not to fill stockings for older DCs

[Justforlaughs]

I always had a stocking, despite not believing in Father Christmas. My DCs have all always had a enormous stocking. They are aged 5, 12, 14, 15 and 20. My DH found out on Tuesday that he has lost his job and we haven't started buying anything for Christmas yet. We would normally spend £50 each on main gift plus a stocking full of bits, which probably costs about £30-£40 (books, dvds, sports clothing etc). I wondered whether to cut the stockings out for the older 4 and maybe add a little bit to their main present, say making it worth £60. It's fairly easy to fill a cheap stocking for a 5 yo and to spend relatively little on a "big" main present. I feel a bit mean, in that DS1 has had 20 years of stockings, while DS3 has only had 12. I don't want to get into debt over Christmas, in fact I won't do it, so do I cut back on main present or cut out stockings, or let them all choose?

keep the stocking but with cheaper things in them.

I really like the idea of a "lucky dip" style stocking!

Or how about keep the big stockings and pad them out with blown up ballooons?

Oh dear, I'm 25, dh is 33 and my DM still fills a socking with treats for us every year BUT we don't get any presents. It's lovely because we're now at the age that if we want a camera/iPad we cn just save and buy it ourselves but the ticking usually has treats that I would never think of buying myself.
Maybe this is something you can do with your dc1, gradually introduce the idea that past a certain age they should start buying the big things for themselves!

*stocking. And by treats I mean nice shampoos, chocolates, silly little hits of jewellery and nail varnishes. Nothing expensive but still nice nonetheless.

Mine get favourite foods and Christmas nibbles: hot chocolate, crisps, biscuits etc. Bulky but stuff you would buy anyway.

keep them, when i got made redundant last year i kept them, but put in stuff i would buy anyway, so smelly stuff, socks, pens, sweets. Just make sure the older ones know whats going to happen.

I think it is a good idea. I would do exactly what you suggest - bump up the main present and ditch the stockings. You could always leave them a bar of chocolate or some sweets for them if you want. The kids are old enough to understand that you will need to be careful this year. I imagine they won't mind.

I would ask the oldest one if he minds doing without and cut down for the middle two [explain why] and put things like socks, pants, a book and a packet of favourite biscuits, nice soap or shampoo in the cut down stocking.I'd spend a little less on 'bug' presents and do the usual for the 12 year old and the 5 year old.The 5 year old will enjoy opening his stocking with an older sib and it seems faair if you can manage it at all.

I like the lucky dip idea, but fill them up with popcorn instead of the packing stuff! Super cheap to make too

And if the size of the current stockings is a problem, could you ditch them for this year and use actual (new) stockings/tights/rugby/football socks instead, using the second sock/leg of tights to help bulk out the presents?

As a fully-grown adult who still gets a stocking at Christmas, I can honestly say that I wouldn't care if the 'gifts' were random household objects that went back where they came from once the fun was over... it's the anticipation... excitement... the unknown... 5% to do with what's actually unwrapped. I'd rather have a stocking than any other gifts. Your kids are old enough to understand the financial side of things - they won't expect much - it's about the experience more than the value of the gifts. Maybe you should ask them? If my parents asked me and my siblings, they'd get a YES to stockings and NO to any other presents. And Pringles would be amazing!!

Ria's idea is great! Padding the stocking with something like those polystyrene nuts,with bits and bobs hidden inbetween

Bag of pocorn and a blown up balloon with funny face drawn on will fill up half of large stocking.

Then add a few cheap things:

Face wipes
Socks
Food
Scarf
Football? Large and £1.99 in many places

Instead of the big stockings buy them each a pair of xmas-themed socks (eg from primark). For each person, fill one sock with a tangerine, some chocolate/sweets, the other sock (wrapped up) and one or two small personal gifts.

This will allow you to keep up the stocking tradition, but you will avoid the problem of having a mostly empty big stocking and it could probably be done for about a fiver each.