To be shocked by the number of Christmas presents people buy?

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I clicked on some of the Christmas threads and I have to say I was a bit shocked to read that some people buy 30 or more gifts for their children.

I should say at the outset that is always received lovely and generous presents from my parents (still do) and so I always get some nice things for my dd. So I am not anti present giving at all. This year dd will have about 6 things under the Christmas tree from me and my parents and then another 6 or so small items in her stocking.

Money issues aside, where do people put all this stuff????

I think you are right, NorthernLurker - the Xmas we do is very similar to what I had as a child.

I do remember one aunt who every year used to give my sister and I some nice writing paper and a new pencil to write our thank yous. And we were pleased to get it because the paper was always so nice and sometimes it came in a box.

My dd will still get stuff from family as well as what we get her. Maybe another five presents.

I can't stand this type of worthiness re what other people spend at Christmas. I suppose if you added family, friends, & Santa mine might get around 25 presents. They have both of sets of grandparents alive (which I'm eternally grateful for), aunts, uncles & we buy & receive from one set of friends.

I'm not even going to give reasons why my kids get quite a lot of presents at Christmas - I honestly couldn't think of anything I'd get less shocked about.

There seems to be this superior air on MN surrounding Christmas & how other people can be "vulgar" and overdo it. And I might even put some pictures on FB of my kids on Christmas morning

In my DC case the 30+ gifts at the 4 to 11 age would be in addition to presents from uncles and aunts and godparents. Grandparents used to give us the money to spend so would be included in the 30+. We did spread the 'opening' over 2 or 3 days and GP were always there for some of it.

Cringeworthy isn't it. Especially when the photos are uploaded to facebook.

We don't go too mad at xmas - there will be one main thing and then stocking fillers for Ds to open in his bed - but they'll just be maybe half a dozen cheap things. Mil always goes overboard with him anyway so sometimes we snaffle some of her small things for the stocking!! We even keep some presents back for later in the holiday!! (Cruel Mum)

Christmas is a special, magical time in our house and yes, normally we do go a bit over the top. However, that's our choice. As some others have said, a lot of the "presents" are practical, and they need them anyway, pjs, pencils, colouring books, clothes, pants and socks etc.

I don't count (I'd go crazy if I did!). They have a stocking, new ones this year which my mother has made, and in there will be a satsuma, chocolate coins, the girls have earrings, the boys have wind up cars, Christmassy pencils, a couple of bits of tat.

Then they have sacks with clothes, colouring books, books, games, dolls clothes a couple of toys etc. my brother gave £30 each child, with which dd1 is having a boombox with docking station, ds1 a camera, ds2 a boombox and cd set, dd2 a cuddly toy and we are still contemplating what to spend the remaining £15 on.

SIL will send a bag of presents which may include a selection box each. I can never second guess her and she never asks what they want or need so its always a big surprise! My aunt (dd2s godmother) also always sends over a bag of pressies, mil usually a present each but this year is giving them euros for our holiday in February.

They may get the odd present from school/dancing which goes under the tree too. My grandparents send m and a vouchers (which I usually save for the sales). Likewise I have an aunt that will send either vouchers or a gift each for the children. I don't expect other people to buy for the children (especially as I have four) but enjoy watching them open pressies when I don't know what they are going to be.

Dd1s birthday is two weeks after Christmas, and both dd1 and ds1 are in panto, where they do a secret Santa or "buy for your opposite" gift giving thing. It's the little extras that are nice. Ds1s panto choreographer also always gives all the children a nice gift.

It sounds a lot I know, but I tend to spread the present opening over a couple of days and they write thank you's and like I say lots of it is needed stuff. This year they are not having main presents as they have all been told that their 'main' present is their holiday in feb.

My mums the worst! She was told no big presents, that went for EVERYONE, and she has a smart camera from my brother, boots and lots of little things. She's the most spoilt!

