to only get my DC 4 or 5 Xmas presents?

[Beebar]

The toys they do have are continually scattered all over the house. I am no neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, but this has gotten out of control.

They have designated areas for their toys and books, which I try my hardest to tidy away daily with their reluctant assistance! Yet it all ends up strewn all over the house within seconds. I encourage outdoor play to lessen the mess indoors, but they seem obsessed with turning the house upside down!

Please help

[SomethingOnce]

they get their dc a handful of raisins and a kinder egg which is plenty.

My DC would consider this luxury.

[Notimefortossers]

DisappointedOne Those fb pictures piss me off no end!!

[moosemama]

definitelybutter I did that with dice (die - whatever the correct multiple is) one year. I was so fed up of them saying that they couldn't play their board games because they couldn't find a dice, so I bought a big bag of them off Ebay and wrapped them in pairs - oddly enough FC also put some in their stockings that year as well. I now have half a dozen squirrelled away for when they've worked their way through losing that lot!

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

My dh does what doreen does but with the hoover as there's always lego all over the floor!
I do a toy cul every few months. As my ds is gettig older (he's 6 now) I involve him in this cul and we donate to charity. He has 3 small boxes and a larger one. If these are over spilling then we get rid :)
My dd is 2 so I do if for her but she's at the age were she grows out of things quicker.
As for christmas, we buy 3 main, a Stocking and some clothes. There always a book and an educational toy/game/activity within that.
Its been like this since ds was born, he is writing a list for the 1st time this year and he's only asked for 2 things so far, which is part of what we've been aiming for by not overloading with gifts.
My mil goes a bit over the top (although it has calmed down as the years have gone by) so they don't need anymore from us. Although my dm and mil were horrified that we didn't buy either dc anything for their 1st christmas (they were both under 6 months old) we didn't see the point.
I have to say though, we do buy things for them thoughout the year.

[definitelybutter]

Blackeyed Susan what if the kids prefer lego with a zillion bricks to a large truck?

[definitelybutter]

This year it is probably going to be one big thing and a few bits - but probably about twenty pencil sharpeners as it is impossible to keep them! I don't know what happens to the dratted things. I swear that the child buries them because 'I can't do my homework because my pencil's broke and I can't find a sharpener' is one of their favourite excuses. I shall wrap them all separately.

This is over both Christmas and birthday, though. I try to spend as much on his birthday as I would if it was in June. We have been going for one reasonable sized present for each but this year it is likely to be one pretty large present for both and scatterings of bits and books.

Does anyone else wrap a satsuma (or easy peeler) in tin foil?

[BlackeyedSusan]

four or five wanted presents is better than lots of unwanted stuff. big stuff with as few bits as possible. moving one thing instead of fifty million lego bricks is a lot easier.
eg dolls pushchair, or cot, toy for garden, one large toy car. so much easier to deal with than lots of little bits.

[Vanillavodka]

I think you have to be careful de- cluttering. My daughter has a very well meaning God mother who has no children of her own and has often given gifts that require huge amounts of time, effort and patience to use.

One year she gave a gift that just didn't get used at all, even by the following autumn. I'm afraid it went to the toy mountain in the sky, but to my horror about a fortnight later we met up with them and without prompting, they promised to come down to our house and play the game with her.

I spent the next two years discouraging them from visiting until they forgot about it!

[Snossidge]

I'm not a scrooge, I just don't have the money or space for loads. I spend about £75 per child.

[definitelybutter]

I give zillions to my pfb.

Actually I have one dc, with a birthday ridiculously close to Christmas, and I get them loads and loads and loads. I do stuff like get novelty rubbers or pencil sharpeners and wrap them separately. I get them shedloads.

They have no living grandparents, one aunt, one uncle, nothing else. They may get one or two things from our friends, but that is far from guaranteed. They are now getting past the stage when what they want is 'lots' and so it is likely to ease off now, with just one biggish present and things like sweeties, a book or two etc split between birthday and Christmas.

When they were four they got over seventy books (Christmas and birthday). It was a load of collections from The Book People (online store is awesome and I've had great service) and they have got literally years of benefit out of that.

I don't give clothes as presents as they are not yet 10 but that will be an option later. I'm not that generous the rest of the year.

