How much do you spend on dc's at Christmas?

[justalittlelemondrizzle]

I spend about £70 - £100 each. They're 8 & 10. But from what I've seen at Christmas time -on facebook- eek other parents spend hundreds.

I don't have a budget - I spend what I spend. I get lots of things 80-90% off in sales. It looks like I spends hundreds but I don't. I also make gifts as well.

Shocked at people spending £500+ per child. Wowzer. would never spend over £150 unless they really, really needed something like a laptop or new phone.
Think stocking fillers and little thoughtful gifts are far nicer.

One DS and we have a good income so could go nuts but I hate the excess of Xmas so usually about £75-100 tops

Gets plenty other from family that a couple of things are fine

I spend £100 to a children’s cancer charity every Christmas in memory of my child lost to this awful disease. (Other fundraising during the year).
I also buy presents to help some families that struggle more financially.

What people spend is their choice but I can’t help thinking that too high an amount can lead to spoilt but some people don’t buy during the year so it could average to the same as others that do.
I have seen spoilt children and it’s not the sense of entitlement (although that is ugly) that bothers me so much. I think the saddest thing is when the excitement over a gift stops and they don’t see it as special.
I feel they are robbed of the magic.
Hopes and dreams drive us.

Quite a lot here. Probably about £500 however, we have no family so there we no grandparents or gifts from family to him. Everything he gets bar a t shirt and usually a bag of haribo from a distant aunt is everything DS gets.

We spend a lot and like to do it. I don’t do the pile on Facebook. To me that’s just crass.

Why shocked bumblina? I can’t say I’d ever been shocked at gifts another does or does not give their children.

at assuming people who spend more money don’t put any thought in to their gifts.

About £150 per child x 2.
£50 of that will be stuff they ‘need’ from November onwards so for example DS is having protective gear for his skateboard which I would have bought

Trying to be a little less wasteful this year and getting one main high value/ high use present rather than loads of crap.
DD8 is getting an ‘active’ camera - go pro type thing for kids and DS 5 the Vtech camera. We’re in NZ for Christmas so works out that they are small as we have to fly them there and back!

It’s DS’ birthday in Dec as well and he’s getting a bike that we would have bought anyway.

I’ve done the Xmas shopping for the kids already.

DS (who’ll be 11 months) had £30 spent on him.

DD (4) about £140, which is more than double last year’s budget but she’s asked for blinking club petz and baby born toys, a few of them soon add up.

I’m at the Facebook spending, someone on a mum’s group is getting her 1yo and 4yo an iPad each plus £300 worth of toys! We’re what I’d call ‘well off’ but no way would I ever spend that on principle alone.

All in, probably about £200 each. Two children, ages 12 and 9.

Yuk! These threads are no better than the fb 'look what we can afford (disguised as Christmas presents) boasts!

It doesn't matter whether you spend £30 or £1000 on your children - it depends on your circumstances and what you can afford without spending shitloads on a credit card!

Oh yes but there's worse on here

barba I don't think it was meant in a negative way.

I could find a 100 things that my ds would like. But because I won't buy buy all off them I have to think harder and put more thought in and think is this the thing they want. Diesnt mean I love my children more just that it's not as easy

I spend under £50- £80 on total for my DC and DS. they are DS 6y and DD 1y I dont have any financial problem.. but I think child doesnt understand or has any regard that you spend £1000 or £10...... any ways they get fed up with it in one week or maximum one month............
They only see the new thing or toy MAMMA and DADDY bring for them mostly they get 2-3 presents... they like to open ... while they open we cheer up...... and it doubles their joy... and they will be jumping all around the house with it.

Like another poster said, these extravagant gifts year after year then condition the child to expect ££££ and it becomes the norm. it feels like it's all about 'how much can I spend on the latest trendy/in vogue gifts'. A colleague bought her then 4 year old a new I pad and a huge sylvanian families collection a couple of years ago amongst many other presents. She ended up selling the sylvanian families to another colleague 3 months later at a £250 loss.
Another friend would spend hundreds on her two DC each year until one year she lost her job, and had nothing. The kids were distraught that mummy couldn't buy them the latest i - watch thingy or PS4.

It does get more expensive as they get older, one bloody PS 4 game can cost £80

I don't like posts about Christmas gifts unless it's sharing a bargain you got that others may want to take advantage of. There's enough pressure on parents as it is! This is only going to be DS's 2nd Christmas. He had a massive pile last year, but at that point he had just outgrown pretty much all of his toys (he was 9 months and at the time only had a baby gym, rattles, jumparoo etc), so we kitted him out for the full year. Most of it went straight back upstairs for him to grow into, and I've not needed to buy him anything since then aside from the odd little thing like a tube of bubbles or a colouring book that he's spotted while we're out and about. If I'd have bought him less for Christmas, I'd likely have bought him a few bits throughout the year, so I've not spent any more than would have, I just spent it all for Christmas.
This year he has a puppet theatre for his main gift (on sale in Aldi for £16), I've made him some hand puppets to go with it, he's about about £40 of smaller toys and stocking fillers, and a stack of books (mostly from the 10 books for £10 in The Works). He'll get bits from realtives, and my Nana has bought him a few stocking fillers, and is giving him a cheque for his bank with instructions to spend it on him as we see fit.
I dread him being older, and having to negotiate not spending money we don't have on toys/gifts that are £100+ each, without disappointing him. I know they need to learn that they can't have everything they want, and need to know the value of money, but the thought of a disappointed child on Christmas is awful.

We aim for £100 each

Around £150 each- for a 5 year old and 8 year old. I shop around for bargains and check the cheapest places to buy things, and take advantage of sales like the Argos 3 for 2 or when tesco had 25% off toys. I know as they get older it's likely to be more expensive- The 8 year old has started asking for things like an Xbox or mobile phone (not happening for a few years yet!)

I've never added it up! :)

bumblina that's more to do with spoilt children imo.

My dc used to gets 20 odd presents till i realed back to 4 or 5.. didnt say anything let alone being distraught

Same when my parents who normally get them a big ticket item could only afford to get them a onesie one year. They still loved the gift didn't question it or act like spoilt brats. They excepted that that was their present and was brought with thought and care.

I’ve spent about £500 already on my 9 year old. Nintendo switch and games was £400, then I’ve got her some clothes and trainers.
I wish people wouldn’t say £100+ is ridiculous, I earn it so I can spend it how I like!

I wish people wouldn’t say £100+ is ridiculous, I earn it so I can spend it how I like!

I wish people wouldn't insist they can't imagine what you can buy for under £100.

Each to their own I suppose.

We try to stick to less than 100 per child including stocking and advent calendar (expensive lego ones this year)

My parents give £75 each child, then with aunts and uncles it's another £40 or so and £40 from the inlaws.

Going to try to cut back on plastic tat this year, and get them a mixture of educational/experience gifts and less of the tat.