How many presents do you buy for your DCs

[MrsWembley]

I'm trying to educate DP in the ways of normal people.

It's DD's birthday coming up and he's worried about how much we have got/are getting. I think that we give too much for birthdays (and Christmas, for that matter) but he's a bloody nightmare and doesn't stop during the year, so it's always a struggle trying to find things they don't have.

I think one main present and maybe a couple of little things are enough. Let's just say, he doesn't.

[SisterViktorine]

We have curbed the ongoing present buying by instituting pocket money- £2p/w base rate then 50p for specific optional jobs. DS has to save for crap items he wants.

That said he got an Islabike a couple of months ago just because he'd grown out of his little kid bike. Sometimes we just get him stuff.

[NickyEds]

My dd is about to turn one. You wouldn't be happy with the current bag of pressies I've bought already!

We also have ds who is two and he had quite a lot too. I don't set out to buy loads but I start early with the idea that I'm being organised and it builds up.

[Beth2511]

Just done my dds list for her 2nd birthday.

I feel we are heading the way of something special for birthday and lots of smaller bits for christmas.

Her birthday list is a toy kitchen and associated food, trolley and apron so all linked.

Christmas will be a pile but nothing overly expensive. Same as list year.

[Notso]

It depends on what they ask for, if they are having a big party etc.

For example DC1 and DC4 have recently had birthdays.
DC4 turned 4 asked for a £20 Thomas the Tank engine set, we got him a few trains to go with it £15, a t-shirt £8 and he had a whole class party.
DC1 turned 16 asked for jewellery, perfume and make up which came to about £120 and invited her friend to have a meal out with us.

[TimetohittheroadJack]

It totally de

[Juanbablo]

Our children get one present from us and one from each sibling. The one from us is usually a pretty expensive gift i.e scooter/football kit/dolls house that can be up to £100. The presents from their siblings are usually about £10.

[TimetohittheroadJack]

Sorry, it totally depends on their age, and your budget. Toys for small children are generally big and cost little, toys for big children are generally little and cost big!

[SouperSal]

Almost nothing in December, a fair bit for her birthday.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

It rather depends on whether you have other people who will buy her presents (GPS, aunts and uncles) or not, I would have thought.

[tabpepsi]

i think our dc get too much and my dh is the same -spends ££s more than agreed esp on dc1 as they're that bit older so he can use the toy with them.

the elder dc1 is 5 gets about £80-100 on birthdays eg scooter and helmet or a bike or massive lego set.

dc2 is 2 and has about £30 spent on them eg a marks and spencer "every day" outfit which we wouldnt normally spend with small toy.

[Sassypants82]

Our DS gets one gift, from everyone for his birthday. Thats it. He has 12 direct aunties /uncles & they contribute £5 ea to a gift we choose. Granted he's only 2 but we'll be continuing this for as long as possible. I hate him having too much & want to avoid being overwhelmed. Works for us.

[thatorchidmoment]

I know this is twee, but we are trying to cut down on the deluge of stuff that clutters up the place come birthday/Christmas with 3 kids, and often hasn't been appreciated. So I have this as a guide for gifts and it seems plenty imo.

Something they love, something they need, something to wear, something to read.

Adjust spend on each item according to budget, and it is honestly plenty. If you can get family members on board, even better.

DS4 got 2 Lego sets, a wooden train to assemble, paint and decorate with stickers, a big hardback Thomas the tank engine storybook and red wellies. Every single thing is loved and has been played with/read/worn regularly since.

Just my thoughts, and it works better for us than previously, where a lot of tat made its way into the house, got lost and broken, and made its way out again.

[littlepinkmouseofsugar]

Our families are overseas or unable to buy and we have quite small parties rather than all class ones that seem prevalent, so that makes a difference too as most presents are only from us. Bikes get upgraded when they are needed (buy them second hand) rather than as a present as well.

So bearing that in mind, we do a stack of books (maybe 10 or so on average), and maybe 6-10 small to medium sized things as well depending on what bargains I've found throughout the year or what is on their list. Eg recent birthday presents for our 7 year old from H and I was a bug catching kit and book, space action figures set, gymnastics cards box (explains what the moves/excercises are called etc), a small lego set, a small sylvanians set, a necklace and a purse. Several smaller gifts generally go down better than fewer more expensive items at this age.

[nancy75]

Generally buy lots for birthday and Christmas and also do buy stuff throughout the year. DD is 11 this year and it is getting more difficult to find things so instead of stuff part of her present will often be something like theatre tickets (this year she wants to go to a gamers convention - don't know what it is but it sounds like hell on earth!!)

[MaureenMLove]

DH is the same and would give DD the world. But since I'm in charge, that ain't ever gonna happen! . If he would like to do the present shopping, wrapping presents and writing the card, he could, but he doesn't.

This year, DD. Is getting exactly 21 presents. She will be 21 and she'll be getting 20 'things' of various sizes and so far none of them have cost more than about a fiver! The final present will be the savings she doesn't know she's had since she was 5!

