To be fed up of the criticism of those who splashed out for Christmas!

[Fanfeckintastic]

You can't open a thread about Christmas without someone voicing their dismay and horror that someone's eg "4 year old got an ipad", "that someone's partner gave them a tatty secondhand Christmas present and they should be grateful!", "you bought all that for a 5 year old "

It's mad because you'd never dream of criticizing the parents who had a minimalistic Christmas and bought very little for their DCs (like many of my Christmases) but somehow it's acceptable to be all judgy about people who splash out, with lots of raised eyebrows and sneeriness.

And how it's a mortal sin not to be overwhelmed with gratitude that your partner bought you anything at all. It's a really strange attitude that raises it's ugly head every year on here.

I just don't get why people care?

Live and let live.

I think we are pretty much middle of the road with spending (budget £50/child) I would never dream of commenting on someone's expensive house/ring/holiday so why is it acceptable with presents??

I was rather irritated by a fb post being liked and shared imploring people not to buy expensive gifts from Santa and to think of those children who Santa can't be so generous to. Just Go Away.

We'll I spent thousands on one of dc but only gave the other one a piece of string and some milk bottle tops so I think I've cracked it with both camps.

As Pagwatch says, I have no idea what people buy their children in RL except my extravagent DB & family it's only on Mumsnet that you can read all the comments and get outraged - this year I vowed to avoid most of the Christmas present threads, specifically the buying teacher gifts ones and have managed quite happily to still enjoy my time on Mumsnet without all the angst and amusement.

Here is something else that will make certain posters shit their pants. My 18 month old knows how to use an ipad. He turns it on and selects the ladybird apps that teach him colours and shapes.

And as for those posters who mock the notion of an ipad being educational, of course it can be. It is a brilliant piece of kit and I get to decide what to install on it, which means learning apps - numbers, phonics, how to form letters, interactive apps on the world, weather, space, dinosaurs and so on.

Not sure about the extreme focus on iPads, TBH.

I'd rather see a child get an iPad plus a couple of small, well-thought-out presents, than a massive pile of crap. Stories of marathon wrapping sessions and children having a meltdown over too many things to unwrap make me . It just seems to encourage a really acquisitive, more-is-better, consumption-focused mindset. No wonder so many adults try to buy happiness.

(Well, to be fair, not even a 'massive pile of crap'; a massive pile of quality stuff, for that matter.)

The hand wringing on this thread is just so.....!

My preschooler dc is so adept with an ipad that on more than one occasion he's done something that I didn't realise you could do. he's no genius but it's had me going "how did he do that?". interestingly in his end of term report the teacher commented on how good he is at using the computer. I presume it's related. having said that i didn't get the ipads (actually they have one each now) for educational purposes so that's just ended up being a good side benefit.

I think Koala has it bang on.

encourage a really acquisitive, more-is-better, consumption-focused mindset. No wonder so many adults try to buy happiness.

Masses of gifts is not healthy. I think little ones becone overwhelmed with all the new stuff.

Good grief this thread is yawn-pathetic.

My then 3 year old got a ipad, because A, it deal was fantastic (x amount, 3 years warranty, and travel Internet + case) and in my opinion much better spec wise to a hudl, which in my opinion are shit.

In the same year ds1 got a Samsung Galaxy, which was on but again the spec was poor to that of ds2 ipad.

Our iPads cost cost nearly the same as what I paid for my hudl, only it didn't come with all the add on's, I don't like android, I find them poor quality, flimsy and cheap looking and the spec poor also.

This year my 5 year old got a hp laptop which suits his advanced IT needs, (he's currently doing Y5 IT work)

DS's school has a ipad for all kids, they learn via iPads and Apple Macs, so it's also technology they use to learn in school also.

Some 3/4/5 year olds do know how to read, ds2 has the reading ability of a 9/10 year old (according to his school)

Ds1 (8) got a iPad this year because we wanted him yo upgrade his samsung Galaxy which went to his 3 year old cousin with SN.

Ds2 when in hospital had a iPad which saved us from months and months of boredom, he loved IT from that moment, and loved learning and doing new things all computer related.

Each person is different, each have different wants and needs.

All opinions are just that and no one should take them personally, after all it's just random people giving their opinion behind a screen.

I do quite like a bit of crap though. I got DS1 a cheesus cheese grater with a print of Jesus on the side. And nun bowling.

I got an iPad Air. I'm a techno wanker. It's like giving a car to a shit throwing chimp. I keep shouting 'look at this!' at dh and I've taken at least two pictures of the the inside of its cover.
< happy brat>

I think MN posts can be very sweary , overly-opinionated and offensive (without overtly breaking MN rules ) and people are a lot ruder and more bullying online than they ever would be face to face... It also happens on facebook ,used to happen on youtube . It's anonymous and so people behave badly.

Yep MrsDeVere. People think that they are getting it right and others are damaging their children - they can't all be right - so we can only know ourselves, our circumstances and our children and do our best to be kind and teach them to be good people.

We gave DS1 a Rolex for his 18th birthday. I can imagine the reaction if I had posted that on here yet it was a choice I remain happy with for a hundred reasons. People don't know him, or the reasons, or what it meant. People would just want to judge. Our lives are not soaps. We all have our reasons.

I'm fucking sweaty. I'm fucking sweaty in life. I'm opinionated. I'm not a bully. They are not all the same thing.

HahAhahahahahahaha.

Sweaty. Oh yes.

??

Altinkum - Which? testers much have got it so wrong then when they rated the Hudl a top best buy tablet.

No wonder creativity, imagination, and social skills are going down the drain in children when parents are so keen to justify buying tablets for their 1-3 yr olds.

GET THIS - Christmas is not the only day you can spend money on someone for or give gifts.

The annual costs of my DC 'activties' comes to way more than what I spent on Christmas this year, suppose I'd get slated for that.

I think people know that they can spend on their children at other times.

We choose not to buy them gifts and toys at any other time of the year, because their activities cost a few hundreds pounds per month, not to mention time as planning.

Didn't you know swearing makes you look think...

I spent a grand total if £0 on my DD (2.9) this year - she got some of my old stuff instead. She's incredibly happy with the keyboard and the harmonica!

But if I had the money I would definitely have bought her an iPad. She plays on my phone in my bed in the morning and it gets me an extra two hours of sleep each morning, mainly on the cbeebies app. It's a bugger to use on an iPhone though as the screen is too small for her favourite - the painting app. I'd love an iPad for her, though the benefits would mainly be for me!

Oh, and she loves her wooden toys. She's very little interest in her plastic vtech-type ones. She must be inherently mc!

the demonisation of ipads for children has me FROTHING

To the ignorant parents out there. Ipads are not soley for gaming. If you think this is the case and sneer accordingly then that just been an ignorant wanker.

Screen time on anything is the NOT the issue. It is the CONTENT - therefore if the child is using a device whereby the content is driven by them including:

mastery skills,
creative skills,
educational apps,
reading,
coding

Thats beneficial IMO. Problems occur when all they are doing is responding to games - a lot of games are like this but some are not e.g. minecraft.

And some of us don't buy a big pile of presents because we don't have the money. The DC get clothes/pjs/dressing up outfit and a toy from us, a toy and something chocolate from "Father Christmas" (also us ), and a toy bought with Nectar points. That's what we can afford. I wish I could afford to be a competitive skinflint!