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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To buy this many books?

73 replies

Sonder · 22/10/2014 00:48

My son is 3 (4 in January) and loves being read to. Reading is our favourite activity to do together.

He already has a bookcase full of books (we've read all of them multiple times) but throughout the year we've come up with a wishlist of new books and I was planning to buy them all as Christmas presents.

So am I being unreasonable to buy 135 books for my son (and any future children)? It will cost about £150 in total and while money is a bit tight I'd rather buy the books than cheap toys that will end up broken and ignored within a month or so. Plus I know grandparents and other relatives will be buying him various toys so he won't be missing out.

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsSomething · 22/10/2014 01:51

Because a book that appeals to a 3yo (you compiled the list together over time) may not appeal to a 5yo, going on 6?

nocoolnamesleft · 22/10/2014 03:47

At that age...I would have thought I'd died and gone to heaven! My only worry would be how quickly he might grow out of them.

Boleh · 22/10/2014 03:58

If you can afford them and think he'd love them and will still love then in a year it two I'd buy them and maybe give him one wrapped set plus a couple of others at Christmas, similar for his birthday then spread the rest out through the year as treats, rewards, surprises, distractions etc.
So many at once could be overwhelming and he might end up being put off if he doesn't know where to start with them.

waithorse · 22/10/2014 06:18

I love book's. My dc love book's. But I know we would all soon get board with opening 135 off them, even if you do spread it out.

poolomoomon · 22/10/2014 07:38

It's too many in one go. I'm trying to imagine a small child sitting unwrapping 135 books. How laborious that would be even for an adult...

If you really want to buy so many go ahead but perhaps only wrap up 20-30 for Christmas (and wrap them up in bundles of five.) Then I'd save the rest for birthday/Easter and maybe as a treat if he's really well behaved throughout the year?

Books always make a great gift, my DC love reading too but the most I've got them for Christmas was fifty last year and there's three of them. Even that was too many in one go.

LadyLuck10 · 22/10/2014 07:44

Sorry but yabu. As much as he might love reading, that amount of books may just turn him the other way. It's a grossly huge amount and somewhat off putting if you love something and then suddenly it's all over and everywhere!

Trapper · 22/10/2014 07:49

If you are buying from the Book People, please don't buy their Thomas boxed set. They are not the original stories and scan terribly.

Other than that - it is never unreasonable to buy books.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 22/10/2014 07:53

At that age DS had loads of books, lots of people spend that much on toys, go for it OP.

JubJubBirds · 22/10/2014 07:56

Even spread out over 4 days (Christmas eve/day, boxing day and his birthday) is too much all at once. They won't be as special as they should be.

By all means buy them, if that's what you really want to do, but don't give them all to him in such a short space of time. Spread then out as gifts throughout the year... for doing well at school, for Easter, when he's poorly with a cold, etc.

InMySpareTime · 22/10/2014 07:58

I say go for it! Keep the books hidden away and give your DC a book at a time, anytime he's done something nice/had a good school report/needs a bit of cheering up, fetch a book and read it together. Over time his book collection will grow without any additional investment from you. Books are a better reward than food.

BrieAndChilli · 22/10/2014 07:59

Last Xmas ds1 age 7 got 52 books!! But he is a big bookworm and all he's interested in is books and video games. He did get lego and other 'fun' stuff most of which is still untouched! So this year i and the rest of the family aren't going to waste money on presents we think he should have for variety and just get him what he will use - which is books and video games, oh and a couple of science kits.

InMySpareTime · 22/10/2014 08:00

X-post JubJub!

LetThereBeCupcakes · 22/10/2014 08:01

Your originaly question was "AIBU to buy this many books" and to that I say no, YANBU - 135 books for 150 is pretty good value and as you say you will hopefully get many years of pleasure from them, with your son, future children and perhaps even grandchildren.

