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.

My children had more than enough presents. I have no idea what the actual number was, because i didn't count them

Dd1 enjoyed opening them all - hers, mine, whatever, she likes opening presents to see what is inside. After so many years of her not even understanding this, I happily give her my presents to open.

Dd2 raced through all of hers, in what seemed to be a frenzy of materialism. Actually, she cannot bear not knowing what is inside, so opens them all really quickly (ASD issues). I often don't wrap our presents to her, as this is preferable. Other family and friends don't understand or appreciate this.

Ds still has some presents to open. Not because he got too many (imo, although I am sure many would disagree) but because he is 2, and opened and played as he went. No point in tearing him away from a much loved toy to open another present - he'll get around to them in time. In fact, he has one present under the tree from last year, where he did similar. He didn't miss it (and it got tidied away, then found again a. Couple of months later, still wasn't missed, and then when I noticed it again in about September, I thought he might as well have it this year. It's a present from us, so I know what is in it and it is still appropriate).

Plenty of people would say my children are spoilt, just because of the amount of stuff they have. We are comfortably off, and I see no point in denying them much wanted and loved things just because others cannot afford them. None of them are spoilt, btw, and that is not my opinion. I am regularly complimented on their manners and attitude, both from other parents and also when out and about eg in restaurants or museums etc.

It's all relative, isn't it?

But the blanket statements about people being idiots for giving small children iPads (which, from many posters seem to be as much about the Aplle brand as the fact that a child has a tablet - wtf, my money, I can choose to spend it on whatever brand I wish) or scoffing at the educational aspect of them (or any other tablet), or saying people are spoiling their childrne if they give X amount of presents, or practically abusing them if they dont give X amount of presents are just ridiculous.

I'm laughing so much at Pag that I just spat all over my phone!

I don't think 'masses' of anything is healthy! I think we over consume. I think too many presents, too much choice is overwhelming for small children, not to mention yet more stuff to find storage for, more stuff to break which will then be chucked away into landfill.

It's my opinion based on observed data from my children. Too much stuff and they become fractious, stressed and start playing with the cardboard boxes and ignoring the toys.

Nobody mentioned 'abuse' fgs. I just don't think it is a good idea, and I am allowed to have an opinion.

I spend varying amounts. Mine are getting older now and so the gifts are more significant. It is up to me what I spend.
I feel the same about the 50 meals from a chicken threads

pag
My parents bought me a Cartier watch when I was 18 (24 yrs ago) I adored it then and now and will do the same for mine.

Not just sweaty. Fucking sweaty.

How lovely Ronald.

Stop farking glowing the place up

Sorg.
I'll get in the bath.

I don't know what sorg means.

Wrestles technology from pag
Passes her chalk and board

Masses of gifts is not healthy

^^this just makes me want to put an 'ostentatious pile of presents' photo! My dcs don't get a huge amount of stuff throughout the year, they are kind and generous (well apart from ds who would swap me for a pork pie and piece of plastic spiderman tat). So they get a lovely pile of presents at Xmas, I think they understand that this is a special thing.

What is 'masses' and how is 'health' defined?

masses = not being able to open the front room door without a snow shovel
unhealthy = children having a grey pallor, over enlarged eyes and thumbs, stunted fingers and sitting in their own poop from ipad/minecraft overuse.

HTH!

ipads worth hundreds of pounds for 4 yr olds who can't even read is a fucking abomination, symbolic of the sort of vacuous twats you have become in the face of Apple's marketing strategy.

The cost is irrelevant if people can afford them. My DD 4.5 barely uses ipad these days, other than for watching TV, used to use it all the time when she was between two and three. Various educational games and drawing apps. I suppose we have been remiss in find age-appropriate apps and need to download some new ones. Anyway, my point is that you don't have to be able to read to get a lot use out of an ipad.

In no way did I mean to imply abuse. I certainly don't think parents buying a ton of presents are abusing their children. It was a hastily typed message on my phone whilst feeding my little boy. Really I was agreeing with the previous poster.

Lots of presents for my children and for many other children I know has not a been a great idea, so that's why I tend to keep the present pile quite small compared to other friends and relations do for their children.

I don't get the cost issue, iPads start form £149, hudl starts from £89

No huge difference in price

Though if the issue is it be ipad rather than android, I wouldn't generally buy an i-anything myself, nor would DW, who has bought herself an Android tablet since ipad was a given to her by her brother a few years ago.

DD has been given a musical instrument for Christmas, and I've been looking for music education apps. Preferably one that will teach her to play it perfectly within 24 hours. No luck so far, but the best music teaching app I've found appears to be ipad only. (I mean not available for Android, it also runs on full computers, but it's probably going to be more useful on a tablet.) I'm looking forward to the day she'll be able to use it without supervision.

www.smartmusic.com/

Just to be clear, I haven't tried/bought that app, it's a $40 a year subscription. I think DD will need to be a few years older to make use of it.

DSS17 made me a card which he gave me today, as we opened our presents. Our Christmas starts here (he is with us 50/50).

It made me feel as if, matter how big his present piles have been over the years, and yes they have been big but not massive, our messages about the true meaning of Christmas must have sunk in and stayed.

The words on his card say:

The spirit of Christmas
Is the spirit of love
And generosity and of
Goodness.

It illuminates the picture window
Of the Soul
And we look out upon the world's busy life
And become more interested in people
Than in things

• Thomas S Mason

I don't think its a good thing to criticise other people's present buying, each family has different dynamics, budgets and motivations for Christmas.

It is what happens the other 364 days of the year that glues it all together!

I'm still frothing