Worried about children's reactions to Christmas presents

[Lionking1981]

I know I am being silly but I feel terrible. My kids 8 and 6 very much believe in santa but I have not had a great year financially. Their Christmas lists were huge and included everything from the adverts. I come from a working class culture that you do without in November and December to give the children everything you can't afford all year round. It sounds stupid but I believed in santa until I was 11 because I just knew my family couldn't afford the stuff we had at Christmas. I didn't know that we were eating healthy meals while my parents were living on beans on toast.

Dh is from a middle class family and thinks we are completely mad. This year the kids are older and asking for more expensive stuff.

8 year old has a kindle, a furby connect, a playmobil set and 2 books. 6 year old has a 2ds, furby connect, a little lego set, a game and 2 books. I'm worried they are going to be very disappointed on Christmas Day and even my mum said it didn't look a lot all wrapped up but we only have 250 pounds left until next payday. We have got some lovely plans over Christmas seeing family, going on a santa day out and the panto and I'm hoping this will mean more to them than the commercialism. But they are used to having a big pile of presents and this will not look as much. I will be gutted if they are sad when they compare their cousins gifts. Dh thinks I am being ridiculous and I probably am.

every thread of this nature is largely met with " why don't you buy more garbage from poundland"

Are you mad OP, (meant kindly!) Your kid is getting a Kindle and a Furby and you think it may not be enough!!

That sounds like a Decent pile of gifts to me usually kids forget that they've wanted something on an advert a week or two after....I'm in my 50s and cannot remember the toys I got as a child from my widowed mother but do remember getting excited about a colouring in wipe off table cloth lol I do remember relatives who visited (sadly no longer here) decorating the Christmas tree while playing Christmas songs and the chaos of having so many relatives at the Christmas table. My adult self knew that mum went without to make our day special although we didn't have much. I would go into the pound shop and buy those craft bits that they sell and make some xmas type decorations and put those soppy xmas songs on that's what your children will enjoy and remember.

I think that's a nice little haul Lion

I'm keen to keep presents to a modest level, DS is 4. He'll get a main present off Santa (Transformers) plus a surprise. We will also get him something from mum and dad, and he'll get some small stuff in his stocking. When I factor in the 4 more gifts from godparents/ Grandparents, its quite a lot for a boy that age.

What he will love more is that he gets to spend time with his mum and dad - full time in nursery is tough and he adores it when we pick him up early or take a day off. So Christmas for us will be about movies and popcorn, woodland walks, nice trips out and about, and visiting family.

My cousins grew up with a mum who goes overboard. They in turn go overboard with their children - one posted a picture on FB a few years ago with about 25 wrapped gifts for her child. Then that child would get the same again when she went to her dads and another mountain at each grandma. Far far too much for a small child and its increasingly tougher as they get older to match the previous year as toys and gadgets get so much more expensive as they get older.

They will love their gifts and be too glued to the kindle and DS to bother! If you really want to and can afford it, you could go to a pound shop or similar and get a few bits to bulk it out- bubble bath, chocolate coins, socks, colouring pack, stickers etc. That's what I do and it always goes down well!

I think it sounds fine. My kids get 8 presents each and these always include an annual, a selection box and pyjamas. One has a stunt scooter (£60) as a main present. One has a CD player (£20) as a main present and one has a Stussy sweatshirt (£50) as a main present. The rest includes books, underwear, CD's, an itunes voucher each and a Lil Mouse. We can afford more but that's it, we simply won't buy more and the kids know that.

Kids will be fine they've got lovely presents and will be busy. I come from a similar background…my parents would bring so much stuff my kids would be fed up opening things and now DS1 (now 10) in particular is quite adamant he would rather have just a couple of things that he really wants rather than lots of unnecessary presents.

If they have a stocking put an apple and a satsuma in it, some chocolate and the books in and there you go!

They will have their devices which you will have to prise them away from…if any another present gets a look in on Xmas day I'd be surprised!

Not everything in Pound land is rubbish Randomer One of Ds's favorite books was a pound land present from last year!
I find the quality variable but there's some good stuff in there if you look.

I agree I picked up the 2017 shopkins annual in poundland today. Its still sitting at £7.99 in whsmith.