However, as others have said, it's a lot all in one go for your son to open. I agree with others - give him some for your December / January celebrations and keep some back for other events (perhaps as rewards or something to cheer him up).

Out of interest, I'd love to know what some of these bargainous books are!

outofcontrol2014 · 22/10/2014 08:04

I would go to a public library instead, or if you don't have one close, maybe buy a tablet with the money and a subscription to one of the ebook reader services.

The thing is, kids who read voraciously develop really quickly. In a year, your child will have moved on from those 135 books - and possibly to much more adult fare like books for young adults. It's not unusual for children to get really good at reading within a few months, in which case those 135 books for youngsters will be wasted.

OOAOML · 22/10/2014 08:05

I love books, and my children have loads, but I found at that age they tended to get very fixed on a few favourites which we would read again and again, so I'd sound a note of caution over whether he will have time to read them all before he grows out of them (which totally depends on the books they are and what he's like, obviously). But if there's good deals with the Book People and you can afford it why not?

hesterton · 22/10/2014 08:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RJnomore · 22/10/2014 08:23

Sonder no YANBU I would have LOVED to be gifted so many books , still would actually. Unlike a toy - which you could easily spends£150 on - they will last over the whole year and many more. I think it's a great idea, I'd be tempted to buy a cheap bookcase, put them all in it and wrap it with a huge bow.

I tend to buy both my girls a big pile of books every year on TOP of their presents - not 135 mind you! But for some reason I view it as an investment.

Go for it.

Mmmicecream · 22/10/2014 08:29

My only reason for saying YABU is that you don't know how his tastes will change - DS is a big reader too, but I've learned I can't predict what he'll like next and what will become the favourite. I'd space out buying the books TBH and also allow him to choose them as well - DS is 3 and loves doing that himself.

LaurieMarlow · 22/10/2014 08:36

Go for it. I'm a sucker for excess, particularly when it's something as unambiguously worthwhile as children's books.

They'll be a bitch to store though

sadly glances round teeny London flat

DramaQueenofHighCs · 22/10/2014 08:45

Haven't read the whole thread, but..... Well I think 135 books in one go would be a bit too much but you are certainly NBU to buy that many throughout the year.

Have you thought of doing a book advent calendar? One of my friends posted the idea on FB - you wrap up 24 or 25 books in Christmas paper and put a number on each one. Then open and read one every evening from 1st December til Christmas Eve/day. Much better than chocolate IMHO and something I am considering trying with my DS this year!

NickyEds · 22/10/2014 09:01

Too much and spoils the experience of buying a new book for himself. I still remember how much I loved going to chose a new book, even at this age. Every Birthday, Christmas etc I would get a voucher and spend ages looking at the books trying to decide which I wanted. Whilst I would have liked being given over a hundred books in one go it isn't as nice as going a few times over a year to pick your own.

NickyEds · 22/10/2014 09:03

chose?? Choose

charleybarley · 22/10/2014 09:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dawndonnaagain · 22/10/2014 09:15

I am the person that has 3.500 books. I think you're being silly.
I admit I still have my childhood books, but only from about seven onwards, the real story books - Noel Streatfield, Laura Ingalls Wilder etc. Not from age three and four.

AugustaGloop · 22/10/2014 09:26

I read loads and have always bought a lot of books for my DC, but I do think that is excessive and I think your DS will not appreciate that many books over a short space of time however much he loves reading. I do not think you will get that much use out of them - once he starts to learn to read himself he could outgrow them really quite quickly. Once my DC had outgrown a book, they never really looked back at the old ones no matter how much they had loved them at the time.
A collection of classics for older children like DawnDonna mentions would (at the right time) be a better use of funds.

As someone else mentioned, part of the joy of books is being able to go into a bookshop (or library) and browse and choose something you really like the look of. By stockpiling books in this way you are kind of taking that away.

But you have clearly decided to do it so not sure why you posted. I do wonder if it is some kind of stealth boast.

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