My boys get quite a few presents from us but a lot of them are books/dvd's which go in the stocking. They actually get 1 main present each normally but this year DS1 is having an Xbox so we've got DS2 3 smaller presents which still don't come to the same amount as the xbox!

Their stockings are full of books,dvd's,chocolate,sweets and other little stuff like small cars or little planes.

They also get a present each from my parents...DS1 is getting a Man U dressing gown which he is desperate for and DS2 a huge toy ambulance. However they get nothing from my inlaws apart from some money to put in their bank accounts which is lovely of them but isn't that exciting on christmas morning.

So I probably do go more overboard than I need to but they basically only get presents from us and my parents so I feel as though I need to make it look more.

I have a friend who goes really mad and spends thousands on her boys, her parents do too. For her Christmas is about piles of presents, that is what she remembers about her childhood.
One year she bought more for my DC than Santa gave them, it was a bit embarrassing really.
I do buy quite a lot for my DC but not piles of things. I have gone a bit over board with DS2 and 3 so am holding some back for birthday and next year.

I don't think it's actually anyone's else business how much other people spend at Christmas or at other time tbh. Obviously no objection to discussions on mumsnet, but I do resent being made to feel mean by friends/ parents of DCs friends that we don't spend loads/ buy lots of gifts. We have 5 DCs and they will have £50-£60 each. We feel that it's enough, we spend a lot throughout the year on activities and equipment needed for them and even with a reasonably large house; with 7 people living in it, it doesn't take a lot for it feel bursting at the seams. I am comfortable with our decision, and to be fair our children seem happy with the way things are as well, but I do struggle with feeling obliged to justify that decision to other people.

We do have a big extended family but only my side and our friends ask what the DC would like.
My in-laws ask what they would like then go shopping and buy what they think DC should be into. So their gifts are often not played with or used.
My brothers in law and sister in law buy in sales or everything on 3 for 2 so things are often duplicated. We have had around five versions of guess who from them, and often clothes that don't fit bought in the sale so you can't even exchange them.
I take back what I can but most ends up being re gifted, donated or ebayed.

I think piles and piles of stuff is obscene to be honest.

Mine have a stocking with orange, chocolate coin, jelly babies, lip gloss, crayons, that sort of thing (about £10)

They then have one big present (DD boots, DS train set) and then about three other presents (books, smaller playmobil/lego sets).

I think that's plenty, especially when you consider all the presents from family too.

DD gets an absolute mountain of presents, but this is because I start buying months and months in advance and often forget about various books etc that I have stashed away until I pull them out xmas eve and go 'Oh shit' , plus DH and I both come from big families so she has lots of aunties and uncles and grandparents who buy her a present as well as a fair few of our friends.

We do a big clear out a few weeks before Christmas, and give to charity, some family members children who may like a particular item DD has grown out of or recycle/bin accordingly.

DD doesn't get many toys through out the year other than the odd book or dvd, she knows to wait until birthday or Christmas if she realyl wants something.

Not sure why anyone else is bothered by how others choose to 'do Christmas'.

They will have maybe 20 items in a stocking - a couple of books, couple of dvd's, bubble bath, arty bits, a few plastic bits of tat, sweets and chocolates.

Do you consider these stocking fillers?! These are our most of our presents!

It's not something you can really compare directly so judging is daft.

There are loads of factors - the expense of individual presents (ten reasonably sized gifts could still cost far less than an iPad!), how many others are buying for them, whether or not some of them are necessary purchases like jammies/toothbrush, even how you wrap them (like books - ten individual books or one box set?).

We choose my DCs a lot of gifts because my parents and grandma (and nan until she died this year) always give money in advance and ask us to do what we want with it. So we are lucky in that we can choose exactly what our DCs will love but without actually spending that much. Then we just assign things to each giver and they get thanked accordingly so they know what their money has been spent on and know that it's made their DGC/DGGC very happy!

