's too much at all.
Wish my husband would do more and not leave everything up to me.
Hope your DC enjoys her birthday.

Do people really just give their children one or two presents?! Even on my brothers birthday I was given one gift too open, as was he on mine! And we are from a very working class background. If you can afford to treat them on their birthday why would you not?

That's fine. It's a lovely haul.........last time I left dp in charge of birthday presents he turned up with a Hornby trainset for himself a four year old.

It seems a huge amount to me. Yes, we do just give our children one or two presents on birthday and Christmas but they have a stocking as well then. However, they will also have presents from their sibling, two sets of grandparents, and three aunts, as well as friends, so in lockdown it would be a bit different. DS has his birthday last week and got a camera, headphones, colouring book, book, modelling clay and a hamper of sweets - usually it would have been just headphones and camera, from us and sibling.

That's way too much. Why not just one gift? That's all anyone needs really.

Well, nobody NEEDS a gift. Why not just a glass of water?

Christ, what a miserable way to live.

DD is three in a few weeks and there's no way she's getting anything close to that.

In fact, she's had a bike as an early present and on the day she'll be getting some books and clothes. That's it.

She has plenty of toys already and it would only be more stuff to go in her room and be ignore after a few weeks.

I prefer to spend the money on a family day out to celebrate (current situation not withstanding) because that's what they'll remember when they're older. Not mountains of presents.

I assume he has bought toys that she would like at the moment - Christmas is a long way off, and she might have different interests by then. I think that amount is fine if you can afford it and have enough space for it all :)

That's way too much. Why not just one gift? That's all anyone needs really.

Well, nobody NEEDS a gift. Why not just a glass of water?

Christ, what a miserable way to live

Indeed. These posts always make me wonder about people. What a miserable existence.

Children are most unlikely to remember days out they had as a three year old when they're older, MushroomTree.
The "making memories" codology is a load of tosh. Nobody gets to choose what other people's memorable experiences are, just because you throw money at it or announce that it's special because you've decreed that it is.

@Thisismytimetoshine that may be so but I can guarantee that DD will still be talking about the day out we had for weeks afterwards when the new toy is discarded in the corner of her room.

She might not remember it as an adult but she's still talking about days out we had last summer now so that's good enough for me.

Do they have to remember a day trip for it to be worthwhile? Why can't they just enjoy it for the moment?

@Aroundtheworldin80moves agreed!

Depends on how much he’s spent I suppose but that seems like an insane amount from just your parents. That’s like what I would have got in total from everyone on my birthday or at Christmas.

And the poster saying that they got a present to open on a siblings birthday... wow... just wow

Well days out and toys aren't mutually exclusive and given that days out are in short supply at the moment, I'm not sure it's entirely relevant to this thread.

Present threads on here really bring out both competitive meanness and competitive parenting in general. It's fine to buy your child lots of presents, it's fine to go on day trips, it's fine to buy books as presents. It's literally nothing to do with anything else and has no effect on anyone else what you choose to spend your money on, but there's always an implication on these threads that if you buy your child lots of presents you're doing it in lieu of something else or, when that's not necessarily the case.

Let people enjoy things.

No, of course they don't have to remember the trip, Aroundtheworld, that isn't what I said at all. I was responding to a poster saying something quite different.

I think it depends what kind of household you are. I used to get lots of toys for Christmas and my birthdays, but no others at all year round. Maybe your partner feels bad on her too because of lockdown.