Should I have gotten a main present? What do you usually do?

[sixseveneightnineten]

I was quite happy with what I got my son (2 1/2) for Christmas, I collected these over the past couple of months, but I was told it was just a bunch of random toys and that I should have gone with one big present/main gift, a couple of medium ones and a few small ones instead.
I was also told the small ones (only got a combination of medium/small gifts) didn't count as Christmas gift but more like stocking fillings.

Now I feel stupid.

One Thomas the tank engine train set
4 x Tonies
a number and letter floor puzzle
A Chad Valley Trevor Talk Back Dino)
A Melissa and Doug felt pizza
A Melissa and Doug Blue's Clues cake
wooden car transporter
1 Lego Duplo set
1 small playmobil mini set with a police car and policewoman
A magnetic drawing board
5 second hand books

There will not be any gifts from other families members for reference.

It's Christmas. There is no 'should'. Your child will love their presents.

Well if whoever is telling you stuff isn't buying a present (and even if they are), ignore them.

He's 2, it sounds fine. He will be overwhelmed by it all anyway. Who is telling you what to do?

Don’t feel stupid! You have a lovely selection of gifts and a variety of activities to keep your DS entertained.

There's nothing wrong with the way you've done it. My kids didn't always have a 'main' or 'big' present every year. Just depended on what they asked for. At the age your DC is, he won't care!

What you have is fine! At 2yo he doesn't need more than that, he'll probably end up playing lots with one or two of those things anyway.

I would say the Thomas set or playmobil set or the talking Dino thing could all be counted as a main present as far as I'm concerned.

A big main present is for when they're likely to want something specific/a bit pricey. If he hasn't asked for anything like that then that sounds fine.

It did sound like a lot when I read the list, but given no wider family gifts then that's also fine.

(By a lot I mean a lot of different things if he was also getting lots of different things from other people too.)

Who is telling you that? They sound like an arse.

Also, he’s 2.5, he will be delighted to have lots of new things to play with and will have no conception of whether something is a ‘main’ or ‘medium’ present.

Sometimes the most enjoyed presents are smaller ones.

Pay no heed, some people can’t see further than their own nose!
Each family is different, different size, different dynamic.
You have bought lovely gifts, have a wonderful time watching them being opened!

It’s fine. We do tend to do one main present, then a couple toys, some clothes, some books, then stockings which are a big thing for us, but overall probably not as much as you have gotten. This is more because I hate just a pile of toys that they lose interest in rather than because it’s the right thing to do. What you have sounds absolutely fine though. I’d just put a few away after the day to bring out later so it’s not all so overwhelming. Sounds like a lovely Christmas. I wouldn’t give what anyone else thinks too much headspace.

Honestly we didn't bother with 'main' presents until DS was older. For little ones a selection of fun toys is perfect.

Argh. Why is gotten everywhere at the moment?

Get your kid what you want. Who is telling you it's wrong?

That sounds like a great selection! Different people do things differently - we don't necessarily get a main/big gift either

These gifts sound lovely and so appropriate for his age! You are doing an amazing job. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise!

There's no 'should' about it! For starters everyone does presents differently (what santa gives etc) and then it depends what your child wants as well as your budget. My 5yr old doesn't have a big present this year even though my eldest(8) has a bike. The big gift is from Santa in our house so im putting the two main toys he asked for in his Santa sack. The value of gifts has no relation to the cost to most children. My 8yr old has asked for a £4 blind bag😂

That's loads of lovely presents and yes it is stupid to take notice of someone who says it's not enough or sufficiently impressive.

He's 2.5. He has no idea about the value of presents and even if he did, a train set and all the other things is plenty.

Exactly. Knowing little kids, their 'favourite' present will end up being one of the cheapest anyway!

I once bought a very young relative a cheap kiddy umbrella for Christmas, and it was literally the only thing she wanted to play with all day. Her parents and grandparents were slightly miffed I think!!

He’s 2. When mine were that little, their Christmas as birthday presents were mainly second hand from the charity shop or Facebook marketplace.

You’ve got him lots of lovely presents.

The 'main' present is the one the child is desperate for and wants the most, and he's too little to really know what he wants anyway, so there doesn't need to be a 'main' present.

You've got him a lovely selection of presents, totally ignore whoever has said that.

Those presents sound lovely, and anyway there aren’t any rules about presents! I’m guessing it’s the first year he’ll really be excited about presents so having lots to unwrap will be fun for him.

I sometimes got the DC a main present and sometimes not, depending on what they wanted. One year DD1 even had a main present that had to do for her birthday (in June!) and Christmas but it was a super expensive gaming PC and she was 16.

I really hate this idea of buying a "main present". Sometimes kids, especially really small one don't want or need a big present i find. too many of these are huge items that you can't store easily unless you have a playroom.

I found it hard to pick bigger presents myself and I used to get my sister to give me giftcards for smyths toys and i'd wrap smaller gifts my kid would like for her to give.

It meant buying large play items like a swingset were much more affordable.

He's only 2. My DS was that age last year and we got him a dressing-up box filled with hand-me-down dressing up clothes and the one thing he'd asked Santa for (rainbow tutu). He did get other stuff from relatives, but he won't have ended up with more than your DS and he loved it. This year he's asked for a giant inflatable crocodile so that's his 'main' present.

Why are you listening to these people?!? Also he's bloody 2 and a half!