To think Xmas gifts for kids have just got ridiculous?

[PoppyPrincess]

I asked DSD what Father Christmas was bringing her yesterday, she replied ''a blackberry tablet, it's like an iPad''
She's bloody 7 years old! She's already got a blackberry phone, an iPod touch, a laptop and a leap pad tablet. She never even uses the laptop or the leap pad tablet that she got last year.
Seriously what can she do on this tablet thing that she can't do on her laptop or iPod touch?
Neither my DP or her mum are well off so it's not like they've got the money to indulge the kids with expensive and unnecessary gifts.
When I was 7 I was playing with dolls! The only electrical stuff I was interested in was a cassette player (yes I'm showing my age here!)
I also feel a bit shit for DP as he's got bikes for them and a couple of other toys and I think he's worried that they're going to compare them to their fancy gifts from their mum.
I know it's up to their mum what she decides to buy them but I do worry that she's just spoiling them, possibly to be the more popular parent (but that's a separate issue).
I just think that this culture we have where kids get spoilt and given any gadget they fancy is just getting daft, how are they ever going to appreciate the value of money when they are given whatever they want and not made to save for it?
When I was a kid I knew there was a budget for Xmas and birthday presents, if what I wanted was over that budget then it would have to be a joint present or I'd get money and have to save for it.
Yes I know that not all parents give these expensive gadgets willy nilly and I'm sure there are lots of parents who do make their kids save but it just seems to me that the culture seems to be going more towards giving our children expensive and unnecessary gifts and basically spoiling them.

Really tired of these judgey threads where people are basically saying they are better parents because they get their kids fewer electronic gadgets. You're not. Piss off with your superior attitudes. There is far more to good parenting than whether a kid has an iPod and a tv in their room.

Yawn, how many threads do you have to start giving backhanded insults to your DSDs Mum. She has every right to buy whatever she likes. Its you thats comparing everything.

If you haven't had to go into debt to get your dc their Christmas presents then buy them whatever they want.

I agree, it is ridiculous, Christmas is way too commercial nowadays. My ds is just 2 but I won't ever spend so much on him at Christmas!
My dh family spend THOUSANDS on their kids and then complain they have so much more than they ever did as kids, but don't appreciate what they're given, or the value of money?! Well of course they don't, they don't have to! I'm not suggesting kids go down the mines to pay their way, or they shouldn't have access to technology because it's an integral part of life now, but a bit of restraint on the parents behalf would help!! Teach the kids to save, or do extra chores to earn more expensive things I say, it won't hurt them or strip them of their innocence! And of course kids want expensive gifts, but we can't always get what we want in life, better to learn that when you're younger rather than when you're an adult and up to your eyeballs in credit card debt!!
I blame that b**y Santa Claus!

When I was seven (2000) I got a £20 or so CD player and I was shocked because I thought that was just a grownup thing. I kept asking my parents if it was real, because a CD player, really, wasn't that too big?? I wasn't allowed to switch the TV on myself, it was a family thing. I was allowed to use the turntable and just because it wasn't mine didn't mean I didn't enjoy it.....

I don't know why kids can't get four or five presents- a book, a CD, a bar of chocolate, a jumper etc etc fr Christmas, and then just concentrate on watching Xmassy films, eating good food and enjoying the atmosphere. Yeah, I am a snob when it comes to people spending hundreds on their kids for Christmas. Tech is for adults and older teenagers. Not children. I don't know why it has to be a big deal- so your 13 year old doesn't have a million and one distractions. Great. What does anyone gain by giving your kids temporary highs with loads of things to unwrap at Christmas?

I'll bemoan my Dd1 wanting a puppy for Christmas... Every flaming year since she could talk...
My 2 older DC's are getting tablets this year (12 & 7), they use my iPad (all the bloody time) and can self limit their time quite well. DS never uses it without telling me what he's looking at and has it on that loud I can usually tell anyway!
The gifts themselves don't spoil a child, if they learn to treat their possesions well and not to expect expensive gifts all the time it won't ruin them.
Btw, my DC's play out alot, do crafty stuff, read and do most of the same stuff that me & DH did when we were kids.

I can't read this thread any more, I'm drowning under tidal wave of smug and self righteous replies.

I can never understand people saying 'Christmas has got too commercial' -if you don't like it you don't need to be at all commercial.

Why do you sound so angry Lucie? Different people, different viewpoints?

I don't feel judged. What works for my family ...works for us. I'd only feel angry if there was a law forcing me to be different or someone was directly critical that mattered to me.

This is a forum for an exchange of views.... Not a manifesto for parenting that you have to abide by

Sorry been out seeing Santa today so not had chance to reply...what a shame he's not real eh?

Just to clarify I'm not opposed to children using these gadgets, I agree we live in a technological world, my DS has been able to work my iPhone since he was about 2, can play games, can use our virgin TiVo box probably better than I can, I think it's great that he has learnt these things so young and think its great that schools and nurseries are also recognising the educational benefits of computers etc. I really do think its great that they are learning to use gadgets from such a young age. But I don't think they really need to own their own from such young ages and I also don't think they should be given expensive gifts so freely.
I made the comment about the cassette player when I was 7 but that was my Mum's it was a HUGE thing which lived in the dining room and I'd play Kylie and Jason cassettes...really am showing my age now.
Yes I know I sound like my grandparents ''all we got in our day was a tangerine and we were grateful'' lol.

This isn't me having a dig at DSC's mum, I would be saying the same if it was a friend, a cousin, an inlaw or whoever. It's not so much just about the DSC it's about kids in general.