[MrsWembley]

Okay, so maybe my DP isn't that unusual.

I usually come out with 'I only ever had one present from my mother on birthday and it taught me how to appreciate things' line whereas he was 'spoilt rotten!' in my opinion. But if he's not alone in his ideas then I guess I should stop trying to curb his enthusiasm quite so much.

Anyway, all!

[Strokethefurrywall]

My two are both still little (4 and 2) but we have this kind of dilemma as we live overseas on an island so "stuff" they want is relatively limited and/or ridiculously expensive due to shipping.

We generally do $100 for each for Christmas and birthday. Birthday is usually one main gift and whatever other gifts they get from friends/family. Christmas I do lots of little gifts which is a pain in the arse because trying to find decent stocking fillers here is a fucking mission.

It's year round stuff that they get that throws us off. When we have visitors they always bring lovely gifts with them, particularly MIL who brings loads of gifts from her and her mum (7 carrier bags the last time she came, including a bike!). It occurs to me to say perhaps we should put some away for Christmas/birthdays but then I think to hell with it, she spent all this time choosing lovely stuff for them, she should get the joy of watching them open and play with it all!

We have put aside a leappad that she bought for DS1 for his 2nd birthday which of course he's NEVER used, and intend to give to DS2 for Christmas this year in the hope he might play with it, and she bought DS1 a Nintendo DS for his 4th birthday which we've hidden from him because he has absolutely no idea what it is! We will give them when we know they'll actually want to use them, otherwise I'll feel bad that they don't get used.

Originally I tried to keep things to one side so that they didn't get spoiled or expect gifts every time someone visited but have just decided to let it go. It gives the givers pleasure to see the kids happy, and the kids are still at the lovely age of loving time with "people" rather than presents (long may it last!)

[halighhalighaliehaligh]

If I see lots of things they would like and play with and I can afford it then I get lots but if they've still got a lot of stuff they've not outgrown playing with I get less. If it's a birthday when I don't think they really need much I would get gifts like a magazine subscription, tickets for something, craft stuff and other stuff we would do anyway so they've got plenty to open.

[Sierra259]

Again here, it depends on what they want. This year will probably be the first year that DC1 is old enough to choose independently (previously we've bought something we know they'll like). I would tend to set a maximum spend amount - so we spend £X on each DC. If they have an expensive present, there will be less smaller ones.

No clue what DC2 is going to get for Christmas/birthdays the next few years as we have more than enough clothes and toys from DC1!

[Maybemable]

Thatorchidmoment - I love your guide! Going to use it from now on!

[thatorchidmoment]

maybe You are welcome! I spotted it on Pinterest, I think, and thought it was pretty good and fits with how we try to live: buying less but better; keeping things that are useful/beautiful etc, so adopted it myself.

I had a similar conversation about gifts with a couple of my friends at Christmas and they have decided to take it on too! #lessisbetter

[SpringerS]

DS (3.5) gets loads of presents for Christmas and birthdays. Mainly secondhand stuff that I've gathered throughout out the previous year or two. (I'm a big planner - all my Christmas shopping has been done for over a month now). And he gets lots of presents throughout the year too. But contrary to accepted wisdom about getting little and being more appreciative, I've read that depending on the spirit the giving is done, kids who get a lot can grow up to be extremely generous and just love giving because they grew up seeing how happy their families were to give to them.

I don't know if that's true but DS gets so much but he's the most appreciative little person imaginable. Last week I found some crappy Kinder Egg toy on the street and you'd think I hung the moon when I gave it to him. He was just so delighted and grateful. He's also the tidiest 3 year old going and all his toys are kept 'just so' which is part of what makes me ok with him having so many toys. I wouldn't be inclined to give him new figures and playsets if all the pieces were strewn all over the place and games and jigsaws unplayable because they weren't cared for.

[Cagliostro]

Littlepink this is possibly going against the spirit of the thread but do you have a link for the gymnastics cards please? They sound great! :)

Anyway, we don't get anything big throughout the year, wouldn't buy a toy in a toy shop 'just because' IYSWIM. They get holiday money if we go anywhere, and regular pocket money of a quid each per week. But this weekend we went to a board game convention :o and they got to choose a new game each at the end - having that choice was a massive deal to them, as it doesn't happen usually. DH and I had set a budget (knowing we would want to buy some games there) and we were well within it so we said to the DCs to just pick anything. There were other little accessories that DD saw and liked, but she used her pocket money for those.

However throughout the year I have a major major weakness for educational stuff, especially now we home educate. So they do get 'new' things regularly from the charity shop or bargains online, but it's stuff like books, puzzles, board games, maths/science resources. Proper 'toy' toys, like dolls or cars or Lego sets or dressing up clothes, are for Christmas/birthday, or they have to save their pocket money for it. DH and I have 'pocket money' as well (because we are on a low income, it allows us to still treat ourselves but know we won't go overboard IYSWIM), which they see us manage, for example splitting the cost of a DVD we both want, or saving for bigger things, and I think that's been helpful for them to observe.