I couldn't care elss if people buy 100 presents for their kids, so long as they don't spend more than they can afford and end up in debt. The boys are getting quite big main presents off us, this year, but there's still an assortment of small presents for them, like books, pens, a wallet for DS1, a selection of plastic tat for DS2, who loves sets of plastic tat more than anything else, and so on.

Well mine do get 30+ presents. That's the bonus of having a large family:
3 presents from immediate family
4 uncles and aunts
3 great uncles and aunts that give presents
My godmother
2 grandparents
3 godparents that give to all three children (depsite being only one's godparent)
1 (each) godparent that just gives to their godchild.

That's 16 presents before we've got to the stocking. There's usually a few from others (sometimes neighbours give presents, or elderly friends of mine, or friends of theirs)

The stocking has probably 10-20 presents in. BUT well over half, probably three quarters, of these are things they would need anyway. So there's a lot of stationary for school, underwear, they usually get a new toothbrush, other clothes they need, other things they need and if it was summer I would get them because they need it, however I pop them in the stocking as it's more fun to open.
And of those that aren't in the "need" category, it will be along the lines of (this was from last year's list) 1x book, 1 x chocolate coins, 1-2 x something fun (got compasses for them last year from £1 shop-3 for a pound!) 1 x DVD, 1 x craft set.

Hope that explains it.

I asked DM if we had all gone overboard this year for DS's Xmas and birthday presents....she said "Yes, but we're all trying to make up for our own childhoods"!

I think both sets of grandparents have probably spent more than they can afford this year which makes me feel bad, but DM got very pissed off with me when I kept asking "are you sure about buying xyz?"!

if people can afford it, that's fine, although the waste of resources from the five-minute wonder plastic tat is a planetary problem.

it's those who are saying 'it's a tough month with Christmas' who need to sort their priorities.

Why do people care what other spend on their kids...and why are people clambering to justify themselves.

I work hard all year round, I will probably spend about £350 on DS this christmas as sadly he has got to the age where he is not into toys anymore but gadgets. We don't really have any other family so all he gets will be from us. If people think thats extravagant I don't really care, we have had a terrible year this year and if I want to spoil him them that's up to me and DH :)

I really don't think it matters how many presents you get for your DCs as long as YOU are Ok with it and that they are GRATEFUL for them.

DD has loads. All bought throughout the year and never full-price. My problem is that I lose count, get them all out and realise that I've overdone it so put some back into the cupboard to get out for her birthday in June. But she tends to play with all of them because we know what she likes.

I find it's the presents from friends that tend not to get played with because (like me I guess) people think they know what other children like/want but don't always get it right and people rarely ask beforehand.

As for finding the space to put it all, before Xmas Day or her Birthday I have a sort out of things that DD hasn't played with/worn for the last 6 months and box them up and put them in the loft in case we have another child.

My DPs couldn't afford selection boxes when I was a kid so used to wrap individual bars of chocolate, that was 10 wrapped gifts alone add on soap, bubble bath, pens and pencils they could reach twenty for the cost of a book. Quality, quantity, expense are all individual. I am against people feeling or pressurised into debt but those who can afford spending is good for the economy.

Totally agree with others aswell that as long as they don't get into debt for it, it's up to them. We save £50 a month for Xmas (plus the council tax money for the 2 months we don't pay it - February and March) so can buy things when we see them on Sale. We are lucky to be able to do that I know and it definitely takes off any pressure in December. We now just see it as another 'bill' each month because it comes out the day we get paid and we always count it as 'outgoings'. It was never there in a sense, so we don't notice it's gone.

I also think it's quite patronising to look down on people who spend a lot on christmas as if, because they don't do things your way, they can't possibly be doing things properly and must be wasteful and greedy, and probably in massive debt they won't ever get out of.

Do these people also feel disgusted going round a supermarket if they see someone with a trolley full of branded things instead of value? Do you find nice houses obscene? Going on holiday a wasteful splurge? There's an endless list of things you could do more cheaply, or not at all, but it's not anyone else's place to "have a problem" with.