[liquidrevolution]

something they want
something they need
something to wear
something to read

and a standard sized stocking from santa full of oranges and silly small things. Thats all DD is getting and all she will ever get from us/santa.

The best tip I read on here is to buy a small sized stocking so you dont have to completely fill a huge sack every year. and also buy two stockings so you can just swap them over during the santa visit

[Kitsandkids]

One day in the summer holidays I went through my 2 kids' toys and got rid of any 'tat' and anything they never played with. I filled 4 big carrier bags. I kept it all for about a month then binned most of it but kept a few items I thought they might possibly ask for in the future. So far one thing has been asked for and I returned it. I don't think they have a clue I got rid of most things, they just think I 'tidied up' and were thrilled with the results.

At Christmas I'm only getting them very few things. But they have lots of relatives so will probably end up with mountains of stuff again!

[Hotpatootietimewarp]

Perfectly fine, we have 3 dcs and they way we look at it is that they get loads of stuff off relatives so we are getting them one big present and little bits (clothes, sweets, books). I refuse to go crazy as I believe it becomes expected as they get older and it will become harder when they get to being teens and want more expensive presents

[TheFear]

I think it's unusual for people to give more than 3 or 4 gifts from Santa.

Mine are 7 and 8, this year they will get 1 "big" present (DS wants a Lego Dimensions thing for the x box thats 100 Euro, DD undecided). Last year they got an x box between them and some small toys.

We generally buy them books from Mum and Dad, and then it's puzzles, some art materials, a selection box/ choc santa. My family give one toy between them all to each child; my parents buy an experience (panto or similar); and DH's family generally buy something practical like themed pajamas. It actually sickens to me to see some of the Facebook photos of people showing off a whole sitting room full to the brim with toys. I don't get it. I honestly don't think any child could possibly appreciate 27 different toys..

[NotSayingImBatman]

DeoGratias pretty much everyone who isn't a MN competitive Scrooge.

[BathshebaDarkstone]

Mine get 1 toy and 1 thing to wear (clothes/pjs/fancy dress). In our case it's all we can afford.

[Louise43210]

My eldest (teenagers) will be having technology anyway, so the cost will be high. 4 is lots especially if thought of carefully. X

[DisappointedOne]

Who gives more?

Have you never seen some of the photos that get uploaded to Facebook in the early hours of dec 25th (usually with an exclamation of "he's been!")? Whole living rooms full of presents.

[stargirl1701]

We have done something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read from us from the beginning. One gift from Father Christmas and the stocking on top of that.

Once you add in the gifts from grandparents, godparents and other gift givers it really is too much! We open over the whole day too.

I try to tie it all together too. My Dad (Grandpa) has refurbished the family doll house as his gift so DH and I are giving DD1 a set of doll's (mum, dad, 2 children) as her 'want'. The other set of GPs are giving a set of doll grandparents. She desperately wants a fire engine from Father Christmas so I've made some felt flames to stick on the doll's house. I did manage to get the dolls' and Fire engine on eBay so feeling very Eco smug this year!

[JaceLancs]

They usually give me a list or choose the big present themselves

[JaceLancs]

I am interested in how much people spend on older DC
Mine are 22 and 24, we have a very small family so they don't get presents from many other people
ExDH gives them money
I spend around £100 each, which is usually one main present, 2-3 smaller presents and a handful of stocking size things such as chocolate shower gel etc

[32ndfloorandabitdizzy]

Something to wear and a toothbrush are not presents. I fully support a small number of gifts but they need to be real presents and not everyday items packaged as gifts.

When did you last feel overwhelming excitement at the prospect of using a new toothbrush? or receiving a can of lynx deodorant?

[biggles50]

Oh and no yanbu, Xmas is about excitement not the amount of gifts.

[DeoGratias]

Who gives more?

[biggles50]

I had a friend years ago whose house was super tidy and therefore calm. Compared with hers, my house was always upside down. She enforced toy rules and stuck to them. All toys were put high up and we're chosen by her children one at a time. They were gathered up and put away when finished with. She wasn't a freak, her kids were lovely, she was just organised. I tried her method but gave up but if I'd stuck with it, our home wouldn't have been so messy. On Xmas presents I work for a lady who is very organised and tidy, the other day she was explaining to her kids that two toys each must be given to charity in order that Santa could give them more. The children were excitedly searching for unwanted toys. It takes commitment, I'm better nowadays, good luck.