And on the subject of preschoolers having tv's in their room, my DS is 3 and doesn't have 1, we don't have one in the bedroom either. My reasons for this are 1) I don't think kids should go to bed watching tv, it's not a good sleep routine, 2) I don't like tv's in bedrooms anyway, I think the bedroom should be for sleeping in, 3) I think they look pretty ugly and my bedroom is lovely so a tv would just ruin it, 4) too much electrical stuff in the bedroom can affect the quality of your sleep.
Don't get me wrong sometimes I miss having a tv in my room, especially when I'm ill and if I could afford a tv bed I'd maybe have one in our bedroom but DS will have to be a lot older before he can have one. I think once he's got one it could make it very easy for me to just let him go to bed watching tv rather than having a cuddle and story like we do now, it's my favourite part of the day so I want to keep that as long as possible.

And I don't think the blackberry tablet is a freebie one as her mum gets her mobile through work, unless a grandparent or someone has got it. But her mum bought her a laptop last year which she never uses so I do think its most likely to have been bought.
I'm not sure if her 5yo brother is getting the same, maybe, we'll have to see.
I know what will happen tho, the exact same thing that happened with most of the other gadgets...they'll play with it for a week n then they'll get bored. They do use their iPod touches a lot thougg, they were expensive but at least they are used.

I'm very proud of my dc who is nearly 8 and has yet to ask for any gadgets. This years big (and to be fair only) want is a bike. Which we've been more than happy to buy as they needed one anyway. Next on the list was Lego, again, happy to buy.

They're exposed to the same ads and same peer pressure as anyone else.

I feel very very lucky!!

Christmas can be too commercial, but so can any time of the year. It's as special/ commercial/ religious as YOU make it. Enjoy the time you spend as a family, go out on your bikes and have fun. The children will have a great time. They won't compare the presents you give them with the ones that they recieve from their mother.

OneBad why on earth do you feel proud of your DC not asking for a 'gadget' is there a particular reason you enjoy him being so different to his peers?

Dc isn't too dissimilar from the others. We have gadgets in the house like an iPad and iPods and a ps3 but if they were just for dc they'll play with them for 5 mins then wander off and make up a game of their own creation. I'm proud because they use imagination and can stay amused without gawping at a computer screen.

We do a lot as a family and as both oh and I work full time family time is spent together chatting, playing games, doing the house and garden Together, going to the park, seeing friends etc. during the week there is no time once we are all home and eaten dinner to play with gadgets. It's just a waste of money in this house to have them for sole use of any one person.

Dc fits in fine with their peers thanks for asking. Being different isn't a bad thing.

It does really depend on the child, on their expectations, and on how much you tend to indulge their requests though.

My kids have no gadgets at all, we have 1 tv in the living room, ds1 has a v basic mobile phone as he is at secondary it is just a £10 nokia one, and they are allowed to use the family PC.

They also don't watch ads at all - they're not allowed tv in the week anyway, and at weekends they watch DVDs, Strictly and Merlin.

None of them have really asked for anything for Christmas - ds1 mentioned that he would like a particular action figure, dd muttered something about a book. They know that they're not going to get gadgets, and they're really not interested in having the latest fad - ds2 and ds3 just like unwrapping things! We go for felt tip pens, craft stuff, books and some lego stuff. The lack of exposure to ads really does help, but I wouldn't judge or criticise what other people do, everyone finds their own way.

Meh!

DS1 (6) will be getting an iPad for Christmas - it's what he wants and in fairness he can do more on my iPad than I can.

DD (8) on the other hand is getting a wooden dolls house and a stack of LPS because that is what she wants.

Neither have TVs in their rooms

Also neither of mine watch any commercial TV so have no idea what the latest "must haves" are according to media advertising

Lol at puppies and ponies. The other week I manned the 'write a letter to Father Christmas' stall at a Christmas fayre, just for a short while to help out.
A little girl spent a long time writing a massive list of electronic gadgetry, specifying colours and everything (now and then she would ask me how to spell something, I wasn't reading over her shoulder!). So of course being old me I had to comment that in my day it would have been a doll's house and a puppy. The little girl thought for a second and then said "How do you spell chihuahua?" .

Btw, no tellys in bedrooms here (dcs 12 and 17). I certainly don't want dh watching a load of late night rubbish while I'm trying to sleep which I know is what will happen.

Er, are we living in 2012 or 1912 on this thread?
Electronic gadgets are everyday things now, we all have them and our kids live in a world where it is the norm, and a future where any job they will go into will include some sort of gadgetry.
That's life today, and it's not going to change.

Very true and my dc knows how to use gadgets, just chooses not to.

Like I choose not to listen to Justin beiber.

We are all different in our likes and dislikes

Oh don't get me wrong, my ds is autistic, of course he has lots of gadgets!

Personally I always hoped to get a pony...

Things just seemed simpler. We could ask for one "big thing" by that the thing you most wanted but it wouldn't be expensive really e.g it might be a board game you really wanted or one year I just wanted books so got six paperbacks, an annual and a notebook/pen/pencil set. Grandparents presents were usually a box of toffees - Quality St and a fiver to spend. A fiver got you a fair bit in the eighties. I know one year I wanted a Sindy horse so that's what I got and remember having the impression they were quite expensive to buy.

I'm autistic (mildly) and I hate gadgets yeah I have a laptop and phone, but it's kind of necessary at this point.

Haven't read the entire thread but just thought I'd add that someone I know has got her DC a horse.
Seriously. A horse. My face was when I saw