not to buy much for ds2??

[cablenet]

money is tight and I have 2ds - aged 1.5 and 3.5.
Up till now I have just pretty much used all ds1 stuff for ds2. practically everything. for xmas ds2 won't notice what he has so I am thinking of just reusing some ds1 stuff.
but this just seems so stingy. but money is tight. I don't know waht to do should i just buy him stuff to be fair??

At 1.5 he wont know! Wrap up some of the toys DS1 had for him and he will love the wrapping paper and boxes anyway!

I am the same. I have just bought a very expensive gadgety thing for DS1 whereas DS2's main present has cost about a third of that.

We're going through this debate at home now. DS2 (5yo) is getting an expensive gift, but only because we won it in a draw. DS3 (2yo) is getting something much less expensive, but still something he'll like. DH thinks we should spend more on DS3, I think he'll be quite happy with what we've gotten. I don't see the point of spending more "just to even it out" at their ages.

Same here, DS1 & 2 getting more because 2 yo DS3 will be very happy with a small things. And we have no more space for loads more crap!

Think back to when you were 5, three or 2. Can you remember what your parents spent on you. Of course not. Don't stress on this. You gave your little ones life, and give them love that is what really really counts.

Don't do it! And don't feel bad either. Save your pennies for when they are older and more savvy with this present thing (have got advance dread reading some of the Christmas present threads!).

DC1(2.5) and DC2(1) are having a joint present which is really just DC1's present but I thought it might help them to share (yeah right) and does fool me into feeling less bad I haven't actually got DC2 anything. Would totally recycle but DC1 has got the memory of an elephant and would not be fooled!

Not stingy, practical.

I live in an area where christmas is big - entire houses lit up since November, most of the kids around here will be getting games consoles, flat screen TVs etc. They will be bought with Provident cheques, and before the end of January a good proportion will be in cash converters because the parents have run out of money.

Completely sensible. Buy him a little something though that he will remember every year to mark it as a special Christmas - like a really beautiful christmas tree decoration, not necessarily a toy. Or his own tiny Christmas tree for his bedroom that he will remember always having (you know the tinselly type for a couple of quid).

At that age it is all about the wrapping paper. DS2 will be 1 at Christmas. He will only be getting a very small box of Lego Duplo (5,-Euro) from us with lots of wrapping paper and ribbons around it. DS2 already has access to the millions of presents/clothes which were given to DS1 over the years. So, he has more to play with at 1, than DS1 had at 1, 2 or 3. (And DS2 would rather play with power points, laptops, cables, rubbish bins, dirt, ... anyway.)

It depends on whether this is a one off or what's going to always happen.

As a one off with that age then that's fine, but if it is going to equate to every year #1 gets a big present and #2 gets something little it will be noticed. Also then ime #1 gets to believe he should have a bigger present, which can cause problems if he doesn't. Wrapping up the older ones old toys is fine at that age as long as #1 doesn't take one look at it and say that's his, or that's like his... now where is it?.

As a second child I found it hurtful that, for example, when chosing bikes, #1 got to go to the shop, try them out and choose. I got the bike when they had grown out of it (not necessarily when I needed it) and assuming #3 hadn't grown out of theirs and needed the same size as me. (#3 being more vocal and all that)

As an adult I can see that there are certain things it does not make sense to buy again, however as a child it was something that I found difficult.